The Worst Concurrencies

[kphoger]

by which point everyone would already know it as I-135

if only...

[kphoger]

Yes, US-400 should not exist

FIFY

For the part east of US-77, do you only think that because of the number?  Or do you think it doesn't deserve to be a US Route at all?

When I drive to Branson to visit in-laws, I use 154 miles' worth of US-400.  Only 27 of those miles are duplexed with other routes;  the rest is solo US-400.  If the route didn't exist, then it would presumably still just be K-96 east of Andover.  That seems to be what most 400-haters have in mind:  turning it back to a state route.

However, that makes no sense to me, as US-400 is clearly a major east-west corridor.  As I've said on here before, US-400 in this part of the state makes more sense as a US Route than US-54 does.

as for the section between Leon (where US 54 splits off east of Wichita) and US 69 near Pittsburg, we can renumber that to K-171, which is the road that goes east from that US 69 junction, eventually becoming MO 171 going into Joplin.

It used to be K-96.

But, anyway, AADT counts along that stretch range between 3400 and 6530, with the average being 4647.  By way of comparison, US-54 between the same longitudes gets down to 1190 AADT between Eureka and Yates Center, and the only locations with counts over 3000 AADT are (1) just outside El Dorado, (2) the short stretch between Iola and La Harpe, and (3) just outside Fort Scott.  To me, it's a strange suggestion that 54 should keep its US Route shield but 400 should not, when 400 is the busier highway of the two.

But here's the real kicker:  more than half of the count locations between Leon and US-69 report more than 25% "Heavy Commercial" traffic.  Having driven the highway numerous times, I can assert that it's a popular corridor for long-distance traffic–long-haul truckers, regional farm trucks, vacationing RVs, boats on trailers...  In fact, with it having so few towns along the route, I daresay it's more important as a cross-country route than it is as a local route.

So hate the number.  That's fine.  But it deserves to be a US Route.  The stupid concurrency west of Dodge City needs to go, I agree.  And maybe even everything west of US-77.  In that case, I'm curious to know what you'd do with the solo section between K-34 and Dodge City.

[hbelkins]

US 98 and US 319.

WV 55 and everything it's concurrent with. There are only two independent portions of the route left, the extreme western portion and that segment that serves as the ramp from US 220 to US 48.

WV 39 and WV 16.

[roadman65]

US 221 now in Perry, FL.  It is now concurrent with US 27 (and part of US 19) to avoid Downtown, but the southern mile not concurrent between US 19, 98, and ALT 27 and US 27 is point less now.

It starts from US 19,98, and ALT 27 (where it always has started )and then goes north to US 27. Jogs back to US 19 on US 27, then follows US 19-27 it to its new alignment north of the city, to go east back to its old alignment.

I have no problem with it bypassing the city, but why the zig zag?  Just truncate it to the north end of the US 19, and 27 overlap and be done.  The southern mile should be FL 55 ( it's hidden state route number) instead of to have a useless concurrency like it now does.


In Lake City, FL the very short US 90 and 441 concurrency is useless as well.  Just have one US 41 concurrency from High Spring to north of Downtown instead of two different 41-441 overlaps with the one block US 90 concurrency.  Sign US 441 as FL 25A between the overlaps to avoid a zig zag back and forth to US 41 and the need to use part of US 90.

[Dirt Roads]

WV 55 and everything it's concurrent with. There are only two independent portions of the route left, the extreme western portion and that segment that serves as the ramp from US 220 to US 48.

WV 39 and WV 16.

How about if you were to connect those two together?  If you followed the logic of many West Virginians, the WV-55 should have started at the north end of the West Virginia Turnpike and followed US-60 to Gauley Bridge, then follow WV-39 to Summersville, then head north on Corridor G to what is now the beginning of WV-55.  This was the main route for trout fishing in the Mountain State (and the main path to get to over to Dilley's Mill, ergo the old Boy Scout camp).  It's not meant to be the most direct, but rather be the most scenic. 

I think that most West Virginians would agree that WV-39 should have terminated at Belva (WV-16) after being extended when US-19 was relocated onto WV-41 in early 1941.  In this case, I think that WVDOH was trying to sell the fact that WV-39 would be a good (and scenic) alternate route for US-60 between Gauley Bridge and Goshen, Virginia.  But even then, whenever I used WV-39 as an alternate route, I almost always went up Corridor G and picked up what's now WV-55 to catch a view of Cruppers Neck before getting back onto WV-39.

None of this is supposed to make any sense to those who didn't grow up in West Virginia.

[DJ Particle]

US-6/MA-6A Eastham to N Truro, MA - though the concurrency is not signed, mile markers along 6A in N Truro/P-town are evidence of it.

Frankly, I think that end of 6A should be decommissioned, as only about 1% of it is state-maintained anymore, and extend US-6 along the federally-maintained Provincelands Rd and the state-maintained Bradford St. Extension to end at its legacy terminus at the Provincetown Inn.

[TheStranger]

Probably the worst in California is the supposed overlap of CA 1 south of Gaviota Pass on US 101 to El Rio.  I don't recall ever actually seeing a multiplex sign assembly on US 101 south of Gaviota Pass unlike the multiplexes which exist to the north.  CA 1 has a segment on the Rincon Seawall which might as well be a standalone highway.  There is a signage gap now in the El Rip/Oxnard area which reflects relinquishments but does nothing to aid the driver in finding the PCH segment of CA 1.  This all could have been easily solved by reverting CA 3 back over the corridor of US 101A during the 1964 Renumbering.  Considering removal of long multiplexes was a primary goal of the 1964 Renumbering in retrospect extending CA 1 south of Gaviota Pass seems like an odd choice.

There's also that odd standalone portion of 1 west of Ventura that is former US 101 and barely has any signage on it, but is really popular with RVs from when I went through there in November 2020.

I can understand not wanting to have 101 in Santa Barbara be signed as "101 and 1" too often, but functionally 0 reassurance signage between Las Cruces and Rice Avenue isn't all that great, either.  (And we're now going on a decade of no signage at all along Rice between the Oxnard Boulevard/old freeway split and the Rice/101 junction)

[Tom958]

Also - where are GA 1 and GA 3 independent routes? To my knowledge they are entirely concurrent with US 27, and US 19 and/or 41 respectively.

It was de-designated quite a few years ago, but the original highway between Atlanta and Marietta was signed as GA 3, with the newer four-lane highway designated as GA 3E and US 41.

[hbelkins]

Just thought of another one that I was near last week. US 42 and US 60 in Louisville. There's no reason for US 42 to run concurrent with US 60 just to end at the intersection with US 31E.

Also involving US 42, it makes no sense for US 25 to be concurrent with US 42 and US 127 all the way from their intersection to the Ohio state line, where US 25 just disappears. Cut US 25 back to the intersection in Florence or Erlanger or whatever municipality limit it's in.

[amroad17]

Just thought of another one that I was near last week. US 42 and US 60 in Louisville. There's no reason for US 42 to run concurrent with US 60 just to end at the intersection with US 31E.

Also involving US 42, it makes no sense for US 25 to be concurrent with US 42 and US 127 all the way from their intersection to the Ohio state line, where US 25 just disappears. Cut US 25 back to the intersection in Florence or Erlanger or whatever municipality limit it's in.

I believe the reason US 25 has not been truncated to the US 42/US 127 intersection in Florence is because the route number is associated with the Dixie Highway name.  US 25, and Dixie Highway, becomes the main road from US 42.  US 25/Dixie Highway comes from the south and makes a right heading northeast at the intersection.  The road leading west from the intersection is simply called US 42.  Dixie Highway is named on the US 25/42/127 concurrency through Florence, Erlanger, Crestview Hills, Ft. Mitchell, and Ft. Wright until the sharp bend overlooking I-71/75 in West Covington where it becomes Pike Street.

It is a "useless" concurrency as US 25 is signed to the KY/OH line simply for historical and sentimental reasons--plus the fact that KYTC never applied for US 25 to be further truncated to the above mentioned intersection in Florence.  It seems that many locals here in Northern Kentucky associate Dixie Highway with US 25.

As far as US 42, I do agree with your assessment.  However, didn't US 42 extend further west like to the current Exit 8 (US 31W/US 60) interchange with I-264?  I did see an old photo with US 31W/60/150 and 42 somewhere on this forum.

I have one from New York State, although I would not call it the "worst": NY 14A/NY 245 in Geneva, NY.  The routes are concurrent from south of the city to their common terminus at US 20/NY 5 west of downtown Geneva.  With NYSDOT trying to limit concurrencies, this one sort of slipped by.  IMHO, NY 245 should be truncated to the junction with NY 14A south of Geneva.  There could be a sign that has a TO above NY 245 instead of SOUTH at the US 20/NY 5 intersection.  Plus some of the current NY 245 signs would be taken down along the NY 14A concurrency to save money on future sign replacements.

[Roadgeekteen]

I-894 in Wisconsin's exsistance- completely engulfed by I-41 but still somehow still around.

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably the worst in California is the supposed overlap of CA 1 south of Gaviota Pass on US 101 to El Rio.  I don't recall ever actually seeing a multiplex sign assembly on US 101 south of Gaviota Pass unlike the multiplexes which exist to the north.  CA 1 has a segment on the Rincon Seawall which might as well be a standalone highway.  There is a signage gap now in the El Rip/Oxnard area which reflects relinquishments but does nothing to aid the driver in finding the PCH segment of CA 1.  This all could have been easily solved by reverting CA 3 back over the corridor of US 101A during the 1964 Renumbering.  Considering removal of long multiplexes was a primary goal of the 1964 Renumbering in retrospect extending CA 1 south of Gaviota Pass seems like an odd choice.

There's also that odd standalone portion of 1 west of Ventura that is former US 101 and barely has any signage on it, but is really popular with RVs from when I went through there in November 2020.

I can understand not wanting to have 101 in Santa Barbara be signed as "101 and 1" too often, but functionally 0 reassurance signage between Las Cruces and Rice Avenue isn't all that great, either.  (And we're now going on a decade of no signage at all along Rice between the Oxnard Boulevard/old freeway split and the Rice/101 junction)

Really the signage of 1 should have stayed up on Oxnard Boulevard until Rice is (or ever will be) brought up to state standards.  That's a real example of the practice of Route signage denoting state maintenance causing an actual navigational issue.  Even putting reassurance shields on Rice and at the Rice exit despite it not being a state facility yet would be an easy solution to the problem. 

[Henry]

US 40 and US 322 in Atlantic City. As the cross-country route, US 40 deserves to continue on to the coast, while US 322 should be truncated.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 40 and US 322 in Atlantic City. As the cross-country route, US 40 deserves to continue on to the coast, while US 322 should be truncated.

I seem to recall when I did the Barry Bridge blog on Gribblenation the AASHTO minutes on the 322 extension request even had it end on US 40 at the boundary of Atlantic City. 

[KCRoadFan]

US 189 could lose 64 miles of continuous, superfluous overlap by being truncated to Daniel, WY at US 191.

(There are some benefits, though; I got a US 189 pic without having to drive south of Jackson, as well as the 4-way US overlap you see here: https://goo.gl/maps/ARGbpfQsdvV8i5LZ6)

Overall, Wyoming seems to have a big problem with this.

When you follow US 20 through Yellowstone, it's not officially signed in the park, but when you come out the east entrance heading towards Cody, the signs for it reappear - along with US 14 and US 16, which appear out of nowhere. Among the three routes on the road between Yellowstone and Cody, only US 20 appears west of the park, so in my opinion, US 14 and US 16 should just begin at Greybull and Worland, respectively - that is to say, where both highways begin their standalone sections.

Further east within the state, US 20 again encounters such a phenomenon. After a short overlap with I-25 east of Douglas, US 20 splits off at Orin Junction - at which point US 18 suddenly appears. US 18 and US 20 overlap until Lusk, at which point US 18 begins another concurrency with US 85, while US 20 continues east on its own. Finally, halfway between Lusk and Newcastle, US 18 finally goes its own way when it splits off US 85.

In my opinion, US 18 should just begin at that junction with US 85 between Lusk and Newcastle. What do you think?

[achilles765]

I find the concurrencies with SH 130, which could easily just be ended at iH 10 outside of San Antonio instead of multiplexing with it and IH 410.
I also don't get why US 69, US 96, and US 287 need to be concurrent for so long.

[hotdogPi]

One thing I will note is that the OP's example (different lanes are different lengths) is different from most replies here (useless at one end).

In a category that doesn't match either: both wrong-way overlaps, US 60 with itself in Virginia Beach and RI 114 with itself in Pawtucket, although sources disagree on whether the latter exists or not.

[kphoger]

RI 114 with itself in Pawtucket, although sources disagree on whether the latter exists or not.

Sources reportedly disagree.  As I've said before, I don't believe anyone on this forum has actually confirmed that assertion, which would require obtaining or viewing copies of both the RIDOT routing log and the city of Pawtucket routing log.

Link here, for those just joining the conversation

[RobbieL2415]

Any concurrency that US 202 is a part of.

[WillWeaverRVA]

So, Virginia Secondary Route 634 in Rockingham County is concurrent with US 33 for a certain part, but both lanes of SR-634 are concurrent with US 33 for different distances.

Southbound SR-634 use US 33 for what seems like half a mile, but that's only on West US 33. There's a crossover, which SR-634 uses, just to turn around onto East US 33, the 2 routes head together for a smaller distance, where SR-634 gets onto a different road to go to US 340.
Northbound isn't as bad though. All North SR-634 has to do is turn onto East US 33, go a tiny distance, and go onto its own road, reuniting with Southbound.

The whole thing is signed for SR-634 too. Is there any other awful concurrencies like this, or even worse?

US 301/VA 2 is pretty bad. VA 2 does not exist as an independent route south of Bowling Green or north of US 17, and the US 301 duplex is over 33 miles long and useless (VA 2 ends at the Richmond city limits, at the intersection with US 1).

[roadman65]

US 98 with US 19 in Florida. Really US 98 should continue east on US 27 and end in High Spring at US 441.  It's completely useless south of Perry and concurrent with too many other routes.


I know that old AASHTO archives show Florida wanting US 98 to end in St. Augustine on Florida's First Coast back in the day, but turned down of course.

[Scott5114]

RI 114 with itself in Pawtucket, although sources disagree on whether the latter exists or not.

Sources reportedly disagree.  As I've said before, I don't believe anyone on this forum has actually confirmed that assertion, which would require obtaining or viewing copies of both the RIDOT routing log and the city of Pawtucket routing log.

Link here, for those just joining the conversation

My inclination here (borne of standard practice for determining which sources to use for Wikipedia) would be to treat the Pawtucket log as extraneous information. If Rhode Island is like most states, Pawtucket's executive authority in this matter would not be binding on the state, and so any log or map they produce wouldn't be worth a hill of beans as a primary source. At the very least, it would be barely more authoritative than a log someone on this forum produces, and even then only by virtue of the fact that Pawtucket might be more familiar with what roads they are and are not allowed to spend state money on (which is still probably dependent on RIDOT's say so).

The bigger problem is if RIDOT internal sources conflict on the matter, because at that point, without talking to someone in RIDOT who understands the sources of information for each document, there's no way to know offhand which source is most authoritative. (This is not the case with many DOTs; in Oklahoma, the Control Section Map Book can be treated as the bible for the state highway system, since every contract is done relative to the control section number and mileage, and so it's functionally impossible for a road to receive state maintenance at all without a control section number.)

[kphoger]

I haven't read anywhere that Rhode Island state documents disagree about the routing of RI-114–just that a city document disagrees with a state document.

Someone, please chime in if you've read otherwise.

[kinupanda]

It's likely been said in another thread, but: all of US 412 west of Guymon.

[brad2971]

It's likely been said in another thread, but: all of US 412 west of Guymon.

I've often wondered if New Mexico DOT ever considered that rerouting US 64 onto the current US 56-412, then onto NM 58, from Clayton to Cimarron would be shorter than the current routing of US 64 between those two cities. NMDOT could easily get rid of two US highway numbers that are superfluous when it comes to travel in that state if they were to take that action. Though when it comes to silly concurrencies, not much compares to the nonsensical wrong-way concurrency of US 60-64 with US 81 north of Enid (OK).