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Weird Routes

Started by Mike2357, August 12, 2021, 08:56:00 PM

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Mike2357

I wasn't sure what to put this idea in, so just decided to dump it in general. List and describe any limited access highways, interstate or not, that you feel takes a weird or random route that doesn't make much sense, or doesn't serve any useful purpose in your opinion. A highway that takes a very weird path, such as almost looping back on itself despite not being a beltway, or just ends unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere.

Example: I-278 in NYC

This "interstate" is just a bunch of different roads slopped together in the same designation. It is not a beltway, yet zigzags through every borough of the city. It constantly changes direction, at some points almost doing 180s on itself. It is designated an East-West highway despite being generally north-south for the most part. It ends in 78 despite not connecting to I 78 in anyway, directly or indirectly. It is extremely congested, has a 45 mph speed limit, it sneaks into NJ for 2 miles without continuing to another major highway (like I 78 for example) many exits are not accessible from both sides and just is a nuisance road overall, any highways in your area you feel similar about? What roads do you think are weird routes?

[Edited to change topic title. -S.]
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America


hotdogPi

CT 11. Highway to nowhere.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Max Rockatansky

CA 77 and it's tiny half mile freeway lacking a full interchange.

Mike2357

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 12, 2021, 09:03:54 PM
CA 77 and it's tiny half mile freeway lacking a full interchange.

LOL only 1/2 a mile? That's literally just a long stretch of an avenue without a traffic light! Yeah over here we have a road called the "Prospect Expressway" that's only like 1.7 miles long, but half a mile LMAO
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Mike2357 on August 12, 2021, 09:06:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 12, 2021, 09:03:54 PM
CA 77 and it's tiny half mile freeway lacking a full interchange.

LOL only 1/2 a mile? That's literally just a long stretch of an avenue without a traffic light! Yeah over here we have a road called the "Prospect Expressway" that's only like 1.7 miles long, but half a mile LMAO

Shortest field signed State Highway in California.  Grander ambition would have had it much larger in scale than it turned out.

kenarmy

You couldn't think of a better name for the thread... Anyway, I think I-510 qualifies. Ik it was supposed to be part of a southern beltway, but tbh that's unnecessary too.
Just a reminder that US 6, 49, 50, and 98 are superior to your fave routes :)


EXTEND 206 SO IT CAN MEET ITS PARENT.

Mike2357

Quote from: kenarmy on August 12, 2021, 09:17:04 PM
You couldn't think of a better name for the thread... Anyway, I think I-510 qualifies. Ik it was supposed to be part of a southern beltway, but tbh that's unnecessary too.

You sure you didn't mean 610?
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

hbelkins

I-25's goofy loop north of Albuquerque.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: hbelkins on August 12, 2021, 09:23:22 PM
I-25's goofy loop north of Albuquerque.

Had to avoid the mountains.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Mike2357

Yep that road does look like it is heading south again at one point...I think I 70 does similar weird stuff in Utah
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

kenarmy

Quote from: Mike2357 on August 12, 2021, 09:18:57 PM
Quote from: kenarmy on August 12, 2021, 09:17:04 PM
You couldn't think of a better name for the thread... Anyway, I think I-510 qualifies. Ik it was supposed to be part of a southern beltway, but tbh that's unnecessary too.

You sure you didn't mean 610?
That too. And the exits are a mess.
Just a reminder that US 6, 49, 50, and 98 are superior to your fave routes :)


EXTEND 206 SO IT CAN MEET ITS PARENT.

SkyPesos

I-790 - Pretty much a glorified ramp that's completely concurrent with some state routes
Both I-180 - For obvious reasons...

vdeane

NY 8 and NY 28 have always struck me as odd.  NY 8 is L shaped from NY 17 near Deposit to NY 9N in Hague via NY 12 near Utica.  NY 28 is C shaped from NY 32 in Kingston to US 9 near Warrensburg, also via NY 12 near Utica.  It's so bad that the portion in Region 1 is signed without directional banners because it spends the entire time with NY 28 "north" traveling almost due south.  I'd split both routes in two by eliminating the NY 12 overlaps and merge the one piece of NY 8 with NY 840.

Quote from: SkyPesos on August 12, 2021, 09:36:21 PM
I-790 - Pretty much a glorified ramp that's completely concurrent with some state routes
Both I-180 - For obvious reasons...
While we're at it, I-587 - entirely concurrent with NY 28, will end at a roundabout on each end if it doesn't already (was still a traffic light on the Kingston side when I was last there), no intermediate interchanges.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Mike2357

Didn't even know there was an I-587, I knew there was a 787 near Albany, gotta check that out!
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

roadman65

US 4 does not go the direct or shortest route between end points.

US 209 south of Stroudsburg. It ends at a small town along the Susquehanna River not near anything.

US 90 Business in LA. It's a freeway and not a business route at all
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Mike2357

I forgot about I-295 in NJ and Pennsylvania. (Was just discussing that one in another thread shocked I forgot it)

I don't know what the story is with this one, a partial loop around Trenton but then it just goes south to Delaware, and the western side just magically becomes I-95. It's 3/4 of a beltway + a random fragment going southwest, weirdest design of a road I have ever seen, like a question mark. Wonder what the direction signs say near trenton?
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

Scott5114

#16
Thread title changed at OP's request and reopened. Carry on.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

epzik8

Quote from: Mike2357 on August 12, 2021, 10:18:59 PM
I forgot about I-295 in NJ and Pennsylvania. (Was just discussing that one in another thread shocked I forgot it)

I don't know what the story is with this one, a partial loop around Trenton but then it just goes south to Delaware, and the western side just magically becomes I-95. It's 3/4 of a beltway + a random fragment going southwest, weirdest design of a road I have ever seen, like a question mark. Wonder what the direction signs say near trenton?
Most of 295 around Trenton, up to exit 67/US 1, was previously I-95. Thanks to freeway revolts, I-95 suddenly stopped here and became I-295 if you were to head back south. It then re-appeared on the New Jersey Turnpike right around the Pennsylvania extension at exit 6 (in fact, this interchange is further south in terms of latitude than Trenton). An interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike was finally added, and the first phase of this took I-95 away from Trenton. Old 95 was to be replaced with an extended I-195, but instead became an extended 295.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

My clinched highways: http://tm.teresco.org/user/?u=epzik8
My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

Scott5114

The Indian Nation Turnpike (nascent OK-375) doesn't look too weird on paper, being mostly a straight line, but it connects Henryetta to...Hugo? Paris TX? Not a very common origin/destination pair at all, made worse by the fact that it manages to deftly dodge most of the population centers in eastern Oklahoma. (When you're reduced to using Antlers as a control city, you've kinda fucked up.) Whatever traffic is gets is Tulsa-to-Dallas traffic that jumps off of it at US-69, so everything south of there is a ghost town.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

SkyPesos

I see some tolbs17 level of nitpicking in this thread so far...

Mike2357

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 14, 2021, 03:04:11 PM
The Indian Nation Turnpike (nascent OK-375) doesn't look too weird on paper, being mostly a straight line, but it connects Henryetta to...Hugo? Paris TX? Not a very common origin/destination pair at all, made worse by the fact that it manages to deftly dodge most of the population centers in eastern Oklahoma. (When you're reduced to using Antlers as a control city, you've kinda fucked up.) Whatever traffic is gets is Tulsa-to-Dallas traffic that jumps off of it at US-69, so everything south of there is a ghost town.

Interesting! And thanks for reopening this thread. I was also thinking about I-990, the highest interstate number is the US, but they never finished extending it to Lockport, NY, and it too doesn't directly connect to I,90 and it just looks like a wiggly worm.
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

74/171FAN

Quote from: Mike2357 on August 12, 2021, 09:06:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 12, 2021, 09:03:54 PM
CA 77 and it's tiny half mile freeway lacking a full interchange.

LOL only 1/2 a mile? That's literally just a long stretch of an avenue without a traffic light! Yeah over here we have a road called the "Prospect Expressway" that's only like 1.7 miles long, but half a mile LMAO

I-381 says hi. 
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

Mike2357

I just realized there are two I-695s in NY, and they are both almost as tiny!
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America

SkyPesos

Quote from: Mike2357 on August 14, 2021, 04:20:52 PM
I just realized there are two I-695s in NY, and they are both almost as tiny!
Where's the other I-695? Normally, 3di numbers can't be duplicated within a state, and I-95 in NY isn't that long.

Mike2357

Quote from: SkyPesos on August 14, 2021, 04:24:13 PM
Quote from: Mike2357 on August 14, 2021, 04:20:52 PM
I just realized there are two I-695s in NY, and they are both almost as tiny!
Where's the other I-695? Normally, 3di numbers can't be duplicated within a state, and I-95 in NY isn't that long.

The Throgsneck expressway, and the one near the great NYS fairgrounds. I swear though the Throgsneck expressway should just be part of I-295 and the current I-295 stretch between the Bruckner interchange and the Throgsneck Bridge should be part of I-278.
Interstate Highways are what define the United States of America



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