Drastic road standard changes

Started by fillup420, November 20, 2017, 10:04:22 AM

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fillup420

NC 16 goes from a 2-lane road to a full freeway. Any other crazy examples?


Max Rockatansky

AZ 303 actually becoming a freeway instead of a weird two lane oddity in the West Valley.

hotdogPi

#2
MA 140 in Taunton seems to qualify.

MA 18 in New Bedford is a multilane freeway for one mile, and one mile only. The north end of this freeway is a more sudden change than the south end of the freeway.

Going past the south end of I-89 and continuing straight puts you on a two-lane road that isn't even a main thoroughfare. It isn't quite residential, but it's close.

The northern end of MA 146 (a freeway) continues as a residential road.

Other roads where similar things happen: I-291 (MA)'s north end, I-391's north end (when continuing straight), MA 140's south end, and CT 40's south end.
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.

roadman

Quote from: 1 on November 20, 2017, 12:21:08 PM
MA 140 in Taunton seems to qualify.

Going past the south end of I-89 and continuing straight puts you on a two-lane road that isn't even a main thoroughfare. It isn't quite residential, but it's close.

Did you mean to say Route 140 in New Bedford at the intersection of US 6?  Freeway on the north side of US 6, two lane residential street on the south side.
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hotdogPi

Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2017, 12:35:11 PM
Quote from: 1 on November 20, 2017, 12:21:08 PM
MA 140 in Taunton seems to qualify.

Going past the south end of I-89 and continuing straight puts you on a two-lane road that isn't even a main thoroughfare. It isn't quite residential, but it's close.

Did you mean to say Route 140 in New Bedford at the intersection of US 6?  Freeway on the north side of US 6, two lane residential street on the south side.

I edited my post to add more information, which includes MA 140 in New Bedford. I looked at the segment in Taunton again, and I didn't see that the change was more gradual.
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.

CNGL-Leudimin

Until some time ago, the North end of SD I-229 :sombrero:.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

lepidopteran

Just east of Elkins, WV, US-33/WV-55 shifts from a somewhat winding 2-lane road to a well-constructed 4-lane freeway (with at-grades, but I think it's still signed at 70 mph.)  I think this was supposed to be the original routing of Corridor H, now routed as part of US-48 to the north of Elkins.

CtrlAltDel

A bit of a cheat, but the northern end of I-35 turns into a side street.
Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
State Interstates clinched: I-26 (TN), I-75 (GA), I-75 (KY), I-75 (TN), I-81 (WV), I-95 (NH)

sparker

Right here in the South Bay: WB CA 152, after nearly 30 miles of divided expressway west of I-5 and extending over Pacheco Pass, peters out into a substandard winding 2-lane road after the CA 156 junction.  If it weren't for the massive amount of truck traffic that uses this route, it could be shrugged off as just another uncompleted corridor; but it's long been a major regional safety hazard.

1995hoo

Quote from: lepidopteran on November 20, 2017, 12:51:43 PM
Just east of Elkins, WV, US-33/WV-55 shifts from a somewhat winding 2-lane road to a well-constructed 4-lane freeway (with at-grades, but I think it's still signed at 70 mph.)  I think this was supposed to be the original routing of Corridor H, now routed as part of US-48 to the north of Elkins.

According to hbelkins, you are correct:

Quote from: hbelkins on October 08, 2012, 09:16:15 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 08, 2012, 02:57:01 PMThere was also a section between Elkins and the Monongahela National Forest where the road was a four-lane divided expressway. I don't know whether that was a new configuration or not because I had not been on that segment before (and it had been 20 years since I'd been in that area at all).

Known locally as "The Racetrack." Built in the late 70s-early 80s as part of Corridor H before the routing was moved north to follow US 219 out of Elkins. This section was built before the portion between Buckhannon and Elkins was finished.

My family went on a vacation in the early 80s to drive Skyline Drive and the BRP, and we spent the night in Harrisonburg. I remember we had to take the two-lane route through downtown Buckhannon and on to Elkins because the four-lane was only completed to Buckhannon, and then that short portion east of Elkins.

Regarding Corridor H, I guess you could consider its current eastern terminus to be an example of the sort of thing about which the OP asks since just west of Wardensville it goes from a nice 65-mph expressway to a two-lane road that has an S-curve signed at an advisory speed of 20 mph. (In West Virginia's odd fashion, the sign prior to where this occurs advises of the "freeway" ending despite there having been an at-grade intersection just prior to the sign.)

I probably wouldn't count this as an "intended" example of a "drastic road standard change" because the configuration is due to Corridor H not being completed east of that point. But certainly the drop from a 65-mph highway to a 20-mph S-curve is a bit "drastic."
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fillup420

I think US 395 goes from 2-lane to full freeway near the northern CA/NV border.

roadman65

US 1 is a two lane road in MD and goes to a freeway at the PA Line.  However at the state line though there is an at grade intersection.

US 301, as of now, goes from two lanes in Delaware to a four lane expressway at the MD Line.  In DE the road has side road and intersections while in MD it is limited access despite it not being a freeway.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

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mgk920

US 12, from very poorly designed local street to interstate-standard freeway at the IL-WI state line.

Mike

US 89

Near Park City UT, Silver Creek Rd winds through a residential area, hits I-80 at Silver Creek Junction, and suddenly becomes the US 40/189 freeway (which is probably up to Interstate standards).
Google Map of the junction

TheHighwayMan3561

#14
MN 77 at the north end goes from a 4-lane freeway to a congested two-lane urban arterial.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Max Rockatansky

US 95 in Nevada drops from a well built divided expressway to a curvy ancient two-lane mountain road entering California.  But I think the cake goes to CA 1 in California has it literally has Freeway, expressway, rural two-lane, and coastal mountain segments. 

jakeroot

#16
WA-512 in Lakewood, Washington "ends" at Pacific Ave, but the roadway keeps going past the signal, becomes a narrow neighborhood street (Perkins Lane), and T's about two blocks later.


US 89

Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2017, 11:52:27 PM
WA-512 in Lakewood Washington "ends" at Pacific Ave, but the roadway keeps going past the signal, becomes a narrow neighborhood street (Perkins Lane), and T's about two blocks later.

*snipped image*

Why was that cloverleaf ramp removed?

jakeroot

Quote from: roadguy2 on November 21, 2017, 12:00:51 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 20, 2017, 11:52:27 PM
WA-512 in Lakewood Washington "ends" at Pacific Ave, but the roadway keeps going past the signal, becomes a narrow neighborhood street (Perkins Lane), and T's about two blocks later.

*snipped image*

Why was that cloverleaf ramp removed?

The two cloverleafs were conflicting with each other, because they both handled extremely popular movements. So around 2000, the SW petal was replaced with a triple left, perhaps the first in Washington State (should give you some idea of how popular the movement is).

roadfro

Quote from: fillup420 on November 20, 2017, 03:00:39 PM
I think US 395 goes from 2-lane to full freeway near the northern CA/NV border.

It's full freeway in Nevada, transitions to 4-lane divided right at the California state line for about 7 miles to just past the Hallelujah Junction interchange (this section feels like it's still freeway though), then goes down to 2-lane road.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Brandon

Quote from: mgk920 on November 20, 2017, 04:04:28 PM
US 12, from very poorly designed local street to interstate-standard freeway at the IL-WI state line.

Mike

Let's be honest, it goes to dirt at the IL/WI state line, having to exit off itself.
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Finrod

Illinois 53 infamously goes from a 6-lane expressway to a concurrency with Lake-Cook Rd.
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Brandon

Quote from: Finrod on November 22, 2017, 02:42:48 PM
Illinois 53 infamously goes from a 6-lane expressway to a concurrency with Lake-Cook Rd.

Well, the freeway ends there anyway.  IL-53 exits at Dundee Road (IL-68), one exit (about one mile) sooner than the end.  Then IL-53 follows Dundee Road west to Rand Road (US-12) before turning north on Hicks Road.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

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Finrod

Quote from: Brandon on November 22, 2017, 03:38:09 PM
Quote from: Finrod on November 22, 2017, 02:42:48 PM
Illinois 53 infamously goes from a 6-lane expressway to a concurrency with Lake-Cook Rd.

Well, the freeway ends there anyway.  IL-53 exits at Dundee Road (IL-68), one exit (about one mile) sooner than the end.  Then IL-53 follows Dundee Road west to Rand Road (US-12) before turning north on Hicks Road.

You are of course correct.  It's been 20 years since I drove that stretch of road so I forgot that detail.
Internet member since 1987.

Hate speech is a nonsense concept; the truth is hate speech to those that hate the truth.

People who use their free speech to try to silence others' free speech are dangerous fools.

kkt

US 101 also has 8-lane freeway segments, and also narrow twisty 2-lane segments.



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