AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: andrewkbrown on February 16, 2010, 08:44:58 PM

Title: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: andrewkbrown on February 16, 2010, 08:44:58 PM
Does anyone know where the greatest distance between opposing lanes on the Interstate Highways? Any out there 1-2 or more miles apart?
Also, what is the longest distance on the interstate where the opposing lanes are far enough to not be seen?
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: mightyace on February 16, 2010, 09:04:04 PM
According to a book I have on the construction of I-80, some parts of I-80 have the EB and WB lanes separated by a mile or so.

One that's big enough to show on most maps is I-24 over Monteagle Mtn. in SE Tennessee.  The EB and WB lanes take completely different paths on the southeast side of the summit.

EDIT:
A rough guesstimate via Google Maps is 1.5 to 1.7 miles at its widest point.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=monteagle+tn&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.111473,44.033203&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Monteagle,+Marion,+Tennessee&ll=35.207758,-85.748634&spn=0.103511,0.222988&t=h&z=13
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: yanksfan6129 on February 16, 2010, 09:30:47 PM
Sir, I give you the east and westbound lanes on I-8 in California. I measured them to be, at their widest point, approximately 1.4 miles apart, via google earth.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: Bickendan on February 17, 2010, 01:08:42 AM
What about I-5 north of Santa Clarita, where it crosses over itself? Suddenly, the median is virtually the circumference of the planet... (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbickenland.lonaf.com%2FphpBB2%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Fbigass.gif&hash=dac6e8ea4165c0410e66a47118ff6ce121e37324)
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: luokou on February 17, 2010, 04:12:12 AM
Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, OR: at the Cabbage Hill pass, the east and westbound lanes are separated approximately 2 miles apart at its furthest.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: Chris on February 17, 2010, 04:31:01 AM
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on February 16, 2010, 09:30:47 PM
Sir, I give you the east and westbound lanes on I-8 in California. I measured them to be, at their widest point, approximately 1.4 miles apart, via google earth.


Just across the border into Mexico, the lanes of the Tijuana - Mexicali toll highway are over 2.6 miles apart.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: froggie on February 17, 2010, 07:49:29 AM
From the MTR FAQ (http://www.roadfan.com/mtrfaq.html#a126), I-24 at Monteagle takes the honors in the US.  The aforementioned I-84, depending on how you measure it, is only about a mile, and even at a stretch isn't more than a mile-and-a-half apart (and that's only if you include the U-shaped curve on WB I-84).
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: andrewkbrown on February 17, 2010, 04:02:03 PM
Thank you for all the answers. I've even read the MTR FAQ before, and must have missed it.

Now does anyone know where the longest split may be? Where could I drive for the longest and not see the opposing lanes?
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: yanksfan6129 on February 17, 2010, 05:15:43 PM
Quote from: froggie on February 17, 2010, 07:49:29 AM
From the MTR FAQ (http://www.roadfan.com/mtrfaq.html#a126), I-24 at Monteagle takes the honors in the US.  The aforementioned I-84, depending on how you measure it, is only about a mile, and even at a stretch isn't more than a mile-and-a-half apart (and that's only if you include the U-shaped curve on WB I-84).


Wow. I just measured Monteagle at its widest point...a full 1.8 miles
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: Bickendan on February 17, 2010, 09:33:11 PM
Quote from: luokou on February 17, 2010, 04:12:12 AM
Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, OR: at the Cabbage Hill pass, the east and westbound lanes are separated approximately 2 miles apart at its furthest.
Emigrant Hill. Where did the term Cabbage Hill pop up?
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: mightyace on February 17, 2010, 10:27:30 PM
Quote from: froggie on February 17, 2010, 07:49:29 AM
From the MTR FAQ (http://www.roadfan.com/mtrfaq.html#a126)

When I click on this link, I get a "Reported Attack Site" warning!

EDIT:
This is with Firefox 3.5.7

Here's the diagnostic page:
http://safebrowsing.clients.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?client=Firefox&hl=en-US&site=http://www.roadfan.com/mtrfaq.html#a126
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: deathtopumpkins on February 17, 2010, 11:48:22 PM
Same here, and it won't even let me around it.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: andytom on February 18, 2010, 12:20:34 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on February 17, 2010, 09:33:11 PM
Quote from: luokou on February 17, 2010, 04:12:12 AM
Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, OR: at the Cabbage Hill pass, the east and westbound lanes are separated approximately 2 miles apart at its furthest.
Emigrant Hill. Where did the term Cabbage Hill pop up?
It comes up a creek that splits Emigrant Hill and Cabbage Hill.  I've always heard it referred to as Cabbage Hill or the Pendleton Grade, never Emigrant Hill.  Probably to differentiate it from the grade that the emigrant trail actually used farther to the NE (and the fact that so many other things are referred to as Emigrant X).

--Andy
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: xonhulu on February 18, 2010, 12:42:39 AM
Quote from: andytom on February 18, 2010, 12:20:34 AM
It comes up a creek that splits Emigrant Hill and Cabbage Hill.  I've always heard it referred to as Cabbage Hill or the Pendleton Grade, never Emigrant Hill.  Probably to differentiate it from the grade that the emigrant trail actually used farther to the NE (and the fact that so many other things are referred to as Emigrant X).

--Andy


I agree: pretty much all the references (traffic cams, ODOT, etc.) are for Cabbage Hill.  It might also be to differentiate the freeway's routing from the older Emigrant Hill Road (former US 30), to the NE like Andy said.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: Bickendan on February 18, 2010, 02:16:50 AM
Mmm. Makes sense that old US 30 and not I-84 would be Emigrant Hill. Though I don't care for the name 'Cabbage Hill'.
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: Sykotyk on February 18, 2010, 12:42:50 PM
I'm surprised "Dead Man's Pass" never caught on more. All I've ever heard it called was "Cabbage", or in joking, "Cabbage Patch".

Sykotyk
Title: Re: Distance between Interstate lanes
Post by: andytom on February 18, 2010, 11:26:09 PM
Quote from: Sykotyk on February 18, 2010, 12:42:50 PM
I'm surprised "Dead Man's Pass" never caught on more. All I've ever heard it called was "Cabbage", or in joking, "Cabbage Patch".

It's not really a pass.  At the top, the freeway stays on top of the ridge for 15 or 20 miles before dropping into the valley that it follows into La Grande.

--Andy