I have no idea why I-95 North of Peabody has eight lanes.
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
Quote from: froggie on May 24, 2017, 11:24:03 AM
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
I-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.
I-85 through Durham is definitely overkill
Quote from: froggie on May 24, 2017, 11:24:03 AM
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
Or rush-hour traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.
Quote from: 1 on May 24, 2017, 11:45:27 AMI-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.
Keep in mind that the current configuration of I-95 in that area dates back to 1974-75 (prior to then, it was only a 4-to-6 laner) about a decade after I-495 in the Merrimack Valley was first built.
And while the population along that particular portion of the I-95 corridor is less than that along I-495; it does carry
interstate traffic to/from the Greater Boston area. Had I-95 between MA 128 and US 1/MA 60 been built as originally planned; the 4-to-6 lane stretch of US 1 from Peabody to Revere wouldn't be the gridlocked basketcase it is now.
If a highway is properly planned, newly built or widened highways should have plenty of excess capacity, as the design should look forward about 25 years and still accommodate the traffic demands.
As we are all familiar with, that rarely happens for numerous reasons.
I-295 having 8 lanes between I-95 and I-64 is probably the only obvious instance of lane overkill on interstates in Virginia. However I'm not complaining because for the most part its the exact opposite(cough I-81 cough).
If we're counting US routes as well then I would say parts of US-58(in the middle nowhere) US-17(between US-301 and US-360), and US-360(on the northern neck) would all be fine with 2 lanes, as the reason they were built with four lanes in the first place was likely for economic development.
US-67 north of Poplar Bluff, MO is a 4 lane highway and I spotted about 10 cars between the aforementioned and just south of Farmington. Interstate wise, I-75 probably doesn't need a third lane in each direction between Cincinnati and Lexington, but it is a nice touch. I-94 between Gurnee, IL and Kenosha, WI could probably make do with three lanes, but the 4th lane will eventually extend all the way up to Milwaukee it seems, which is a good thing for regional traffic coming from Chicago.
Quote from: webny99 on May 24, 2017, 04:12:34 PM
I-95 in Rhode Island. Width exceeds length :bigass:
And very little traffic, although I only have one experience to speak of.
ConnDOT will gladly take that extra lane off your hands and transplant it between New Haven and the NY line :)
I-384 from it's start at I-84 to CT 85. 8 lanes to CT 83, then 6 lanes until CT 85.
Not needed for a town of 50,000, and it just ends at US 6/44.
Quote from: JJBers on May 24, 2017, 11:01:50 PM
I-384 from it's start at I-84 to CT 85. 8 lanes to CT 83, then 6 lanes until CT 85.
Not needed for a town of 50,000, and it just ends at US 6/44.
Not all of those are through lanes though.
Going westbound, extreme left lane becomes HOV lane, extreme right lane is exit 1 to I-84/I-291/Buckland St., middle two lanes through to Hartford.
Going eastbound they taper one lane off at exit 3 and then exit 5.
I've always wondered why the stretch of I-73 in Greensboro is 8 lanes between I-40 and I-85.
Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.
Quote from: Jmiles32 on May 24, 2017, 05:27:00 PM
I-295 having 8 lanes between I-95 and I-64 is probably the only obvious instance of lane overkill on interstates in Virginia. However I'm not complaining because for the most part its the exact opposite(cough I-81 cough).
The I-295 northeast quadrant is busier than most people realize. Between I-95 and VA-627 Meadowbridge Rd. it is just over 100,000 AADT. Between VA-627 Meadowbridge Rd. and VA-156 Airport Drive it ranges from about 87,000 to 82,000 AADT. Between VA-156 Airport Drive and I-64 it is about 68,000 AADT. 80,000+ AADT warrants 8 lanes.
Quote
If we're counting US routes as well then I would say parts of US-58(in the middle nowhere) US-17(between US-301 and US-360), and US-360(on the northern neck) would all be fine with 2 lanes, as the reason they were built with four lanes in the first place was likely for economic development.
All three were designated for 4-laning in 1964 in the state's arterial network of intra-state highways that supplement the Interstate system. Due to the interregional nature of the traffic and the heavy truck percentages. Some segments of US-17 and US-360 have not yet been widened.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 24, 2017, 11:07:55 AM
I have no idea why I-95 North of Peabody has eight lanes.
Any such configuration in California is likely due to a closed military installation or to the fact that it was thought inadvisable to reduce the lanes from 4 in each direction down to two too quickly after continuing past an exit that grabs most of the traffic.
If you drive I-280 on a weekend in northern Santa Clara and southern San Mateo counties in California, you wonder why it has 4 or 5 lanes in each directions. Drive it on a weekday and you wonder why it doesn't have 7 or 8.
3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.
Quote from: DevalDragon on June 03, 2017, 02:11:44 AM
3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.
This is sarcasm right?
On first blush, one could wonder why I-5 through the Grapevine is so wide. But only on first blush.
I-95 near Brunswick snd Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes
LGMS428
Quote from: jwolfer on June 03, 2017, 08:48:28 AM
I-95 near Brunswick and Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes
LGMS428
All the bridges were built with 4 thru lanes each way when the I-95 was widened in Georgia. Probably because of the high complexity obtaining EIS approvals, the high environmental impacts of constructing bridges in wetlands, the desire to widen once for all and not have to deal with the environmental issues again. Much of the length of the route passes thru wetlands and/or flood plains. Usually it is the outer lane that is left unopened. It appears that in fill sections that they went ahead and widened the fill so that it will be wide enough for the 4th lane; again to widen the fills once and not have to deal with it again.
Regarding near Brunswick and Darien, my surmise is that with the number of bridges on that segment they went ahead and built the 4th lane on the land sections as well. I don't think there is any real difference in traffic volumes.
I have an unproved theory that the 4th lane is already built throughout; that the right shoulder is 12 feet wide and is full depth mainline pavement. If that is the case then all they need to do in the future is build a paved shoulder, when they want to open the 4th lane.
This all makes sense when considering that 6 lanes should be adequate for many years maybe 20 years after construction, but someday they will need 8 lanes.
Quote from: Beltway on June 03, 2017, 10:02:59 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on June 03, 2017, 08:48:28 AM
I-95 near Brunswick and Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes
LGMS428
All the bridges were built with 4 thru lanes each way when the I-95 was widened in Georgia. Probably because of the high complexity obtaining EIS approvals, the high environmental impacts of constructing bridges in wetlands, the desire to widen once for all and not have to deal with the environmental issues again. Much of the length of the route passes thru wetlands and/or flood plains. Usually it is the outer lane that is left unopened. It appears that in fill sections that they went ahead and widened the fill so that it will be wide enough for the 4th lane; again to widen the fills once and not have to deal with it again.
Regarding near Brunswick and Darien, my surmise is that with the number of bridges on that segment they went ahead and built the 4th lane on the land sections as well. I don't think there is any real difference in traffic volumes.
I have an unproved theory that the 4th lane is already built throughout; that the right shoulder is 12 feet wide and is full depth mainline pavement. If that is the case then all they need to do in the future is build a paved shoulder, when they want to open the 4th lane.
This all makes sense when considering that 6 lanes should be adequate for many years maybe 20 years after construction, but someday they will need 8 lanes.
I noticed most of the bridges were wide enoigh for 8 lanes.. It seemed like auxiliary lanes between exits in urban areas.. Bur there is a few mile between exits.
I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta. NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida
LGMS428
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 03, 2017, 02:20:31 AM
Quote from: DevalDragon on June 03, 2017, 02:11:44 AM
3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.
This is sarcasm right?
Not even a little bit. There's hardly any traffic because it costs $8 less in tolls to get from Lake Station to downtown Chicago via I-94 than the toll road. Combine that with the decline in commuting to Whiting, East Chicago, and Gary, as well as the rising popularity of the South Shore Line, that section of the Indiana Toll Road doesn't see as much traffic as it (presumably) used to.
Quote from: jwolfer on June 03, 2017, 10:27:17 AM
I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta. NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida
Either of them has a much longer mileage of I-95 in their state. I-95 does directly serve Savannah and Brunswick, small but important cities. I-95 does indirectly serve Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Charleston.
Georgia does deserve a lot of credit for expanding the 112 miles of I-95 thru their state.
SC and NC needs to get with the program.
Quote from: Beltway on June 03, 2017, 02:43:59 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on June 03, 2017, 10:27:17 AM
I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta. NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida
Either of them has a much longer mileage of I-95 in their state. I-95 does directly serve Savannah and Brunswick, small but important cities. I-95 does indirectly serve Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Charleston.
Georgia does deserve a lot of credit for expanding the 112 miles of I-95 thru their state.
SC and NC needs to get with the program.
I think SC is more willing but doesnt have the funding.. NC is concentrating on the i85 corridor and the myriad of new interstates... Spend some money on fixing 95 and let i74 and i73 wait..
95 wont get fixed until they are tolled
LGMS428
Quote from: PHLBOS on May 24, 2017, 12:14:08 PM
Quote from: froggie on May 24, 2017, 11:24:03 AM
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
Or rush-hour traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.
Quote from: 1 on May 24, 2017, 11:45:27 AMI-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.
Keep in mind that the current configuration of I-95 in that area dates back to 1974-75 (prior to then, it was only a 4-to-6 laner) about a decade after I-495 in the Merrimack Valley was first built.
And while the population along that particular portion of the I-95 corridor is less than that along I-495; it does carry interstate traffic to/from the Greater Boston area. Had I-95 between MA 128 and US 1/MA 60 been built as originally planned; the 4-to-6 lane stretch of US 1 from Peabody to Revere wouldn't be the gridlocked basketcase it is now.
In my 39 years... the next time I see a traffic report for 95 between Peabody and Newburyport will be the first time.
Betsy Ross Bridge. 8 Lanes between 1976 and 1999. Instead of a zipper barrier they put in a normal Jersey Barrier due to the bridge not being as used as it was designed for, giving it 6 lanes and a shoulder. Only NJ-Philly bridge with a shoulder.
I think any bridge that gets underused like that would count, you could argue the Commodore Barry Bridge (US322) has a similar situation, but it does have a zipper barrier so it must get more use in theory.
Two regular lanes per direction + two exits close together + a climb lane in one direction = this (https://www.google.es/maps/@41.413585,-1.5049971,3a,103.4y,251.95h,82.07t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4QZPeybm7L7zSCq9qlmcxQ!2e0). A short 4+3 lanes section on Spanish A-2, at the Northeastern end of a 7 mile section that is actually 4.5 miles long :sombrero:. I don't think AADT reaches 20000 there.
Quote from: SectorZ on June 03, 2017, 06:37:41 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on May 24, 2017, 12:14:08 PM
Quote from: froggie on May 24, 2017, 11:24:03 AM
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
Or rush-hour traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.
Quote from: 1 on May 24, 2017, 11:45:27 AMI-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.
Keep in mind that the current configuration of I-95 in that area dates back to 1974-75 (prior to then, it was only a 4-to-6 laner) about a decade after I-495 in the Merrimack Valley was first built.
And while the population along that particular portion of the I-95 corridor is less than that along I-495; it does carry interstate traffic to/from the Greater Boston area. Had I-95 between MA 128 and US 1/MA 60 been built as originally planned; the 4-to-6 lane stretch of US 1 from Peabody to Revere wouldn't be the gridlocked basketcase it is now.
In my 39 years... the next time I see a traffic report for 95 between Peabody and Newburyport will be the first time.
If there's
moving traffic (by
moving, I mean at or close to the speed limit); you're right, it will likely
not get reported other than a
"Route *XX* between *YYY* and *ZZZ* is moving at or close to posted speeds." blurb.
However (I grew up in the North Shore & lived there until mid-way through 1990), there indeed have been
incident-related traffic reports for that stretch of I-95 over the last 39 years. Such incidents include: lane closures due to accidents or construction (been by the Whittier Bridge at the Merrimack River lately?) and at least once during the mid-to-late 1980s when a small plane, heading for Beverly Airport, made an emergency landing along I-95 South in Boxford (between Exits 52 & 53) during the mid-to-late 1980s. The landing, no doubt, forced that stretch to be shut down; I'm sure WBZ and other stations gave a
incident traffic report regarding that.
It's also worth noting that another reason why that stretch of I-95 does well traffic-wise (i.e. rarely hits LOS F) is due to a couple of state forests (Boxford & Georgetown/Rowley) that the highway either cuts through or is nearby. Those forests and their immediate vicinities helps keeps large-scale development at bay. That's one reason why traffic hasn't exploded there like it has along its southern counterpart along the 128 corridor; due to the adjacent site development (condos, office parks & shopping centers) that has taken place during the last 25 years or so. The area further south has basically become saturated; but that's another topic for another thread.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on June 09, 2017, 09:01:28 AM
Betsy Ross Bridge. 8 Lanes between 1976 and 1999. Instead of a zipper barrier they put in a normal Jersey Barrier due to the bridge not being as used as it was designed for, giving it 6 lanes and a shoulder. Only NJ-Philly bridge with a shoulder.
I think any bridge that gets underused like that would count, you could argue the Commodore Barry Bridge (US322) has a similar situation, but it does have a zipper barrier so it must get more use in theory.
The zipper barrier is used fairly often for construction related activity - if a lane is closed on the WB side for example, they'll have the barrier moved to still provide 2 lanes WB. But it can probably stay in the same position for an entire week (or longer).
I can't recall an instance where the barrier was moved solely to accommodate traffic (not that I go over it all that often). On a recent Friday afternoon, EB traffic into NJ was very heavy, but they still only had 2 lanes open.
Quote from: pianocello on May 25, 2017, 12:34:08 AM
Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.
That stretch of I-75 used to be 6 lanes. However, all of the people escaping to Northern Michigan on Fridays and holiday weekends, and coming back on Sunday, probably prompted the other two lanes. Plus, there's plenty of traffic for the Birch Run outlet shopping and Frankenmuth.
Quote from: JJBers on May 24, 2017, 11:01:50 PM
I-384 from it's start at I-84 to CT 85. 8 lanes to CT 83, then 6 lanes until CT 85.
Not needed for a town of 50,000, and it just ends at US 6/44.
Most likely built that way because it was supposed to be "so much more" (ie - go to Providence).
Just like CT 25, which is 6 lanes (3 each way) through Trumbull, to its end, where it becomes a 2-lane surface road. No need for more than 2 lanes each way north of the Merritt Parkway.
Quote from: froggie on May 24, 2017, 11:24:03 AM
Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...
The dynamic is also different if the road is priced, and in particular if it is priced to dampen demand at the peaks.
I have been on the New Hampshire Turnpike part of I-95 in the summer when it is
extremely busy, and also in spring in the early morning hours when the highway is effectively empty.
That might be the best-maintained part of
all of I-95, but should it really be 8 lanes wide, when 6 lanes, with dynamic pricing, might do the job as well?
And note that the $2 toll is a
much better deal than the Delaware Turnpike (also a short tolled section of I-95), since New Hampshire does see fit to charge intrastate trips (with the tolls on the ramps at NH-101), and not $4 per car like Delaware (the configuration of the tolls on I-95 in New Hampshire probably reduce or eliminate shunpiking too, since the shunpike route (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.0559527,-70.8107154/42.8946683,-70.8805605/@42.9737293,-70.9766874,11z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-70.8328507!2d42.9471527!3s0x89e2e8377582d8db:0xe44ef17969ef4952!3m4!1m2!1d-70.8654242!2d42.905966!3s0x89e2e635d49897eb:0x874badea7bc344db!1m0!3e0) is between 13 and 14 miles long via NH-33, NH-151 and U.S. 1).
Rural interstates in Kentucky. I get I-65 by Bowling Green but I think expanding it northward was overkill. As well as I-75 south of Lexington although I think the 3 lanes north to Cincinnati are necessary. I also saw no need for 3 lanes on I-64 from Lexington to Winchester.
Quote from: dvferyance on June 10, 2017, 07:46:43 PM
Rural interstates in Kentucky. I get I-65 by Bowling Green but I think expanding it northward was overkill. As well as I-75 south of Lexington although I think the 3 lanes north to Cincinnati are necessary. I also saw no need for 3 lanes on I-64 from Lexington to Winchester.
I find it stupefying to think that I-64 shouldn't be three lanes between Lexington and Winchester. IIRC, it was two lanes back in the late 1970s and decently busy then when I was a kid. Going back to that would not be wise at this point given the decent growth that has happened in the area.
The 401 between Windsor and Tilbury, ON is a 6-lane freeway with an AADT of about 22 700. Meanwhile, 2-lane highway 6 through Morriston is 27 700. They upgraded the 401 here to improve safety (adding a concrete barrier and wider shoulders), and I guess they figured it would make sense to widen it while doing the other work. It's still crazy though how low the AADT is for such a wide freeway!
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Yes there are places where it may seem that the 3rd or 4th lane in the same direction are overkill-but watch what happens when events conspire to take those other lanes out of service: instant back ups.
Quote from: slorydn1 on June 11, 2017, 12:39:27 AM
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Naypyidaw says hi. So does North Korea.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/myanmar/articles/neglected-naypyidaw-burma-s-deserted-super-city/
Quote from: vdeane on June 11, 2017, 05:12:55 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on June 11, 2017, 12:39:27 AM
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Naypyidaw says hi. So does North Korea.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/myanmar/articles/neglected-naypyidaw-burma-s-deserted-super-city/
I bow to you vdeane. I really need to get out of the country every once in a while lol.
Quote from: vdeane on June 11, 2017, 05:12:55 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on June 11, 2017, 12:39:27 AM
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Naypyidaw says hi. So does North Korea.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/myanmar/articles/neglected-naypyidaw-burma-s-deserted-super-city/
Those cities are just outright eerie. With all those empty lanes, I-95 would be great.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 09, 2017, 03:58:35 PMThat might be the best-maintained part of all of I-95, but should it really be 8 lanes wide, when 6 lanes, with dynamic pricing, might do the job as well?
That stretch of I-95 was 8-lanes
decades before dynamic pricing was even an idea. Heck, I don't believe that
any tolled facility in New England does such.
More on the actual topic at hand: I-95 through the Philadelphia International Airport interchange expands to a 11-to-12 lane dual-carriage roadway. Such was in anticipation of the originally-planned connection with I-695 (Cobbs Creek Expressway) that was never built. While I-695 was killed off when the interchange was finally built and opened in 1985; PennDOT did not downsize nor reconfigure the interchange (thank goodness). If one looks hard enough; one can see one of two ghost-ramp traces for I-695.
Quote from: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 08:24:40 AM
Quote from: vdeane on June 11, 2017, 05:12:55 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on June 11, 2017, 12:39:27 AM
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Naypyidaw says hi. So does North Korea.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/myanmar/articles/neglected-naypyidaw-burma-s-deserted-super-city/
Those cities are just outright eerie. With all those empty lanes, I-95 would be great.
good place to learn how to drive.
Quote from: kennyshark on June 09, 2017, 12:26:32 PM
Quote from: pianocello on May 25, 2017, 12:34:08 AM
Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.
That stretch of I-75 used to be 6 lanes. However, all of the people escaping to Northern Michigan on Fridays and holiday weekends, and coming back on Sunday, probably prompted the other two lanes. Plus, there's plenty of traffic for the Birch Run outlet shopping and Frankenmuth.
Can confirm. My aunt, uncle, and 2 cousins live in Westland and have a place just outside of Saint Helen, near the lake. We went to their house in Wayne, where they lived previously before moving to Westland, and from there, we all went up north for a week. Traffic was pretty heavy on I-75.
Quote from: pianocello on May 25, 2017, 12:34:08 AM
I've always wondered why the stretch of I-73 in Greensboro is 8 lanes between I-40 and I-85.
Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.
I live in Saginaw and am in Flint quite often as well so I've traveled between the two cities quite a bit. That stretch of I-75 gets very heavy weekend traffic in the summer with everyone from the Detroit area heading up north on Friday's and then heading back to Detroit on Sunday's. There is also a lot of commuter traffic between Flint and Saginaw. It's eight lanes from the northern junction with I-475 to two miles south of the southern junction of I-675 and it should be eight lanes all the way to I-675 at least, the traffic heading south gets clogged up for some reason just before the fourth lane starts. In fact it's only six lanes to the north end of the Zilwaukee Bridge then it's eight lanes to the M-13 connector where it narrows down to four lanes. It should be six lanes at least to the US 127 split south of Grayling.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 03, 2017, 02:20:31 AM
Quote from: DevalDragon on June 03, 2017, 02:11:44 AM
3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.
This is sarcasm right?
The Chicago Skyway only has an average of about 50,000 vehicles a day. The free route into downtown on the Borman Expressway sees most of the traffic in that area.
I used to live close to a ten-lane highway which was quite far from Singapore's central area. Here's GSV.
https://www.google.com.sg/maps/@1.3583538,103.7006486,3a,75y,52.18h,97.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFX01SdXR_kgVb_-ZnPbPVQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Mo-364. I think it is 10 lanes (5+5)
V-23 North of Valencia, Spain (not A-23, that is a different freeway which happens to branch off V-23). 2x3 lanes for an AADT of only 17,000. 2x2 would have been enough.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on August 22, 2017, 05:13:11 PM
V-23 North of Valencia, Spain (not A-23, that is a different freeway which happens to branch off V-23). 2x3 lanes for an AADT of only 17,000. 2x2 would have been enough.
Spain has a lot of over-engineered roads, especially when it comes to upgrading older free to use roads running next to tollways.
We also have some excessively wide sections such as this which was widened from 2x2 to 2x4 around 20 years ago. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4719203,-0.2844812,3a,75.8y,172.55h,81.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sA05jHLC06hzd7CrCFBg97A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Minor example, but I-80/90 Ohio Turnpike from the I-280 intersection SE of Toledo to US 20 SW of Toledo. Some of this was recently expanded to six lanes from four and I don't know why; traffic drops off significantly at I-280 and I-75.
There's a weird very short four-lane median-separated segment of US-50 just west of Middleburg, Virginia, that seems utterly pointless. At one point in the past few years there was a plan to narrow it by severing the eastbound side for use solely for local property access. I don't know if that's still planned. The segment can be a useful,place to pass slowpokes, but it has the unfortunate side effect of causing some eastbound passers to go way too fast approaching Middleburg, where the speed limit drops to 25 mph.
Quote from: slorydn1 on June 11, 2017, 12:39:27 AM
I think arguments could be made that there are no places where there are too many lanes.
Yes there are places where it may seem that the 3rd or 4th lane in the same direction are overkill-but watch what happens when events conspire to take those other lanes out of service: instant back ups.
I agree. I'd rather have more lanes than necessary than not enough.
I-391. No one goes to Chicopee or Holyoke. No one.
Quote from: kennyshark on June 09, 2017, 12:26:32 PM
Quote from: pianocello on May 25, 2017, 12:34:08 AM
Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.
That stretch of I-75 used to be 6 lanes. However, all of the people escaping to Northern Michigan on Fridays and holiday weekends, and coming back on Sunday, probably prompted the other two lanes. Plus, there's plenty of traffic for the Birch Run outlet shopping and Frankenmuth.
I remember when the first section of that was under construction. It started in 2002 and 2002 and 2003 were between I-475 and M-57, then 2004-2005 was between M-57 to about two miles north of the Birch Run exit, the third section was where they left off north of Birch Run to Bridgeport but that didn't happen right away it was a few years after 2005, then just within the last 3-4 years it was done between Bridgeport to two miles south of I-675 which is where it narrows down to six lanes again. The funny thing is that it's six lanes from that spot to just north of the Zilwaukee Bridge and opens back up to eight lanes again until the M-13 connector exit.
I know it might cost a lot of money to do but the thing they should do is rebuild a new Zilwaukee Bridge and then add the fourth lane south of the bridge to two miles south of I-675. It's ridiculous that you have to go down a lane only to pick that lane back up a few miles north.
How about those seven lanes on westbound I-80 in Omaha, just after I-480? Granted, it's a short stretch, but I still wonder why they allowed so many lanes to converge rather than ending one or two of them in advance.
My vote is for the US 52 bypass of Rochester, MN. It was reconstructed ~11 years ago from four lanes to six. Still not necessary, as four lanes could handle traffic fine with current AADT. In fact, the far left lane is worthless, as it is typically blocked by people using it as a through lane wishing to avoid dealing with people merging on the right side. Four lanes could handle peak hour traffic just fine as I'm on it on a daily basis, in spite of Rochesterians saying the opposite since they don't know real metropolitan traffic congestion. This was a pork barrel project delivered by a Republican administration to a Republican district. The funds for this expansion could have been spent on projects with true capacity needs.
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2017, 09:52:59 AM
I-391. No one goes to Chicopee or Holyoke. No one.
Are you sure about no one?