Not sure if we have a similar version of this for the interstates, but I thought it'd be an interesting challenge to rank every US-Highway in my state of Virginia based on they're importance and usefulness to state. The amount of traffic, distance traveled in state, and towns or cities the US-Highway serve are all things I used to make my rankings. Sorry if I'm being a little vague but hopefully my rankings will show what I mean. Also as always these are just my opinions. Obviously some states are harder to do then others but hey its a challenge!
#1 US-29
Located in the middle VA and in between the heavily used I-81 and I-95, US-29 provides an important additional 4 lane north/south corridor in the state and serves the cities of Danville, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Warrenton, Fairfax and Arlington to name a few. US-29 is basically 4 or more lanes throughout the entire state with a small exception through Manassas battlefield(3 miles).
#2 US-1 Another important north/south corridor that provides direct relief to I-95. Major commuter route to DC and should definitely be more then 4 lanes north of Spotsylvainia
#3 US-58 Runs east/west and is longest numbered highway in VA. Serves the cities/ towns of VA Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Emporia, South Hill, Danville, Martainsville, Galax, Bristol, and Jonesville to name a few. Also important to opening up economic development in the Southside region of the state.
#4 US-13 Only major highway on the VA eastern shore and connects the entire eastern shore to Hampton Roads via the 17 mile Chesapeake Bridge/Tunnel.
#5 US-17 Serves as an alternative to I-95, I-295, I-64 from Fredricksburg to Norfolk while at the same time goes through many little towns in the Tidewater region of the state. Also serves as a western bypass of the extremely congested DC area.
#6 US-220 The 4 lane south of Roanoke part of US-220 in Southside, is important enough to have talks of the corridor being aided/replaced by I-73
#7 US-460 Similar to US-58, US-460 is another long east/west highway in southern VA that serves Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Petersburg, Farmville, Lynchburg, Roanke, and Blacksburg to
name a few.
#8 US-23 Only US-Highway in the state that is 4 lanes the entire way. Also serves the coalfields region of VA deep in Appalachia.
#9 US-360 Connects Richmond to both Southside and Tidewater, an important commuter route near Richmond, and goes through many small towns in the Tidewater region.
#10 US-50 Alternate route to the entire I-66 especially near D.C for commuters.
#11 US-301 Alternate to I-95 south of Richmond and a bypass of NOVA and D.C north of Richmond.
#12 US-19 Another important north/south corridor near Appalachia serving Bristol, Abington, Lebanon, and Bluefield.
#13 US-11 Alternate to I-81 and goes through every single town or city I-81 bypasses.
#14 US-60 Alternate to I-64, a commuter route near Richmond, and a main street in VA Beach.
#15 US-15 Serves Farmville, Culpeper, Warrenton, Haymarket, and Leesburg in the central part of the state. Should be 4 lanes north of I-66 all the way to Maryland.
#16 US-211 Kinda serves as an alternate to the western half of I-66, and also goes by Luray Caverns.
#17 US-33 Serves an important connection from I-81 in Harrisonburg to US-29 near Charlottesville and is also a commuter route near Richmond. Would be higher up if it were extended along VA-33.
#18 US-522 The portion north of Winchester is a nice short cut to I-70 and points west from I-81. The rest of the portion is pretty lightly traveled.
#19 US-340 VA would prefer if DC commuters from the panhandle of West Virginia used the very northern part of US-340 in the state to VA-7 compared to VA-9. Pretty lightly traveled south of Front Royal.
#20 US-250 Alternate to I-64 and a commuter route near Richmond.
#21 US-258
#22 US-501
#23 US-221
#24 US-421
#25 US-21
#26 US-48 Also known as Corridor H but is way more helpful to WV. Doubt VA will ever upgrade its portion.
#27 US-52 Pretty much just parallels I-77 but goes way more out of the way.
#28 US-311 The newest US-Highway in VA and also the most stupid. Doesn't even connect to US-11.
#29 US-219 Didn't actually know US-219 existed in VA until yesterday. It travels less then 2 miles in VA before terminating at US-460 near Rich Creek.
There's surprisingly already a thread on this.
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=14692
For California there isn't much in the way of choices:
1. US 101
- Really this is still the closest thing to a major roadway along the coastal ranges. Between Los Angeles and San Francisco there isn't a single traffic light with the route being a full expressway.
2. US 395
- Really this the main road on the eastern flank of the Sierras and probably will remain so for a long time.
3. US 50
- Decent all-weather alternate to I-80 and is very big with the tourist crowd heading to Tahoe.
4. US 6
- Really US 6 isn't much of anything now in California, but is still important as a truck route and over 3,000 mile route overall.
5. US 199
- This route really ought have been bumped down to state route status in both California and Oregon. The only reason it wasn't was due to it crossing a state line while traversing from US 101 to I-5. I still find it infinitely odd US 60, US 99, and US 299 were completely kicked out of the state while this stayed.
Maryland, my Maryland...
- U.S. Route 50 - it's "the way to the ocean", since it takes drivers across the Bay Bridge and down the lower Shore, and also it comes out of Washington, D.C. and goes right by state capital Annapolis.
- U.S. Route 301 - joins U.S. 50 on the Bay Bridge and cuts up through the Upper Shore; meanwhile, from Bowie to the Potomac River Bridge it's part of the alternate route between Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia.
- U.S. Route 1 - although it's feeder for I-95 between D.C. and Baltimore, it starts moving away from the Interstate northeast of Baltimore, provides connections to points around Bel Air, and gives drivers a free crossing of the Susquehanna River in the form of the Conowingo Dam.
- U.S. Route 13 - forms most of an important bypass around busy Salisbury on the Lower Shore, and also gives oft-ignored Somerset County a piece of its vital corridor.
- U.S. Route 40 - stretches 220 miles between Garrett and Cecil counties; traverses Cumberland, Hagerstown, Frederick and Baltimore; and joins forces with I-68 and I-70 along the way.
- U.S. Route 29 - takes drivers through Columbia on an expressway, and from there drivers can head straight down to Washington, D.C. via Silver Spring.
- U.S. Route 219 - the main drag along Deep Creek Lake and through Oakland in Garrett County.
- U.S. Route 113 - a closer north-south corridor to Ocean City, and also serves Worcester County seat Snow Hill.
- U.S. Route 15 - the way from Frederick to Thurmont, Emmitsburg and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
- U.S. Route 340 - an expressway connector between Frederick and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but otherwise not too significant.
- U.S. Route 220 - passes through Cumberland and that's about it.
- U.S. Route 222 - less than four miles in Maryland, although it does provide a route up to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
- U.S. Route 11 - pure feeder for I-81.
- U.S. Route 522 - travels through Maryland's narrowest part and doesn't give drivers time to appreciate the wonderland that is Maryland.
Quote from: epzik8 on February 10, 2017, 12:43:27 PM
Maryland, my Maryland...
10. U.S. Route 340 - an expressway connector between Frederick and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but otherwise not too significant.
11. U.S. Route 220 - passes through Cumberland and that's about it.
U.S. 340 leaves Maryland by crossing the Potomac River and enters the northern tip of Loudoun County, Virginia (not West Virginia), though it quickly leaves Virginia for Jefferson County, W.Va.
Disagree on U.S. 220. It is an important arterial for Allegany County, and connects Allegany County with West Virginia to the south, and with Pennsylvania to the north.