Everybody has or knows of a freeway, tollway, expressway, etc... in their area that would be looked at by the state's DOT as a "red-headed stepchild" highway. By that I mean a stretch of freeway that is consistently decades or more behind all other comparable area highways in signage, upkeep, upgrades, lighting, road conditions, etc...
What "Ugly Red-headed stepchilds" are in your area?
I nominate SR-21 (nee US-21) in Northeast Ohio between I-77 in West Akron/Copley and SR-236 in Massillon:
With the exception of a short stretch between I-76 & SR 585 in the Barberton/Norton area, SR-21 has always looked OLD: Little or no advance signage for upcoming exits, crumbling shoulders, un-mowed medians & weedy shoulders. In fact, within the Summit County stretch of SR-21 up until the mid-to-late 90s, still had a couple of vintage yellow "MERGING TRAFFIC" and "YIELD" signs from the late-60's/early 70's at some on-ramps. I don't know if ODOT has brought that WHOLE stretch up to speed yet, but it has been 4 years since I last was through there.
Prior to the big rebuilding a few years ago, SR 8 through downtown Akron was also in the same boat, with some overhead BGs dating back to the mid-late 50's -- possibly 1st generation -- though the rebuilding took them all down.
And same with SR-8 between SR-303 and SR-82, although the current rebuilding of that stretch into interstate standards is also taking away the "early 60's look" of that section, too!!!
:hmmm:
Others???
:hmmm:
In IDOT District 1, it is anything not in Cook or DuPage Counties. They seem to ignore any highways in Lake, McHenry, Kane, and Will. Will County seems to be their favorite to ignore. Took them 30 years to figure out that I-55 needed widening. We'll see about I-80.
Georgia State Route 166 - The segment between I-285 near Ben Hill and I-75/85 on the southside of Downtown Atlanta is the most substandard freeway in Metro Atlanta. Just recently, about three or four years ago, the grass median was converted to a jersey barrier/concrete median. The entrance/exit lanes are very short. I've nearly been run off of the road trying to merge.
Here are some examples of how short Langford Parkway's merges are.
U.S. 29 to S.R. 166 East (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.698172,-84.432163&spn=0.007676,0.012832&z=16&layer=c&cbll=33.698176,-84.432315&panoid=aDAJ-MRJnL3g1NZ6zNc9kg&cbp=12,89.65,,0,26.81)
DeLowe Dr. to S.R. 166 West (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.698315,-84.460466&spn=0.007676,0.012832&z=16&layer=c&cbll=33.698262,-84.460568&panoid=Y5RECwgKL0SGsMVb7m4_Mg&cbp=12,59.56,,0,19.59)
I-285 North to S.R. 166 West (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.690326,-84.499809&spn=0.003839,0.006416&z=17&layer=c&cbll=33.690325,-84.499913&panoid=oWEeDgFBm3Kfj956YN49pg&cbp=12,95.48,,0,6.3)
Be well,
Bryant
In WV, it is esentually regional. Southern WV is the "URHSC".
First, of course, is the Turnpike, which still charges a toll, despite being paid off decades ago, and which has been allowed to fall into disrepair by diverting said toll money into all sorts of boondoggle projects.
Then one must remember I-64 between Beckley and Sam Black Church. The last section of original interstate finished where the alternative was 2 lane, in the country, in 1988, and then the Turnpike itself, 4 laned (with tax money, not tolls) and completed only a year earlier. A full 10 years after far lesser used roads in the rest of the state, including ARC and Interstate projects carrying a little as 1/10th the volume.
Now we have the I-64 three lane upgrade. Which is being held up by diversion of funds to a similar deal on I-79, which gets 1/3rd the daily traffic volume. Including the Dunbar-South Charleston bridge, which is currently entering its 11th year of construction.
Anything in Tulsa County :P
Although one could argue the Chickasaw Turnpike qualifies... still has all of its button copy signage from opening (1991). I-40 in downtown OKC is also seriously substandard, but it's in the process of being replaced.
Quote from: thenetwork on March 21, 2010, 02:13:28 AM
I nominate SR-21 (nee US-21) in Northeast Ohio between I-77 in West Akron/Copley and SR-236 in Massillon:
unfortunately, a classic 1960s green sign with a state-named Ohio I-77 shield has gone missing in the last few years, so they must be doing
something with that road.
here in NM, I nominate Business Loop 25 through Socorro - all of its shields date back to the 70s.
GA 13 was for a number of years but finally got tended to. In NY City, I nominate the Bronx River Parkway, the least freeway-ized of the city's parkways. Most NYC roads haven't been tended to in far too many years (the entire infrastructure needs to be rebuilt). In NJ, NJ 495 definitely gets a nod, again because there's not much that can be done for it without fantastic expense. Until a few years ago, NJ 81 would have fallen into that category (not even signed as a route at all), but every sign has been replaced and it got an interchange upgrade at the south end.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on March 21, 2010, 02:56:03 PM
GA 13 was for a number of years but finally got tended to.
Speaking of the Buford-Spring Connector, there's a lot of weaving on that freeway (Old I-85), due to there being two exits back-to-back in such a short distance.
Be well,
Bryant
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 21, 2010, 10:32:38 AM
Anything in Tulsa County :P
Especially I-44. OK 51, I-244/444, US 412 west, and US 169 are in decent shape.
My nominee would have to be the Cross Bronx Expressway, including the Major Deegan interchange. (I's 87 and 95) Pot holes galore... all the time, without fail. The signs are usually graffiti covered or faded or just plain missing. But then again, how do you maintain one of the world's most heavily traveled roads without closing it? :hmmm:
Quote from: papaT10932 on March 21, 2010, 04:58:41 PM
My nominee would have to be the Cross Bronx Expressway, including the Major Deegan interchange. (I's 87 and 95) Pot holes galore... all the time, without fail. The signs are usually graffiti covered or faded or just plain missing. But then again, how do you maintain one of the world's most heavily traveled roads without closing it? :hmmm:
that road is flat-out amazing compared to I-278. If I-95 is a red-headed stepchild, I-278 is the one who is told "it puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose".
Since our roads here are rather well-maintained, the closest one can get in Salt Lake City is an ugly red-headed stepchild interchange. I'm talking about the I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Salt+Lake+City,+Salt+Lake,+Utah&ll=40.715273,-111.806788&spn=0.009059,0.027466&z=16) that was built in the late '60s and has been virtually untouched ever since. Although it still has the oldest signage in the state, that's where the good things end. There are extremely tight loop ramps with a woeful lack of merging space. In fact, the ramp from eastbound I-80 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Salt+Lake+City,+Salt+Lake,+Utah&ll=40.712931,-111.8049&spn=0,359.972534&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.712946,-111.805127&panoid=XeJahgyO7rgXKeIXZ-t8mg&cbp=12,306.74,,0,2.47) directly feeds into northbound SR-186. To make matters worse, you pretty much have to come to a stop (a yield sign is present as is some strange triangle striping at the end of the ramp that was added after Street View) before merging onto 186 since visibility is horrible because of terrain...
OR 217. I-5 Eastbank Freeway.
Both are on ODOT's 'We want to fix' list.
Quote from: Bickendan on March 22, 2010, 12:15:41 AM
OR 217. I-5 Eastbank Freeway.
Both are on ODOT's 'We want to fix' list.
I thought of I-5, too, when this topic first came up. But it isn't just a lack of will; making any substantial upgrades to it would be prohibitively expensive.
The Lake Ontario State Parkway, especially west of Hamlin Beach. The portions east towards Rochester can fit too, as while they are maintained, they have not been upgraded to be more modern.
I-490 between Fairport and Bushnell's Basin might also qualify. It looks new, but beneath a half-hearted attempt to add a layer of asphalt to make the road look better is the original concrete road. It's also in dire need of an extra lane each direction and has a narrow median without jersey barriers. Aside from signage, it's difficult to tell you're not in the 60s.
Quote from: CL on March 21, 2010, 09:30:15 PM
I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange
that's the oldest signage in the state? I thought that the button copy state route shield on I-80 westbound was further east of there, but then again I haven't driven I-80 WB through there since 2003 so I might be mis-remembering it.
there is, somewhere, a sign with button copy I-84 and US-89 shields, but I forget the exact interchange.
Quote from: deanej on March 22, 2010, 08:40:34 AM
I-490 between Fairport and Bushnell's Basin might also qualify. It looks new, but beneath a half-hearted attempt to add a layer of asphalt to make the road look better is the original concrete road. It's also in dire need of an extra lane each direction and has a narrow median without jersey barriers. Aside from signage, it's difficult to tell you're not in the 60s.
I was traveling that way this past November for a concert at the Blue Cross Arena, and I remember thinking "Wow, this is narrow!" It's fine from the Thruway to Bushnell's Basin. I'm guessing that that section was upgraded in the 1990s based on aerial imagery.
The concert was on a Friday night. Traffic started getting really heavy around Exit 25/NY 31F. Traffic was at a standstill just after the I-590/NY 590 interchange because of merging traffic from Exit 19/Culver Road.
Traffic waiting for a ticket to get on the Thruway was backed up for half a mile in all three eastbound lanes.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 22, 2010, 01:06:16 PM
Quote from: CL on March 21, 2010, 09:30:15 PM
I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange
that's the oldest signage in the state? I thought that the button copy state route shield on I-80 westbound was further east of there, but then again I haven't driven I-80 WB through there since 2003 so I might be mis-remembering it.
there is, somewhere, a sign with button copy I-84 and US-89 shields, but I forget the exact interchange.
That sign gantry is at the eastern extent of the interchange. The SR-186 sign has been completely unmodified since the late '70s (when US-40 and US-40A were decommissioned). The I-84/US-89 sign escaped my mind - that's probably just as old, if not older.
The Red Mountain Expressway in Birmingham.
I'd say the Baltimore City portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Even the old I-895 Harbor Tunnel looks newer. Old signage and appearance (good), original 1950s ramps, tight merges, bumps, cracks. There was some work on a bridge northbound near I-95, allowing only one lane through. It seemed to take several months, and don't know what was really done. Since it's not a toll facility (maintained by MdTA), Baltimore City maintains it themselves, and takes its merry old time doing so.
Another one, this time honestly state maintained, is I-70 in Frederick, which was part of the pre-Interstate Frederick Bypass. Just 4 lanes and tight ramps w/short merges. Looks and feels like PA in that respect, without the benefit of interesting older signage. East of the new SPUI at MD 85 it really narrows, eastward to Patrick St (MD 144). East of that, between exits 56-59, was the last at-grade intersection part of I-70, bypassed sometime in the 1980s. It's now MD 144, and the former w/b carriageway is now a park & ride, leading to an abandoned, pre-Interstate era bridge.
Definetly, I-94 through the city of Detroit has to be a contender. The dizzying amount of curves, most of the infrastructure is from the 80's, and the design hasn't changed from the 40's. Yeah, it's bad.
California 110 from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Narrow, lots of sharp turns, 1940s-era on- and offramps.
Oh, heck--let's just say virtually all the freeways in the greater Los Angeles area! And while we're at it, might as well include all the freeways in the Bay Area too. :banghead:
Quote from: hm insulators on April 01, 2010, 10:55:48 PM
California 110 from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Narrow, lots of sharp turns, 1940s-era on- and offramps.
Oh, heck--let's just say virtually all the freeways in the greater Los Angeles area! And while we're at it, might as well include all the freeways in the Bay Area too. :banghead:
I'll say that Route 24 east of the Caldecott Tunnel to I-680 is in pretty good shape...
I-80 and US 101 in SF though...
Quote from: TheStranger on April 02, 2010, 01:46:07 PM
I-80 and US 101 in SF though...
yes, especially that great freeway connection to the Golden Gate Bridge!
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 02, 2010, 03:30:57 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on April 02, 2010, 01:46:07 PM
I-80 and US 101 in SF though...
yes, especially that great freeway connection to the Golden Gate Bridge!
At least US 101 in the Presidio IS being reconstructed to modern standards...but the City of San Francisco considers any limited access route as a red-headed stepchild to begin with!
Quote from: thenetwork on March 21, 2010, 02:13:28 AM
Prior to the big rebuilding a few years ago, SR 8 through downtown Akron was also in the same boat, with some overhead BGs dating back to the mid-late 50's -- possibly 1st generation -- though the rebuilding took them all down.
And same with SR-8 between SR-303 and SR-82, although the current rebuilding of that stretch into interstate standards is also taking away the "early 60's look" of that section, too!!!
ODOT has already used exit numbers for SR 8; staring with Exits 1A-B (Carroll St/Buchtel Ave) and going up to Exit 14 (SR 303). Most of the older signs have been replaced.
Unfortunately, there are a few BGSs that are in dire need of replacement, especially when you are traveling north. The biggest example is before the Cuyahoga Falls Ave exit. Even though they replaced the sign gantry, the two signs on the right, Cuyahoga Falls Ave exit sign and the Howe Ave exit sign, despite the removal of the light fixtures, those old signs are still there. :banghead:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.11141,-81.496657&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.111684,-81.496495&panoid=Zq7BgJ4jBrvBDg242egqUQ&cbp=12,25.85,,0,-5.36 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.11141,-81.496657&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.111684,-81.496495&panoid=Zq7BgJ4jBrvBDg242egqUQ&cbp=12,25.85,,0,-5.36)
The others include the Howe Ave exit sign near the actual exit as well as the Downtown Cuyahoga Falls: Next 2 Exits sign on that same gantry.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.117108,-81.490531&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.117178,-81.490451&panoid=fRY1Ylmf42pK3i7GCQMoHA&cbp=12,48.64,,0,2.97 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.117108,-81.490531&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.117178,-81.490451&panoid=fRY1Ylmf42pK3i7GCQMoHA&cbp=12,48.64,,0,2.97)
But the most disturbing of all of the BGSs while traveling on SR 8 northbound. The Tallmadge Ave exit sign originally did not have the SR 261 shield on it prior to the assignment of exit numbers. While that has been replaced, the Glenwood Ave exit sign was still there; it had 1960s written all on it, and it STILL has not be replaced! :banghead:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.091061,-81.499736&spn=0,359.986203&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.090974,-81.499793&panoid=stJMrE5gyMCSzz9v1GaxHA&cbp=12,22.87,,0,-4.94 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.091061,-81.499736&spn=0,359.986203&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.090974,-81.499793&panoid=stJMrE5gyMCSzz9v1GaxHA&cbp=12,22.87,,0,-4.94)
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.095532,-81.499876&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.095599,-81.499676&panoid=oufN9m3uQIDYb0ruvwmUtg&cbp=12,14.96,,0,-7.74
(http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.095532,-81.499876&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.095599,-81.499676&panoid=oufN9m3uQIDYb0ruvwmUtg&cbp=12,14.96,,0,-7.74)
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.099534,-81.499887&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.099631,-81.499888&panoid=jSCWAG1PtPi8VRRocDlRQQ&cbp=12,13.72,,0,-2.14 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.099534,-81.499887&spn=0,359.993101&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.099631,-81.499888&panoid=jSCWAG1PtPi8VRRocDlRQQ&cbp=12,13.72,,0,-2.14)
Finally, the exit gore signs on the Glenwood Ave, Tallmadge Ave, and Cuyahoga Falls Ave need to be replaced.
But don't take my word for it; drive on this strech of SR 8 and you'll know what I mean. No wonder some people will say Route 8 sucks. There's even a song about this.
Quote from: The Premier on April 06, 2010, 09:18:14 PM
But don't take my word for it; drive on this strech of SR 8 and you'll know what I mean. No wonder some people will say Route 8 sucks. There's even a song about this.
Ah, memories! The ol' construction update radio station -- forgot about that. And how many different colored detours did they use when the downtown reconstruction of SR-8 was at it's peak???
Akron is running out of freeways to rebuild!! Nearly every freeway in the Akron area has been rebuilt (not just resurfaced) over the last 10-15 years.
Just about any road in the Boston metro area formerly under the jurisdiction of the now-defunct Metropolitan District Commission. Talk about clueless! Narrow lanes, sharp (often blind) curves, lane merges with warnings that might have been sufficient in 1910 when cars moved at a maximum of 20mph, signage bearing no relationship whatsoever to reality (for example, showing a left turn for a certain road, when the intersection is a traffic circle...what the locals call a rotary...and all exits from the traffic circle are right turns) and most certainly not in compliance with the MUTCD, free-running traffic signals (no vehicle-detection grids) and drastically under-posted speed limits (often used, of course, by cops needing to fill their non-existent quotas).
A few of these dinosaurs have been upgraded where possible, but most remain in the dark ages.
Quote from: thenetwork on April 08, 2010, 09:22:23 PM
Ah, memories! The ol' construction update radio station -- forgot about that. And how many different colored detours did they use when the downtown reconstruction of SR-8 was at it's peak???
Akron is running out of freeways to rebuild!! Nearly every freeway in the Akron area has been rebuilt (not just resurfaced) over the last 10-15 years.
For the SR 8 reconstruction, they used blue and green detours, especially at on point in which access to SR 8 NB from I-76 EB was closed. I don't remember which one is which, however.
In regards to rebuilding freeways, that is somewhat an understatement. SR 59 (the Innerbelt) was the last freeway that was built before it ran out of money in the 1980s. And ODOT was planning to redo the Central Interchange and the West leg before it was scrapped due to the economy. I do agree with you that they are running out of freeways to rebuild and they need to go back to the drawing board and build new freeways, especially the Innerbelt.
Quote from: The Premier on April 09, 2010, 11:37:48 AM
In regards to rebuilding freeways, that is somewhat an understatement. SR 59 (the Innerbelt) was the last freeway that was built before it ran out of money in the 1980s. And ODOT was planning to redo the Central Interchange and the West leg before it was scrapped due to the economy. I do agree with you that they are running out of freeways to rebuild and they need to go back to the drawing board and build new freeways, especially the Innerbelt.
As of the time of the last google map update, the first-gen "covered" signs were still up:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080183,-81.529585&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080215,-81.529448&panoid=mc4GVDIDdojeSsJNqa17Ag&cbp=12,68.71,,0,-7.01
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080533,-81.530328&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080566,-81.530206&panoid=GIH3jyR6nnmj4UO-MY4hCw&cbp=12,72.9,,0,3.8
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.081629,-81.524052&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.081658,-81.523947&panoid=xEJyLI0ulEKqynmrU2ijXA&cbp=12,68.18,,0,4.9
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.08509,-81.519787&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.085045,-81.519694&panoid=IIXQsuMNmBV-C3J9DPU2Xg&cbp=12,304.45,,0,1.4
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080371,-81.53236&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080431,-81.53244&panoid=1uyxaE7ZnO9QoHP6_h40-A&cbp=12,136.66,,0,-10.98
Quality is not the best, but it's obvious on most signage that these were temporary overlays.
Quote from: thenetwork on April 09, 2010, 01:21:35 PM
Quote from: The Premier on April 09, 2010, 11:37:48 AM
In regards to rebuilding freeways, that is somewhat an understatement. SR 59 (the Innerbelt) was the last freeway that was built before it ran out of money in the 1980s. And ODOT was planning to redo the Central Interchange and the West leg before it was scrapped due to the economy. I do agree with you that they are running out of freeways to rebuild and they need to go back to the drawing board and build new freeways, especially the Innerbelt.
As of the time of the last google map update, the first-gen "covered" signs were still up:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080183,-81.529585&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080215,-81.529448&panoid=mc4GVDIDdojeSsJNqa17Ag&cbp=12,68.71,,0,-7.01
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080533,-81.530328&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080566,-81.530206&panoid=GIH3jyR6nnmj4UO-MY4hCw&cbp=12,72.9,,0,3.8
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.081629,-81.524052&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.081658,-81.523947&panoid=xEJyLI0ulEKqynmrU2ijXA&cbp=12,68.18,,0,4.9
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.08509,-81.519787&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.085045,-81.519694&panoid=IIXQsuMNmBV-C3J9DPU2Xg&cbp=12,304.45,,0,1.4
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=akron,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Akron,+Summit,+Ohio&ll=41.080371,-81.53236&spn=0.0005,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.080431,-81.53244&panoid=1uyxaE7ZnO9QoHP6_h40-A&cbp=12,136.66,,0,-10.98
Quality is not the best, but it's obvious on most signage that these were temporary overlays.
Needless to point out, sometimes the Google map pictures don't do you justice. In this case, those signs were from the Innerbelt. Some of those signs were recently replaced.
For the new signs, this should be on the Clearview thread, but I am posting this here to prove my point.
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My apologies for the dirty windshield.
^^^
Who on earth is/was Vernon Odom? :confused:
Quote from: mightyace on April 23, 2010, 07:16:16 PM
^^^
Who on earth is/was Vernon Odom? :confused:
Vernon Odom was a civil rights leader in Akron.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Odom,_Sr. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Odom,_Sr.)
Thanks. I probably would have heard of him if I'd stayed in Akron. His death was a little over 6 months after I left.
It's interesting to me that he got a surface street named after him. I remember the debate on what to name after Martin Luther King and they didn't want to rename a surface street because allegedly they didn't want people and businesses to have to go through a change of address. Obviously something changed in the intervening years.
Quote from: mightyace on April 23, 2010, 07:16:16 PM
^^^
Who on earth is/was Vernon Odom? :confused:
the poor man, they gave him a Clearview sign.
Prior to the naming of Vernon Odom Blvd, SR 261 in Akron from the Innerbelt to Romig Rd, not far from I-77, it was known as Wooster Ave.
Quote from: The Premier on April 25, 2010, 04:29:13 PM
Prior to the naming of Vernon Odom Blvd, SR 261 in Akron from the Innerbelt to Romig Rd, not far from I-77, it was known as Wooster Ave.
One of the reasons why V. Odom Blvd. MIGHT have come to fruition so easily is because there were two Wooster thoroughfares within as many miles from each other and the name change from Wooster to V.Odom may have been done to reduce the confusion between the Avenue and the Road. (Oddly enough, the Romig Road/State Street combo "connected" the 2 Woosters).
-- Wooster AVENUE was SR-261 between Romig Road and SR-59, as The Premier had stated -- All within the Akron City Limits.
-- Wooster ROAD is Old SR-5 and the northernmost section of SR-619 between I-76/US-224 and SR-21 -- All within either the city limits of Barberton or Norton.
The Kenmore Leg IMO should also be listed as a Red-Headed Stepchild freeway because it has only two lanes each way. Not to mention that you have to deal with congestion because I-76 traffic in both directions must exit its respective freeways.
How about the Farrington Hwy around Ka'ena Point in NW Oahu? There were plans to connect 93 & 930 together, but all Hawaii DOT did was let the dirt track wash into the ocean!!!
Quote from: The Premier on April 23, 2010, 07:23:18 PM
Quote from: mightyace on April 23, 2010, 07:16:16 PM
^^^
Who on earth is/was Vernon Odom? :confused:
Vernon Odom was a civil rights leader in Akron.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Odom,_Sr. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Odom,_Sr.)
That makes sense. I saw the name on the sign and thought of the Philadelphia TV reporter - his son.
Without a doubt here in Houston it's US 290. Major widening and improvements have happened on US 59 both ways, and IH 10 west, but US 290 still looks like something from the 1970's. It is the only major Houston area freeway that is still six overall lanes through most of its run. Traffic is always backed up, and everytime they plan to do anything about it, it seems it never happens. There are finally plans to rebuild and fix the route, including building a parallel tollway, but it remains to be seen if any of it will come to light.
Quote from: Bickendan on March 22, 2010, 12:15:41 AM
OR 217. I-5 Eastbank Freeway.
Both are on ODOT's 'We want to fix' list.
I-5 got a pretty substantial rebuild back in the 1980s or early 1990s between the Marquam Bridge and I-84 (at least northbound did, not so sure about southbound) that relocated the I-84 exit further to the south.
217 was for many years the ugly-headed stepchild; it was one of the last places to consistently see the 1950s/1960s-era highway shields (sadly since removed) and button-copy signs (I believe the last one, the Walker Road advance sign northbound, was FINALLY replaced recently).
Quote from: Bryant5493 on March 21, 2010, 08:43:42 AM
Georgia State Route 166 - The segment between I-285 near Ben Hill and I-75/85 on the southside of Downtown Atlanta is the most substandard freeway in Metro Atlanta. Just recently, about three or four years ago, the grass median was converted to a jersey barrier/concrete median. The entrance/exit lanes are very short. I've nearly been run off of the road trying to merge.
Here are some examples of how short Langford Parkway's merges are.
U.S. 29 to S.R. 166 East (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.698172,-84.432163&spn=0.007676,0.012832&z=16&layer=c&cbll=33.698176,-84.432315&panoid=aDAJ-MRJnL3g1NZ6zNc9kg&cbp=12,89.65,,0,26.81)
DeLowe Dr. to S.R. 166 West (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.698315,-84.460466&spn=0.007676,0.012832&z=16&layer=c&cbll=33.698262,-84.460568&panoid=Y5RECwgKL0SGsMVb7m4_Mg&cbp=12,59.56,,0,19.59)
I-285 North to S.R. 166 West (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Langford+Parkway&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.716225,52.558594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Langford+Pkwy,+Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&ll=33.690326,-84.499809&spn=0.003839,0.006416&z=17&layer=c&cbll=33.690325,-84.499913&panoid=oWEeDgFBm3Kfj956YN49pg&cbp=12,95.48,,0,6.3)
Be well,
Bryant
Those are generous. Check out the Spaulding Turnpike in Dover, NH for some short merges. MA 128 heading toward Gloucester as well.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 21, 2010, 10:32:38 AM
Anything in Tulsa County :P
The new I-44 is nice. 6 lanes, 8 lanes in between entrances and exits, wide shoulders, smooth concrete pavement. I'm sure it will be falling apart in 10 years, but it's nice now.
Quote from: hm insulators on April 01, 2010, 10:55:48 PM
California 110 from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Narrow, lots of sharp turns, 1940s-era on- and offramps.
I don't know if that would qualify, since it's still in that condition more due to historical preservation as opposed to neglect or lack of funds.
For L.A., I'd nominate I-5 between the East L.A. Interchange and the Orange County line...particularly when you compare it to the upgraded section in O.C.
Quote from: DTComposer on January 18, 2012, 10:58:49 AM
For L.A., I'd nominate I-5 between the East L.A. Interchange and the Orange County line...particularly when you compare it to the upgraded section in O.C.
that road does get fairly slow sometimes, but it is a miracle dream shiny pony compared to I-710 between Valley Boulevard and Pasadena.
I-25 through Pueblo, especially on the south end, is the worst piece of that highway in the state. It was constructed in segments beginning in the mid-50s, so it obviously was badged as U.S. 85/87 for a while. There have been spot improvements to take out some of the worst aspects of it, but it's posted at 50 mph through that area. CDOT is taking comments on the EIS for a $750 million project to rebuild all of it from 29th Street to the south city limits, but where that money will ever come from I don't know.
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on January 18, 2012, 10:46:15 PM
I-25 through Pueblo, especially on the south end, is the worst piece of that highway in the state.
negative. I-25 through Trinidad. there is a billboard southbound in Walsenburg advertising "Trinidad: the best Colorado has to offer", or something similar. As of Jan 2010, it had, scrawled on it, graffiti noting "25 mph speed trap".
With the advent of the new I-40, the worst link in the Oklahoma City freeway system is undoubtedly I-35 between I-40 and I-44. It was obviously built as a depressed highway before anyone knew how to build such things. Four lanes, grass median–they're adding a cable barrier but really the whole thing needs a reconstruction.
The Twin Cities definitely has a few candidates, but I think my vote goes to the Crosstown Highway (State Highway 62). Not enough lanes for the traffic, really short merge areas. Mn/DOT did do a fairly good job with the 35W-Crosstown Commons project though.
Honorable mentions include MN 36 and US 169.
i would say WI 145 in Milwaukee...part of the would be milwaukee freeway system....that basicaly just goes straight into a ghetto....no new upgrades....not much traffic...i wouldnt be surprised if it would be downgraded to an expressway/ boulevard in ten or twenty years...also US12 from the illinois border to Elkhorn...which is a short freeway segment origionaly intended to be from the chicago area to madison...but illinois didnt hold up its part.....although there have been some mumblings about building this freeway as of recent, and the whole freeway stretch would undoubtedly be compleately rebuilt...
Quote from: Jordanah1 on January 19, 2012, 06:00:03 PM
i would say WI 145 in Milwaukee...part of the would be milwaukee freeway system....that basicaly just goes straight into a ghetto....no new upgrades....not much traffic...i wouldnt be surprised if it would be downgraded to an expressway/ boulevard in ten or twenty years.
SEWRPC recommended to leave WI 145 as is in their SE Wisconsin Freeways plan from ~10 years ago. Same for the other remaining stub, the Stadium North Freeway. They cite the cost of filling in the trench created by those freeways' construction. It's just cheaper to repave them and maintain the bridges.
Oh and FDL & Hampton (the south end of the WI 145 freeway) is not much of a ghetto by Milwaukee's standards.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 19, 2012, 12:04:33 AM
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on January 18, 2012, 10:46:15 PM
I-25 through Pueblo, especially on the south end, is the worst piece of that highway in the state.
negative. I-25 through Trinidad. there is a billboard southbound in Walsenburg advertising "Trinidad: the best Colorado has to offer", or something similar. As of Jan 2010, it had, scrawled on it, graffiti noting "25 mph speed trap".
I-25 through Trinidad, which consists of twin viaducts along the edge of downtown, has been newly reconstructed. The 25 mph slam may be the result of someone getting nailed for violating construction zone speed limits; I went through there during the peak of construction and recall a short 35 mph segment where lane shifts on a one-lane section on part of a viaduct occurred. If you didn't follow the speed limit, you risked spearing the end of a jersey barrier. Not sure what the design speeds for the reconstructed viaducts are but I'd venture a guess they're at least 55 since I haven't been through there since the construction has been completed.
Quote from: twinsfan87 on January 19, 2012, 05:24:40 PM
The Twin Cities definitely has a few candidates, but I think my vote goes to the Crosstown Highway (State Highway 62). Not enough lanes for the traffic, really short merge areas. Mn/DOT did do a fairly good job with the 35W-Crosstown Commons project though.
Honorable mentions include MN 36 and US 169.
Does the short merge area comment still apply after completion of the 35W/62 rebuild? I know once you get away from the interchange you're still stuck with the freeway built by Hennepin County. If you're looking at Twin Cities freeways to give this award to, I'd pick 280.
Yeah, the 35W/62 rebuild addressed some of the more harrowing merge areas, but issues still remain at the cloverleaf interchanges with MN 100 and MN 77 as well as some of the older interchanges to the east of 35W.
After thinking about it some more, maybe I should change my vote to US 169. Way too many access points with lots of traffic, especially the area near I-394. Plus those short "half ramps" which spit you out onto the freeway going about 30 mph and trying to merge with 60+ mph traffic. US 169 has been due for widening and redoing interchanges for way too long...
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on January 19, 2012, 10:39:32 PM
I went through there during the peak of construction and recall a short 35 mph segment where lane shifts on a one-lane section on part of a viaduct occurred. If you didn't follow the speed limit, you risked spearing the end of a jersey barrier.
why, that doesn't sound ugly at all! that's the kind of standard I want the interstate system to hold itself to.
it was like that for at least a year, and it was a rather long segment. it was, effectively, the aesthetic and engineering-marvel antithesis of Glenwood Canyon.
plus, it claimed the last two '57-spec Colorado I-25 shields. why they bothered to replace the signs at some obscure junction that may have been a side street to old US-85/87 in the 1960s, I will never know.
Quote from: twinsfan87 on January 19, 2012, 11:29:40 PM
Yeah, the 35W/62 rebuild addressed some of the more harrowing merge areas, but issues still remain at the cloverleaf interchanges with MN 100 and MN 77 as well as some of the older interchanges to the east of 35W.
After thinking about it some more, maybe I should change my vote to US 169. Way too many access points with lots of traffic, especially the area near I-394. Plus those short "half ramps" which spit you out onto the freeway going about 30 mph and trying to merge with 60+ mph traffic. US 169 has been due for widening and redoing interchanges for way too long...
That 62/77 interchange is awful. I used to commute north on 77 then follow about 60% of the northbound traffic around the loop onto westbound 62. I think this interchange was pushed back in the redesign queue because of talk about moving the MSP terminal to the north side of the airport, which would have rendered any highway improvements along 62 immediately obsolete. Doing a flyover here would take out some homes, though.
What, you don't think Hennepin County built modern freeways in the 1960s?
Well, that tells you how long they're overdue! :P
For Louisiana as a whole, definitely I-110's first three miles or so. Partial exits, left exits, left merges, almost no room to merge even on the right-side merges... if you're going straight through it's exhilarating, but woe be unto you if you actually have to exit onto Business US 61/190 (or anything else along there) for something.
Closer to home, the short stretch of US 190 between I-12 and LA 22 in Mandeville that exists as freeway. It isn't that far behind I-12 or I-10 when it comes to design standard, but post-Katrina truck traffic took the last few years of life it had and drained them away in short order, especially southbound.
Quote from: Darkchylde on January 25, 2012, 02:16:16 AM
Closer to home, the short stretch of US 190 between I-12 and LA 22 in Mandeville that exists as freeway. It isn't that far behind I-12 or I-10 when it comes to design standard, but post-Katrina truck traffic took the last few years of life it had and drained them away in short order, especially southbound.
I swear that current asphalt has been there more than 20 years.
I'd also like to nominate US 190 between downtown Hammond to almost Livingston. Potholes and the road has buckled quite a bit.
Also: nearly every city-owned and county-owned major thoroughfare in Hinds County, Mississippi. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about.
Quote from: brownpelican on January 25, 2012, 09:33:25 AMI swear that current asphalt has been there more than 20 years.
It has. Most of that asphalt was new in the mid to late 80's - the last segment to be paved was the Fairway Drive overpass. 2005 would have been near the end as it was. That section doesn't just need repaved, though, it needs widened like 190 to the north and Causeway Boulevard to the south.
I'm glad they opened Exit 68, so I can avoid that stretch of 190 almost all of the time.
In Austin I nominate FM 2222. US 290 comes in from the east and turns south with I-35. Was originally supposed to be extended west, and instead we have 2222 which winds all over and backs up all over. Has some nice scenic views on the west end of town while it doesn't connect to a logical thru road a block away, and head out to Lakeway on the only artery thru there which, of course, backs up.