State Route Freeways

[Riverside Frwy]

I don't know what it is, but for some reason California has an abnormal amount off State Route freeways.I also notice that we have state routes taking jobs that interstate should be doing.For example, CA 99 is probably one of longest State Route freeways in existence, and CA 91(My avatar) and CA 60 being very vital routes, which you would easily think an interstate should be taking these positions.

Just look at a map of California(Southern Cal. Specifically) and you'll see how many State Route freeways we have.The Bay Area I wouldn't say counts that much though because it's dominated by Interstate 80 Auxiliary routes.I notice in other states, interstates pretty much dominate the landscape, where as out here in LA there are probably more State Route freeways than there is Interstate freeways.Does AASHTO just do not like our freeways?ANd I'd imagine it's a real strain on the budget maintain all these freeways.

I would like to know of State Route freeways in other states.

[agentsteel53]

I like how CA has a lot of state route freeways, but I wish they would sign them in a distinct style - maybe blue shields instead of green?

not everything needs to be an interstate.  Business Loop 80 in Sacramento would make a perfectly good 51 freeway, for example.

[Riverside Frwy]

Well, I love our State Route freeways.CA 91 will always be my favorite. I always thought it was the "best thing" to be an interstate though.

But, you have a point.CA 91 wouldn't feel the same with an Interstate shield.The State Route shield definitely adds "character" to the signs.Oh, and I would actually prefer a Purple color over green or blue for the shields.

[corco]

Washington has a lot in the Seattle area,  with 3, 16, 18, 512, 167, 520, 526 and 518 all serving major roles in the area's freeway network, and to a lesser extent 99, 509, 599, 522, and 525 (short stubs).

Down in Vantucky SR 14 is a fairly important freeway and SR 500 is a hybrid freeway-expressway that are important for that area. A little further south in Portland is Route 217. In the Tri-Cities of Washington there's 240.

Arizona obviously has the loops and 51, then there's C-470 in Colorado.

[agentsteel53]

purple would work.  the reason I suggested blue is because it resembles the interstate shield, which is - by definition - a freeway.  If the population learns that a blue or purple marker means "freeway - no gas station on the next block" they can make more educated decisions.

I still remember when I first moved to CA, and I was running low on gas, so I thought that if I exited from I-5 to state route 4 in Stockton, surely I'd find a nice roadside business, right?

[Bryant5493]

There are a few in Metro Atlanta -- Georgia 400, S.R. 166, the southern end/beginning of S.R. 13 and S.R. 10/410 (U.S. 78).

Out of the four, Georgia 400 is the one that's a freeway the longest.


Be well,

Bryant

[deathtopumpkins]

Virginia has quite a few... In Hampton Roads there is VA-164, 168, 199, and formerly VA-44 (replaced by I-264), up in Richmond there's VA-195, 895, 288, 150, 146, and 76, and up near D.C. VA-267, 27, and 7900/7100, plus a few various stretches throughout the state. Nothing either too long or mostly rural though.

[florida]

Don't get me started.  

FL Toll Roads:
91, 408, 414, 417, 429, 568, 570, 589, 618, 618A (reversible toll lanes), 821, 869

Half toll, half free:
112, 528, 836, 874

Free:
9A, 115, 202, 228, 404, 826, 878, 970

[Riverside Frwy]

Oh yea, I forgot about Florida State Route 91, also called Florida's Turnpike.Another great state route freeway.Wonder where Florida got the number "91" for it's most major turnpike from.

Maybe the number 91 is just awesome like that.

[Revive 755]

Illinois has two state routes that are only freeways, IL 255 and IL 6, and both of these are extensions of interstates, with further, possible non-freeway extensions planned or at least being studied.  Technically, the unposted IL 770 or whatever secret number the MLK Bridge at St. Louis has on the Illinois side is also a freeway.

Missouri has four:  MO 249, MO 360, MO 364, and MO 370.  Three of those have numbers that suggest an interstate designation is/was sought, and MO 360 could someday become part of I-66 should it ever make it to construction.  The total could have been six:  The MO 725 freeway was taken over by I-170, and MO 755 was canceled - or may exist as two separate sections of secretly numbered ramps built as part of the intended freeway.

Nebraska only has L28B between US 6 and US 275 west of Omaha.  It's possible if the East Lincoln Beltway becomes an NDOR project there could be another one, but I would expect to see part of that route become a new alignment of US 34 due to Nebraska's mileage cap madness.

[jdb1234]

Alabama has only two: AL 152 and AL 255.

[74/171FAN]

Virginia has quite a few... In Hampton Roads there is VA-164, 168, 199, and formerly VA-44 (replaced by I-264), up in Richmond there's VA-195, 895, 288, 150, 146, and 76, and up near D.C. VA-267, 27, and 7900/7100, plus a few various stretches throughout the state. Nothing either too long or mostly rural though.

Staunton has VA 262 but some parts(especially the former VA 275 portion are not freeway) and Winchester has VA 37 but the I-81 interchange has stoplights after viewing the eastern endpoint on the VA Highways Project and VA 110 is mostly freeway with the exception of the at-grade at the Pentagon, also most of SR 7100/7900 is more expressway than freeway but there is a freeway section near Springfield.

[PAHighways]

PennDOT:  PA 283, PA 43 (Chadville Demonstration Project), SR 3022 (Central Scranton Expressway), and SR 3032 ([Harrisburg International] Airport Connector)
PTC:  PA Turnpike 43, 60, 66, and 576

[Duke87]

Does it count if the number isn't signed?

Because then another pretty long one would be NY 987G, or as it's better known, the Taconic State Parkway. 104 miles from Valhalla to I-90.

[DanTheMan414]

There are a fair number of state highways that are freeways for portions, if not all, of their lengths here in Michigan: M-5, M-6, M-8, M-10, M-14, M-39, M-53 and M-59.

[Scott5114]

You don't want to make the freeway shield purple for two reasons: one is that at the present time, purple sheeting is expensive because all it's being used for are EZ-Pass plaques and signs on some Texas turnpike. Secondly, purple is going to be an actual MUTCD color in the 2009 edition, denoting electronic toll collection things. So you would really only want to use purple for a "electronic toll collection only" freeway.

If you stick to non-assigned colors, you have coral and light blue. No idea about the rest of you, but I can't really get excited about the idea of a shield in those colors.

So we're back to blue, which is good because thanks to Interstates you already have a "freeway" connotation. Here's some ideas using the blue...

[luokou]

blue would look pretty cool for CA SR freeways, though it would be neat if the tolled state route shields for FasTrak were in purple too.

[froggie]

A few notes (in reply to DTP and 74/171) on Virginia freeways:

- The at-grade on VA 110 is for the Marine Corps Memorial, not at/near the Pentagon.

- 7900 near Springfield is not freeway...not when you have a traffic signal at the I-95 HOV ramp.

- 7100, though, could be considered freeway from I-66 south to SR 620/Braddock Rd.  I believe Mapquest shows it as such.

- Intermittent sections of VA 28 are now freeway.  Once ongoing construction wraps up, it'll be freeway from VA 7 down to about a mile north of I-66.

- There's also 2 segments of freeway on VA 7:  Round Hill to VA 9, and the Leesburg bypass (except for a signal at SR 643 on the latter).  These two segments are only separated by a mile-and-a-half with 2 or 3 at-grade intersections.


In Mississippi, only two state route segments could be considered freeway:  the Oxford bypasses of both MS 6 and MS 7.


Minnesota has 3 state routes that are freeway for their entire length:  MN 77, MN 100, and MN 610, though both MN 62 and MN 280 come close.  There's also a lengthy stretch of MN 36 that's freeway.  Shorter segments of freeway exist on MN 5, MN 23, MN 51, MN 55, MN 60, MN 65, and MN 371.

[burgess87]

Here in New York . . . .

SH 33 in Buffalo, SH 531 in Spencerport (outside of Rochester), and SH 104 in the northern part of Rochester.

There could be more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Wait, isn't NY SH 17 co-signed with IH 86 (Southern Tier Expressway)?

[realjd]

Florida has unique shields for toll roads (some with a red state outline and some with a black outline):



I've always thought that non-tolled freeways should have a unique shield also though, especially considering how similar state highway numbers tend to be in any given area and the volume of tourists. Here's some mockups of what I think would be good:

[Terry Shea]

You don't want to make the freeway shield purple for two reasons: one is that at the present time, purple sheeting is expensive because all it's being used for are EZ-Pass plaques and signs on some Texas turnpike. Secondly, purple is going to be an actual MUTCD color in the 2009 edition, denoting electronic toll collection things. So you would really only want to use purple for a "electronic toll collection only" freeway.

If you stick to non-assigned colors, you have coral and light blue. No idea about the rest of you, but I can't really get excited about the idea of a shield in those colors.

So we're back to blue, which is good because thanks to Interstates you already have a "freeway" connotation. Here's some ideas using the blue...

Why does California hang their shields upside down? 

[agentsteel53]

purple sounds good for toll roads in general.  and blue for free freeways.

[exit322]

Ohio's got a number of them.  Hopefully I don't miss any here.

OH-11 (East Liverpool to Ashtabula)
OH-711 (Youngstown spur from 11 to I-680)
OH-7 (on and off along the river)
OH-315 (Columbus)
OH-562 (Cincinnati)
OH-10 (Lorain/Cleveland)
OH-176 (Jennings Frwy, Cleveland)

[realjd]

Ohio's got a number of them.  Hopefully I don't miss any here.

OH-11 (East Liverpool to Ashtabula)
OH-711 (Youngstown spur from 11 to I-680)
OH-7 (on and off along the river)
OH-315 (Columbus)
OH-562 (Cincinnati)
OH-10 (Lorain/Cleveland)
OH-176 (Jennings Frwy, Cleveland)

You forgot OH-2 up near Sandusky.

[Alex]

Delaware:

Delaware 1/SR 1 Turnpike
Delaware 141

Maryland:

Maryland 4
Maryland 10
Maryland 32
Maryland 90
Maryland 100
Maryland 295
Maryland 665
Maryland 702