Cheating US highways

[Avalanchez71]

There are several U.S. highways that exist only in one state. And that policy of 300 or more miles or more than one state was written in 1991 so it doesn't surprise me that there are several U.S. highways that aren't 300 miles long or don't enter another state. So any new additions to the U.S. highway system has to serve more than one state.

The AASHTO (AASHO) U.S. route numbering policy actually dates back to the late 1930s. It's been violated numerous times since then, with new single-state routes being established.

Not to mention bastardized with the introduction of US 400, US 412, US 425 and US 163.

[Verlanka]

There are several U.S. highways that exist only in one state. And that policy of 300 or more miles or more than one state was written in 1991 so it doesn't surprise me that there are several U.S. highways that aren't 300 miles long or don't enter another state. So any new additions to the U.S. highway system has to serve more than one state.

The AASHTO (AASHO) U.S. route numbering policy actually dates back to the late 1930s. It's been violated numerous times since then, with new single-state routes being established.

Not to mention bastardized with the introduction of US 400, US 412, US 425 and US 163.

Let's not forget the second U.S. 164, which didn't connect to U.S. 64 at all.

[hotdogPi]

There are several U.S. highways that exist only in one state. And that policy of 300 or more miles or more than one state was written in 1991 so it doesn't surprise me that there are several U.S. highways that aren't 300 miles long or don't enter another state. So any new additions to the U.S. highway system has to serve more than one state.

The AASHTO (AASHO) U.S. route numbering policy actually dates back to the late 1930s. It's been violated numerous times since then, with new single-state routes being established.

Not to mention bastardized with the introduction of US 400, US 412, US 425 and US 163.

Let's not forget the second U.S. 164, which didn't connect to U.S. 64 at all.

Not a problem. Several other US routes get close to their parents without actually touching.

[US 89]

Let's not forget the second U.S. 164, which didn't connect to U.S. 64 at all.

Not a problem. Several other US routes get close to their parents without actually touching.

The second US 164 was probably numbered that way not so much because it was close to US 64 (which ended in Santa Fe at the time) but because a lot of it replaced AZ 64. That route had been extended northeast from US 89 three years prior to US 164's creation, and there were also several Arizona state routes that had been numbered as branches of AZ 64, so there would have been some interest in keeping the 64 number around.

I'm of the opinion that the modern US 163 should be renumbered to 164, but that's getting into fictional territory.

[usends]

The term I use for these kinds of US routes is "stealth violators".  They often escape scrutiny because they do enter a second state, but only for a very short distance, so in a practical sense they are de facto single-state routes.  At the bottom of this page I've published a list of all of them that have "cheating" segments of 15 miles or less.

[Avalanchez71]

Has anyone brought up US 163?   Really it is a very short route that happens to be in two states and is far truncated from its original size.  The number is much akin to US 400, 412 and 425.

US 412 actually isn't a short route and goes through or at least slightly touches 6 states.  I think the entire 400 series of U.S. highways were intended to be an eye-gouge to pendantic folks like us to push those in power to make them into freeways.  US-412 from Tulsa eastward to Nashville is a high-priority corridor (HPC 8) that will at least make spotty progress towards freeway upgrades in our lifetimes, but who knows if that means upgraded portions are replaced with an interstate designation eventually.  It's already at least 4 lanes from Tulsa to Huntsville, AR, but I don't see much appetite for pushing through the mountains to Alpena, AR anytime soon.  And I definitely don't see any push past Harrison for a couple of decades.

What a colossal waste of money it would be to designate an Interstate through this corridor.

[US71]

IIRC, US 400 was originally planned to be a freeway-grade highway but never came to pass.

412 MAY be eventually.

[Bruce]

US 195 barely crosses into Idaho, where it immediately intersects US 95 in an interchange. Before that was built, US 95 swerved into Washington, leaving US 195 as an intrastate route (as the northern end was chopped off by US 2 in 1946).

[Scott5114]

What a colossal waste of money it would be to designate an Interstate through this corridor.

They could have just renumbered it to US 766 and put a seven over the six.  That would have saved some money.

Where is the money going to come from?  The gas tax went up in Tennessee and heads rolled with the past election thereafter.

Let me guess they will axe US 93 once the I-11 pork boondoggle project is completed.

What a waste of money four laning I-70 across the swell.

The entirety of I-11 is pure pork.  US 93 is sufficient.

Well since you are from North Carolina you are pretty used to Porky Pig interstate projects.

Why such interest in spending hard earned tax payer money 💴 lining the pockets wth pork projects?  The area was just fine with US 10.  I-94 is more than sufficient.

What a waste of good ole tax payer money on a boondoggle.

More waste of money on red, white, and blue shields when the US highway ones more than suffice.

It didn't seem like much of an issue when I went through.  What a waste of money.

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

What is the current to date status of I-69 signage in KY?  Wasn't there pork spending involved in the signage?

I listened to the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation and a key takeaway is that Kentucky is in deep in road debt.  They are looking for money as it is.   Why spend that money when Louisville and Northern Kentucky need to improve?

Mention the word toll a highway in Tennessee and you would be thrown out of office.

[Max Rockatansky]

What a colossal waste of money it would be to designate an Interstate through this corridor.

They could have just renumbered it to US 766 and put a seven over the six.  That would have saved some money.

Where is the money going to come from?  The gas tax went up in Tennessee and heads rolled with the past election thereafter.

Let me guess they will axe US 93 once the I-11 pork boondoggle project is completed.

What a waste of money four laning I-70 across the swell.

The entirety of I-11 is pure pork.  US 93 is sufficient.

Well since you are from North Carolina you are pretty used to Porky Pig interstate projects.

Why such interest in spending hard earned tax payer money 💴 lining the pockets wth pork projects?  The area was just fine with US 10.  I-94 is more than sufficient.

What a waste of good ole tax payer money on a boondoggle.

More waste of money on red, white, and blue shields when the US highway ones more than suffice.

It didn't seem like much of an issue when I went through.  What a waste of money.

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

What is the current to date status of I-69 signage in KY?  Wasn't there pork spending involved in the signage?

I listened to the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation and a key takeaway is that Kentucky is in deep in road debt.  They are looking for money as it is.   Why spend that money when Louisville and Northern Kentucky need to improve?

Mention the word toll a highway in Tennessee and you would be thrown out of office.

Boondoggles, Porky Pig, and money.

[I-55]

What a colossal waste of money it would be to designate an Interstate through this corridor.

They could have just renumbered it to US 766 and put a seven over the six.  That would have saved some money.

Where is the money going to come from?  The gas tax went up in Tennessee and heads rolled with the past election thereafter.

Let me guess they will axe US 93 once the I-11 pork boondoggle project is completed.

What a waste of money four laning I-70 across the swell.

The entirety of I-11 is pure pork.  US 93 is sufficient.

Well since you are from North Carolina you are pretty used to Porky Pig interstate projects.

Why such interest in spending hard earned tax payer money 💴 lining the pockets wth pork projects?  The area was just fine with US 10.  I-94 is more than sufficient.

What a waste of good ole tax payer money on a boondoggle.

More waste of money on red, white, and blue shields when the US highway ones more than suffice.

It didn't seem like much of an issue when I went through.  What a waste of money.

US 74 in Monroe is already a bypass.  Why does NC like to spend so much money?

What is the current to date status of I-69 signage in KY?  Wasn't there pork spending involved in the signage?

I listened to the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation and a key takeaway is that Kentucky is in deep in road debt.  They are looking for money as it is.   Why spend that money when Louisville and Northern Kentucky need to improve?

Mention the word toll a highway in Tennessee and you would be thrown out of office.

Something tells me this post has been long in the works...

[-- US 175 --]

US 175 is only 111 miles and it's all in Texas

TxDOT should probably do another measurement since the move from S.M. Wright Frwy. in Dallas to the new direct west terminus at I-45; much less the new east terminus connection that straightened the zigzag in Jacksonville in 2002.

There have been a couple of moves over the decades to extend US 175, but nothing came of them.  There's never been any talk of completely chucking the US 175 designation, in favor of either a state highway or making another US route longer (although there really aren't any candidates like that in any proximity).

[Avalanchez71]

US 58 could be extended over TN SR 63 to I-75.

[hbelkins]

US 58 could be extended over TN SR 63 to I-75.

That would actually be a logical extension of US 119, since it's part of the same ADHS corridor as 119 between Pineville and Jenkins.

[Avalanchez71]

US 58 could be extended over TN SR 63 to I-75.

That would actually be a logical extension of US 119, since it's part of the same ADHS corridor as 119 between Pineville and Jenkins.

I would guess that would make more sense.  US 11W or US 11E (I-40 to I-81 if you must take the interstate) already serves the Knoxville-Bristol corridor.

[LilianaUwU]

US 175 is only 111 miles and it's all in Texas

TxDOT should probably do another measurement since the move from S.M. Wright Frwy. in Dallas to the new direct west terminus at I-45; much less the new east terminus connection that straightened the zigzag in Jacksonville in 2002.

There have been a couple of moves over the decades to extend US 175, but nothing came of them.  There's never been any talk of completely chucking the US 175 designation, in favor of either a state highway or making another US route longer (although there really aren't any candidates like that in any proximity).

I mean, its parent, US 75, ends a few miles from one of its termini...

[-- US 175 --]

US 175 is only 111 miles and it's all in Texas

TxDOT should probably do another measurement since the move from S.M. Wright Frwy. in Dallas to the new direct west terminus at I-45; much less the new east terminus connection that straightened the zigzag in Jacksonville in 2002.

There have been a couple of moves over the decades to extend US 175, but nothing came of them.  There's never been any talk of completely chucking the US 175 designation, in favor of either a state highway or making another US route longer (although there really aren't any candidates like that in any proximity).

I mean, its parent, US 75, ends a few miles from one of its termini...

True, but US 75 is even shorter in TX now than US 175 is.  And if Sherman (and possibly other cities) is successful in getting I-45 extended north, the possibility of US 75 still existing in TX is very slim.  Taking in US 175 in favor of US 75 would likely not be considered, as it would re-encounter US 69 in Jacksonville, after having split from it in Denison.  Even if the 2 were combined somehow, the 2 together wouldn't add up to 300 miles.

With all the work over the years to improve US 175, I can't see it being downgraded in naming status.

[roadman65]

US 175 is only 111 miles and it's all in Texas

US 57 is another Texas single state Route. Made to be an international route being Federal Route 57 in Mexico it connects to.

[Mapmikey]

US 58 could be extended over TN SR 63 to I-75.

That would actually be a logical extension of US 119, since it's part of the same ADHS corridor as 119 between Pineville and Jenkins.

Both of these have been officially part of Tennessee proposals.

US 58's denied extension to Chattanooga

US 119 extension to I-75 as part of a 1979 plan by Tennessee to get rid of US 25W.  This plan also replaced 25W from Knoxville to Lake City with US 441 and extended US 129 up TN 33 to Tazewell.  The Norris Freeway would go back to being a state route as would US 25W north of La Folette.
https://na4.visualvault.com/app/AASHTO/Default/documentviewer?DhID=b83fb6f0-00d5-ea11-a98a-ff9beffbfef8&hidemenu=true
(TN  US 25 correspondence 1979).  No idea what happened to this.

AASHO has also rejected TN 63 being an extension of US 441 (1956, 1960)

[hbelkins]

https://na4.visualvault.com/app/AASHTO/Default/documentviewer?DhID=b83fb6f0-00d5-ea11-a98a-ff9beffbfef8&hidemenu=true

Sure that application wasn't for US 404? 

[Mapmikey]

https://na4.visualvault.com/app/AASHTO/Default/documentviewer?DhID=b83fb6f0-00d5-ea11-a98a-ff9beffbfef8&hidemenu=true

Sure that application wasn't for US 404? 

Sorry...assumed people were used to the idea that the AASHTO database links work only if you are currently searching something at https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default

You'd be surprised what us numbers were floated (though not 404 that I am aware of).  If you haven't looked through Kentucky's "other" documents for 1929-33 I highly recommend it.

KY definitely tried to get US 268 and US 327.  AASHO suggested to them US 125 and US 162 on that request and none of it actually happened.  US 42 extension to Louisville was requested as a US 150 extension.  US 23E-W and 27E-W proposals.  I believe these were in the 1929 folder.

Then there is a map in one of those KY folders with no accompanying context from the 1925-27 period that showed proposed US 123, 223, 323 and 423 in Michigan (or was it x25 routes...now fuzzy) and showed US 150 going to Newport News VA as another potential solution to the will it be US 52, 62, etc.

[US71]

US 175 is only 111 miles and it's all in Texas

US 57 is another Texas single state Route. Made to be an international route being Federal Route 57 in Mexico it connects to.

Also US 96

[Avalanchez71]

How about US 74 in TN?  It is multiplexed the entire way in TN.  It rides along US 64 and then it is unsigned on I-75 just to end at the junction with I-24.