Simple: Pick the four most iconic and/or important roads in each state. Can be Interstates, US routes, state routes, turnpikes, parkways, tollways, whatever.
I'll start with Wisconsin:
WI-35 (longest state route and Great River Road)
I-41 (perfect example of the oddities of Wisconsin highways)
US-51 (one of the state's oldest roads, and lies on the Chicago - Northwoods route)
I-94 (connects many major areas of the state and lies on a cross-country route)
For Michigan
M-1: (Woodward Ave) passes near all the major car manufactures in Detroit, as well as at one time a showcase for Detroit Muscle.
I-75: The longest interstate in Michigan and the only road to be in both the Upper and Lower peninsular.
M-8: (The Davision) the first below ground freeway in the world.
I-94: Connect Detroit to Chicago, the oldest sections was built in WWII to serve the defense plants near Willow Run.
Kentucky:
US 60 -- first four-lane road in the state (between Frankfort and Lexington)
Kentucky Turnpike -- later part of I-65, Kentucky's first toll road
Mountain Parkway -- the first toll road built to reach into rural Kentucky and opened up the mountains to easier access
I-64 -- links the state's two largest cities and serves the state capital
My shot at West Virginia:
Corridor L -- the New River Gorge Bridge. Need more be said?
WV Turnpike/I-77 -- vital north-south link
US 60 -- the Midland Trail
WV 251 -- Wheeling Suspension Bridge
Nevada:
-- Las Vegas Boulevard. The Strip, baby. You asked for "iconic".
-- US 93 from downtown Las Vegas to the AZ border, particularly before the construction of the O'Callaghan-Tillman Bridge. The construction of Hoover Dam was the catalyst that turned Las Vegas from a spring-fed oasis and railroad stop in the desert to what it is today. The I-11 alignment is obviously far more efficient but it's missing the "charm" (euphemism there) of the old crawl through Boulder City and across the top of the dam.
-- I-15. Brings in all that money from LA and San Diego, and plenty of Utah money as well.
-- US 50, the so-called Loneliest Road. It isn't really the loneliest but it's a great display of Nevada topography with a few classic old mining towns along the way.
-----
Omitted: I-80, because so much of the traffic is just getting across an empty desert as fast as possible rather than reaching any place in Nevada as a destination, and NV 375, the "Extraterrestrial Highway", which I suppose appeals to a narrow segment of the population in a "cute" way but doesn't really go anywhere that travelers need to go.
Pretty sure we've had this topic (or one very similar) a few times.
Colorado:
I-25: Connects the Front Range Urban Corridor with NM to the south. Connects most of the larger cities, including Ft Collins, Greeley (via US 34), Loveland, Longmont, Boulder (via CO 119, CO 7 & US 36), Denver, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
I-70: Connects Kansas to Denver to most of the major ski resorts (Winter Park via US 40, Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, Vail, Breckenridge via CO 9, Vail, Aspen via CO 82), the highest point on any interstate highway (Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels), Glenwood Canyon, Grand Junction and Utah.
US 550: Million Dollar Hwy through the San Juan mountain range. Iconic Colorado scenery. Connects Montrose to Ouray, Silverton, Durango and New Mexico (assuming there is no wall at the border :D).
Wasn't sure what I would add as the fourth one, so I decided on:
CO 9: Connects US 40 in Kremmling via Middle Park to I-70 in Silverthorne & Frisco to Breckenridge through Hoosier Pass to South Park, ending at US 50 west of Canon City. Good overview of the parks (high mountain valleys) west of the Front Range.
Quote from: froggie on October 25, 2019, 03:55:10 PM
Pretty sure we've had this topic (or one very similar) a few times.
One possible example:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=24432.0
Granted that one was limited to freeways. But carry on if you so desire.
Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project (7.5 miles of Beltway upgrade shared with Maryland)
I-664 and its bridge-tunnel
I-77 thruout
The first two received OCEA awards, 1964 and 2008 respectively. The American Society of Civil Engineers annually recognizes an exemplary civil engineering project as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement.
The CBBTD continues to develop toward having a full 4-lane facility thruout, granted it may be awhile before the northern tunnel is paralleled.
For Idaho:
U.S. 95 - Idaho's only road! Without this, the only way to get from Boise to Lewiston on or off pavement is through an adjacent state.
Idaho 75 - peak Sawtooths, the most impressive scenery in a state chock full of it
Idaho 55 - a slice of everything Idaho has to offer from the potatoes near Marsing to the suburban hell of Eagle to the iconic Rainbow Bridge to McCall, which is the best place in the world.
And most importantly
Interstate 86- it passes through the center of the known universe and is the origin of the true interstate system
Indiana
I-65 - connects the largest city with the Chicago and Louisville metro areas
The National Road (mostly US 40) - first road through the state
Lincoln Highway (mostly US 30) - connects Chicago area to Fort Wayne and other points in Northern Indiana
Michigan Road (mostly US 421 and US 31) - first N/S road in the state
The top 2 in NJ would easily be the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
After that it becomes a huge toss-up. I'd probably just go with I-78 and I-80. The AC Expressway is a great road from Philly to AC, but relatively speaking not all that heavily traveled. 287 & The Pulaski Skyway would be 2 others deserving honorable mentions. Lots of others like that too.
CT is pretty easy:
I-84: Crosses the state from southwest to northeast. Serves Danbury, Waterbury, New Britain, and Hartford. Part of it serves as an inland route between New York and Boston.
I-91: The main North-South interstate. Serves as a direct connection between New Haven and Hartford, plus it serves most traffic bound for Bradley International Airport. Also part of the inland route between New York and Boston.
I-95: The Main Street of the East Coast. Serves the coastal cities and towns of Fairfield and New Haven, plus the beaches of Eastern CT, New London, casino bound traffic from NYC and RI, RI beaches, and parallels the Northeast rail corridor.
CT 15 The Legendary Merritt/Wilbur Cross Parkway, the Berlin Turnpike, and the Charter Oak Bridge are all part of this route. Serves as an alternate for I-95 from Greenwich to New Haven, and an alternate to I-91 from New Haven to Hartford. The Charter Oak is the connection for traffic looking to connect to and from I-91 from the south to I-84 to the east, and is a major link in the Boston-New York inland route. No trucks allowed between Greenwich and Meriden.
Illinois:
I-55. The Mother Road.
The Tri-State Tollway. How long would it have taken to get through the Chicago area before it?
US 51/I-39. Runs the height of the state, down the middle of the state, from Cairo to the Cheddar Curtain.
US 41 in Chicago. Ain't no finer place to be than riding Lake Shore Drive.
A lot of people seem to be going with "most important", but I think it would be more interesting (and more unique compared to past threads) if we stuck with "most iconic".
For Upstate NY, I'll do an iconic blend and pick:
(1) US 20
(2) NY 28
(3) NY 17/I-86
(4) NY 104
Up for debate, of course. Downstate is a whole different animal; not even sure how many Upstate routes would even be included if you factor in Downstate. US 9 hits both.
Quote from: Konza on October 25, 2019, 07:01:53 PM
Illinois:
I-55. The Mother Road.
The Tri-State Tollway. How long would it have taken to get through the Chicago area before it?
US 51/I-39. Runs the height of the state, down the middle of the state, from Cairo to the Cheddar Curtain.
US 41 in Chicago. Ain't no finer place to be than riding Lake Shore Drive.
No E-W routes on IL's Mt Rushmore?...Well I guess I-55, being the US 66 replacement in IL, is very much diagonal and obviously used to be designated E-W
I-90 runs Seattle-Boston via Downtown Chicago
I-80 runs San Fran-NYC via Northern IL.
I-70 (with I-15's help) runs LA-Baltimore&Washington via Southern IL
I could argue all 3 of those should be on the Mt Rushmore of IL Roads, probably with I-55/US 66 as the 4th, connecting all 3 SW-NE from STL/I-70 to CHI/I-90
I like US 51 and live fairly close to it and have all but IL clinched it (only piece missing in IL is where it exits I-39/90 at the Cheddar Curtain in South Beloit to enter Beloit separate from the freeway), but I can't say it is more important nor iconic than the 4 "Primary" Interstates in Illinois
Quote from: Beltway on October 25, 2019, 05:12:05 PM
Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project (7.5 miles of Beltway upgrade shared with Maryland)
I-664 and its bridge-tunnel
I-77 thruout
The first two received OCEA awards, 1964 and 2008 respectively. The American Society of Civil Engineers annually recognizes an exemplary civil engineering project as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement.
The CBBTD continues to develop toward having a full 4-lane facility thruout, granted it may be awhile before the northern tunnel is paralleled.
I'd argue I-81 having more importance in Virginia over I-77. It's apart of the major freight corridor from the mid-south to the northeast (I-10, I-59, I-24, I-75, I-40, I-81), and also from the west to northeast (I-40, I-81), linking multiple major metros & cities, the largest freight corridor in Virginia by far, and links the west / southwest with the three major metros in Virginia - DC, Hampton Roads, and Richmond via connections to I-64 and I-66.
There's also I-95. It's the east coasts "Main Street" , serves all of Virginia's major metros - DC, Richmond, and Hampton Roads via I-64, and links all of the major metropolitan areas from Florida to Maine, and is a semi-important freight corridor, though less so than I-81. I-85 also supplements this carrying traffic to/from a more southwesterly direction.
Since this one is any road (in my case, Ohio)...
1) National Road/US 40
2) 3-C Highway (aka Oh 3)
3) Ohio Turnpike (I-76/80/90)
4) US 23
Quote from: sprjus4 on October 25, 2019, 09:39:53 PM
Quote from: Beltway on October 25, 2019, 05:12:05 PM
Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project (7.5 miles of Beltway upgrade shared with Maryland)
I-664 and its bridge-tunnel
I-77 thruout
I'd argue I-81 having more importance in Virginia over I-77. It's apart of the major freight corridor from the mid-south to the northeast (I-10, I-59, I-24, I-75, I-40, I-81), and also from the west to northeast (I-40, I-81), linking multiple major metros & cities, the largest freight corridor in Virginia by far, and links the west / southwest with the three major metros in Virginia - DC, Hampton Roads, and Richmond via connections to I-64 and I-66.
There's also I-95. It's the east coasts "Main Street" , serves all of Virginia's major metros - DC, Richmond, and Hampton Roads via I-64, and links all of the major metropolitan areas from Florida to Maine, and is a semi-important freight corridor, though less so than I-81. I-85 also supplements this carrying traffic to/from a more southwesterly direction.
Mine was more facility oriented, and in keeping with that I probably should have only cited the I-77 tunnels and Fancy Gap.
"Pick the four most iconic and/or important roads in each state."
Plus the "Mount Rushmore" illustration.
I would agree that taken in entirety a whole corridor would have high importance (325 miles of I-81, 182 miles of I-95), plus they have their own highlight sections.
The rest of New England:
MA: I-90, I-93, I-95, I-495 (honorable mention to US 6)
ME: I-95, US 1, ME 9, ME 11
NH: I-89, I-93, US 3, NH 101
RI: I-95, US 1, US 6, RI 138 (I considered 195, but it's mostly in MA)
VT: I-89, I-91, US 7, VT 100
Quote from: jp the roadgeekNH: I-89, I-93, US 3, NH 101
VT: I-89, I-91, US 7, VT 100
For pure importance, yes. But your list totally misses the iconicness of NH 112, US 2 (itself an important route), US 302, and VT 108.
My version of Iowa:
1. I-80: The major east-west route across Iowa
2. Lincoln Highway: Not to be confused with US 30, which it overlaps at various points. The original highway across America
3. US 20: The major east-west route across northern Iowa. Also almost entirely not on its original route
4. I-35: The major north-south route through Iowa
In terms of being scenic for California:
CA 1: In particular Big Sur but there are so many great segments like; the North Coast Highway, San Francisco Peninsula and the Coast along the Santa Monica Mountains.
CA 49: Almost nothing but pure Gold Rush era communities with some kick ass driving segments like the Merced River Canyon.
US 395: El Camino Sierra from the Nevada State Line south to CA 14 has nothing but huge vistas of the Eastern Sierras.
CA 18: The Rim of the Highway, Big Bear and Mojave Desert are all highlights on CA 18.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 26, 2019, 12:36:02 AM
In terms of being scenic for California:
CA 1: In particular Big Sur but there are so many great segments like; the North Coast Highway, San Francisco Peninsula and the Coast along the Santa Monica Mountains.
CA 49: Almost nothing but pure Gold Rush era communities with some kick ass driving segments like the Merced River Canyon.
US 395: El Camino Sierra from the Nevada State Line south to CA 14 has nothing but huge vistas of the Eastern Sierras.
CA 18: The Rim of the Highway, Big Bear and Mojave Desert are all highlights on CA 18.
That's OK for scenery but for "iconic" in California I'd only include CA 1 from that list.
The others would be:
-- US 101, El Camino Real going back to the missionary days. The Hollywood Freeway portion is one of the early contributors to the suburban sprawl of the LA area, connecting downtown to the San Fernando Valley...now that's "iconic".
-- US 99, the traditional spine of the state.
-- As an east-west, probably US 40, traversing the Sierra over Donner Pass along the general line of the Transcontinental Railroad, passing through the state capital and finally crossing the Bay Bridge and terminating in San Francisco. There's also an argument for US 66, thinking back to Tom Joad leading his family of Okies out of the Dust Bowl to the Promised Land.
New York: I-87, I-90, NY 17
New Jersey: I-95, Garden State Parkway
Connecticut: I-95, I-84, I-91, CT 15
Rhode Island: I-95
Massachusetts: I-90, I-95
Pennsylvania: I-76, I-476, I-80
Delaware: DE 1, US 13
Maryland: I-95, I-70, US 50
How about MA 2?
Quote from: dgolub on October 26, 2019, 08:08:08 AM
New York: I-87, I-90, NY 17
New Jersey: I-95, Garden State Parkway
Connecticut: I-95, I-84, I-91, CT 15
Rhode Island: I-95
Massachusetts: I-90, I-95
Pennsylvania: I-76, I-476, I-80
Delaware: DE 1, US 13
Maryland: I-95, I-70, US 50
What? Reread the 1st sentence of the OP.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2019, 09:11:43 AM
Quote from: dgolub on October 26, 2019, 08:08:08 AM
New York: I-87, I-90, NY 17
New Jersey: I-95, Garden State Parkway
Connecticut: I-95, I-84, I-91, CT 15
Rhode Island: I-95
Massachusetts: I-90, I-95
Pennsylvania: I-76, I-476, I-80
Delaware: DE 1, US 13
Maryland: I-95, I-70, US 50
What? Reread the 1st sentence of the OP.
Simple: Pick the four most iconic and/
or important roads,in each state. Can be
Interstates, US routes, state routes, turnpikes, parkways, tollways, whatever.
Oklahoma:
Route 66 - No explanation needed.
Turner Turnpike - First turnpike in the state (1953), and the beginning of the end for Route 66.
Talimena Drive - SH-1 in the mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, a National Scenic Byway.
SH-3 - Notable for its length, 615 miles from the Panhandle to the far southeast corner of the state.
SM-T580
Quote from: gonealookin on October 26, 2019, 01:07:58 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 26, 2019, 12:36:02 AM
In terms of being scenic for California:
CA 1: In particular Big Sur but there are so many great segments like; the North Coast Highway, San Francisco Peninsula and the Coast along the Santa Monica Mountains.
CA 49: Almost nothing but pure Gold Rush era communities with some kick ass driving segments like the Merced River Canyon.
US 395: El Camino Sierra from the Nevada State Line south to CA 14 has nothing but huge vistas of the Eastern Sierras.
CA 18: The Rim of the Highway, Big Bear and Mojave Desert are all highlights on CA 18.
That's OK for scenery but for "iconic" in California I'd only include CA 1 from that list.
The others would be:
-- US 101, El Camino Real going back to the missionary days. The Hollywood Freeway portion is one of the early contributors to the suburban sprawl of the LA area, connecting downtown to the San Fernando Valley...now that's "iconic".
-- US 99, the traditional spine of the state.
-- As an east-west, probably US 40, traversing the Sierra over Donner Pass along the general line of the Transcontinental Railroad, passing through the state capital and finally crossing the Bay Bridge and terminating in San Francisco. There's also an argument for US 66, thinking back to Tom Joad leading his family of Okies out of the Dust Bowl to the Promised Land.
From the purely iconic sense it's hard to beat US 66, US 99, US 101 and a toss up between US 40 or CA 1. I think there are several more highways that are right up there for consideration:
- The Lincoln Highway was the forerunner to US 40 and US 50. The North Lincoln Highway followed much closer to the historic Donner Pass route via the Dutch Flat & Donner Lake Road. The South Lincoln Highway followed the historical Lake Tahoe Wagon Road over Johnson pass...granted Cave Rock might have been enough to push this into the top four if it wasn't over the State Line.
- US 50 almost never gets brought up in these discussions but it has been around since the start of the US Route era. US 50 was aligned over much of the same path of the South Lincoln Highway, especially when it was extended to the Bay Area.
- I'd almost divorce El Camino Real from current US 101. The original route was a Spanish Trail between all the Missions whereas the American iteration was arguably one of the first Auto Trails.
- The Old Ridge Route while a component of US 99 is probably one of the most talked about and revered segments of Highway ever in California. I do think it's historical significance is overblown a little considering the Stockton-Los Angeles Road blazed a path in the same area first but it definitely made automotive trail way easier.
- US 80 and US 395 had some huge significance in their own way. Much of US 395 while rural was promoted as El Camino Sierra and really brought the eastern Sierras onto the map. US 80 essentially was Main Street of San Diego and really the Sonoran Desert since there wasn't a US 60 or even an Auto Trail to the North well into the 1930s. The Old Plank Road is on fringe tied to the backstory of US 80.
For Arizona here are four iconic highways:
- For obvious reasons US 66, any trip to Oatman or any town that was on the route will illustrate why.
- US 80 was the most important and traveled US Route in Arizona. The historic route is finally getting signed through the State.
- US 89 connected the entire State in a north/south orientation and had two Alternates. US 89A is signed as a historic highway in the Verde Valley Area
- AZ 88 for its huge significance historically with the Salt River Project and continued draw as a dirt canyon climbing highway.
New Jersey- Interstate 78, The Garden State Parkway, NJ Turnpike, and US 40.
Florida: Florida Turnpike, I-75, and US 319.
Texas: I-14, and I-27
Alabama: I-22
Mississippi: I-22
Pennsylvania: PA Turnpike, I-84, and I-99 (not its number, but the road itself)
Missouri:
Route 66/I-44. It follows to Old Wire Road from St. Louis to Springfield.
I-70/US-40: Connects three of the four largest cities in the state, follows to Missouri River.
US-65: How else would you get to Branson? Is also the route that hits (or gets close to) most of SW Missouri's various Reservoirs.
MO-19: One of the state's most crooked and scenic roads.
I'll do Utah:
US 89: Longest numbered highway in the state and gives you a little bit of almost everything Utah has to offer, including southern Utah's national parks and red rocks, central Utah farm country, the Wasatch Front urban area, and some classic northern Utah mountains.
Utah 12: Absolutely unbeatable scenic road. The Escalante-Boulder section is especially awesome.
Interstate 70: Passes through the San Rafael Swell in what might be the most scenic stretch of Interstate that's not Glenwood Canyon. The mountain sections over Emigrant Pass and Clear Creek Summit are not to be forgotten either.
US 163: Monument Valley has to be on this list.
Michigan I'll go with
I-75
M-1
US-23
US-2
Quote from: sprjus4 on October 26, 2019, 09:13:37 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2019, 09:11:43 AM
Quote from: dgolub on October 26, 2019, 08:08:08 AM
New York: I-87, I-90, NY 17
New Jersey: I-95, Garden State Parkway
Connecticut: I-95, I-84, I-91, CT 15
Rhode Island: I-95
Massachusetts: I-90, I-95
Pennsylvania: I-76, I-476, I-80
Delaware: DE 1, US 13
Maryland: I-95, I-70, US 50
What? Reread the 1st sentence of the OP.
Simple: Pick the four most iconic and/or important roads In each state. Can be Interstates, US routes, state routes, turnpikes, parkways, tollways, whatever.
In all but 1 case, only 1, 2 or 3 roads were selected. Remember also: Mt. RUSHMORE has 4 presidents, thus the reason for this exercise.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 26, 2019, 10:28:02 AM
Missouri:
Route 66/I-44. It follows to Old Wire Road from St. Louis to Springfield.
I-70/US-40: Connects three of the four largest cities in the state, follows to Missouri River.
US-65: How else would you get to Branson? Is also the route that hits (or gets close to) most of SW Missouri's various Reservoirs.
MO-19: One of the state's most crooked and scenic roads.
I would mostly agree with your list. However, I might choose US-54 over US-65 since it connects the state capital and I-70 to Mis-Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks (and goes to my hometown of Mexico). ;-)
I also might include as honorable mentions....MO-76 (famous as "The Strip" in Branson, at least), MO-94 (scenic road along the Missouri River through Missouri Wine Country), MO-79 (scenic road along the Mississippi River from I-70 to historic Hannibal), and more local roads such as Kansas Avenue in Marceline (since it inspired Main Street USA at Disneyland and other Disney parks around the world), Market Street in St. Louis (major parade route with a nice view of the Gateway Arch), and Main Street in Kansas City (which connects downtown to The Plaza).
iPad Pro
Quote from: US 89 on October 26, 2019, 10:55:31 AM
I'll do Utah:
US 89: Longest numbered highway in the state and gives you a little bit of almost everything Utah has to offer, including southern Utah's national parks and red rocks, central Utah farm country, the Wasatch Front urban area, and some classic northern Utah mountains.
Utah 12: Absolutely unbeatable scenic road. The Escalante-Boulder section is especially awesome.
Interstate 70: Passes through the San Rafael Swell in what might be the most scenic stretch of Interstate that's not Glenwood Canyon. The mountain sections over Emigrant Pass and Clear Creek Summit are not to be forgotten either.
US 163: Monument Valley has to be on this list.
What about I-15? I know beating I-70 in the Swell is hard with the scenery but the River Gorge is right up there. I-15 definitely has more significance in terms of flowing traffic and is one of the few corridors (the Virgin River Gorge specifically) that beats the previous US Route for charm, scenery and fun.
Personally I prefer the Moki Dugway over US 163 but it is hard to argue the latter is way more of a draw. UT 9 and UT 24 are pretty top tier State Highways behind UT 12.
I feel like with the rules stated, South Dakota isn't supposed to get a list, but I'll make one anyway.
I-90: connects the two largest cities in the state. (Also the site of three of the five currently proposed future DDIs, but that's another topic.)
US 83: Despite not being an Interstate, it connects the state capital of Pierre on a straight line to the Interstate system. (In my opinion, it should be considered as a future Interstate corridor.)
US 16, US 16A, and SD 244: Listed as one item because they all make up the route between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore. The Keystone Wye is pretty interesting too. But if this isn't allowed, then US 16 is the main item for this slot.
SD 50: Connects two of the ten largest cities in the state- and the largest university in the state- to the Interstate system.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 26, 2019, 02:25:04 PM
Quote from: US 89 on October 26, 2019, 10:55:31 AM
I'll do Utah:
US 89: Longest numbered highway in the state and gives you a little bit of almost everything Utah has to offer, including southern Utah's national parks and red rocks, central Utah farm country, the Wasatch Front urban area, and some classic northern Utah mountains.
Utah 12: Absolutely unbeatable scenic road. The Escalante-Boulder section is especially awesome.
Interstate 70: Passes through the San Rafael Swell in what might be the most scenic stretch of Interstate that's not Glenwood Canyon. The mountain sections over Emigrant Pass and Clear Creek Summit are not to be forgotten either.
US 163: Monument Valley has to be on this list.
What about I-15? I know beating I-70 in the Swell is hard with the scenery but the River Gorge is right up there. I-15 definitely has more significance in terms of flowing traffic and is one of the few corridors (the Virgin River Gorge specifically) that beats the previous US Route for charm, scenery and fun.
Personally I prefer the Moki Dugway over US 163 but it is hard to argue the latter is way more of a draw. UT 9 and UT 24 are pretty top tier State Highways behind UT 12.
I'll agree that I-15 is a much more important route for Utah than I-70 is, but the Virgin River Gorge is in Arizona and most of the highway in Utah is not that unique. You can experience Utah pretty well without necessarily using a lot of I-15 (unless fully experiencing Utah includes sitting in Salt Lake traffic). Put it this way: everything 15 does in Utah, 89 does better.
I feel like the Dugway is one of those things that a lot of people don't know about and so it winds up being more of a backroad only visited by road enthusiasts and people familiar with the area.
Louisiana:
LA 1- Longest state Highway from northern border to the coast. Lots of miles for a small state - over 400. While the only major/large city it serves is Shreveport, you can see the state capitol building from across the river.
I-10 - Major transportation corridor for the Gulf Coast and pretty darn busy inter regional highway for all the large cities it covers: Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell. Swampy scenic highway you won't see the likes of on many other interstates and the infrastructure of bridges alone is unmatched. Passes by some Louisiana iconics: State Capitol building (tallest one in the 50 states I think), LSU Stadium, the pumps of New Orleans, and the French Quarter. I think you can see the Quarter from 10, if not, it has its own exit (in French!)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway- longest over water bridge in the world.
LA 6 - Part of the Camino Real and major highway through Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana (1714). The original alignment downtown is very historic and looks like the French architecture in New Orleans.
iPhone
Quote from: roadman65 on October 26, 2019, 10:17:48 AM
Florida: Florida Turnpike, I-75, and US 319.
I'm not sure how I would see US 319 as iconic or important. If you want iconic, I would suggest FL A1A and US 1 (Overseas Highway portion especially).
North Carolina:
I-40/I-95/Blue Ridge Parkway/NC-12
Quote from: m2tbone on October 26, 2019, 12:49:33 PM
I also might include as honorable mentions....MO-76 (famous as "The Strip" in Branson, at least),
...That doesn't run through the "strip" anymore... (http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_de78b4ec-f1cf-11e9-911f-e71e85727f0c.html)
Quote from: dlsterner on October 26, 2019, 11:56:49 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on October 26, 2019, 10:17:48 AM
Florida: Florida Turnpike, I-75, and US 319.
I'm not sure how I would see US 319 as iconic or important. If you want iconic, I would suggest FL A1A and US 1 (Overseas Highway portion especially).
I would say the following for Florida:
- US 1 on the Overseas Highway by a large margin given how unique it is through the island hopping alignment.
- A1A given it is often thought of the east coast analog to CA 1.
- Florida's Turnpike given it essentially is the main highway through the center of the state and carries some significant non-Interstate history.
- US 41 on the Tamiami Trail was hugely important way before I-75 south of Tampa was a concept. The feat of engineering that got US 94 through the Everglades alone is way more significant historically because it blazed the path for Alligator Alley and a direct highway connection from Tampa to Miami.
Quote from: planxtymcgillicuddy on October 27, 2019, 12:03:41 AM
North Carolina:
I-40/I-95/Blue Ridge Parkway/NC-12
Not sure if I would call I-95 "iconic" in NC. its quite a boring ride...
but I would add US 74 to the list. it encompasses a great road to the coast, the Smoky Mtn Expressway, and US 74A between Shelby and Asheville is an incredible drive.
Quote from: fillup420 on October 27, 2019, 08:06:33 AM
Quote from: planxtymcgillicuddy on October 27, 2019, 12:03:41 AM
North Carolina:
I-40/I-95/Blue Ridge Parkway/NC-12
Not sure if I would call I-95 "iconic" in NC. its quite a boring ride...
but I would add US 74 to the list. it encompasses a great road to the coast, the Smoky Mtn Expressway, and US 74A between Shelby and Asheville is an incredible drive.
I-95 is likely in the importance category, this thread isn't specifically iconic roads, it's also important roads.
Quote from: bassoon1986 on October 26, 2019, 09:57:11 PM
Louisiana:
LA 1- Longest state Highway from northern border to the coast. Lots of miles for a small state - over 400. While the only major/large city it serves is Shreveport, you can see the state capitol building from across the river.
I-10 - Major transportation corridor for the Gulf Coast and pretty darn busy inter regional highway for all the large cities it covers: Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell. Swampy scenic highway you won't see the likes of on many other interstates and the infrastructure of bridges alone is unmatched. Passes by some Louisiana iconics: State Capitol building (tallest one in the 50 states I think), LSU Stadium, the pumps of New Orleans, and the French Quarter. I think you can see the Quarter from 10, if not, it has its own exit (in French!)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway- longest over water bridge in the world.
LA 6 - Part of the Camino Real and major highway through Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana (1714). The original alignment downtown is very historic and looks like the French architecture in New Orleans.
iPhone
I never would have thought about LA 6. It makes sense now after your explanation.
I would have put your other 3 choices & US 80 on my Mt Rushmore. US 80 is fairly unaltered except for a few bridge replacements and 2 route adjustments through Tremont Bottoms & Russell Sage wildlife area.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on October 27, 2019, 12:13:55 AM
Quote from: m2tbone on October 26, 2019, 12:49:33 PM
I also might include as honorable mentions....MO-76 (famous as "The Strip" in Branson, at least),
...That doesn't run through the "strip" anymore... (http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_de78b4ec-f1cf-11e9-911f-e71e85727f0c.html)
I'll accept that as fact when Google Maps updates it, or when I go down there and see the new signage, whichever comes first.
Quote from: X99 on October 27, 2019, 02:52:52 PM
I'll accept that as fact when Google Maps updates it, or when I go down there and see the new signage, whichever comes first.
I
never trust route designations on Google Maps. There are a lot of long-decommissioned routes that still appear on their maps for whatever reason, and they've jumped the gun on several recent interstate changes like I-11 and I-880. They also once randomly moved US 189 to an old alignment through northern Utah.
Quote from: US 89 on October 27, 2019, 04:07:31 PM
Quote from: X99 on October 27, 2019, 02:52:52 PM
I'll accept that as fact when Google Maps updates it, or when I go down there and see the new signage, whichever comes first.
I never trust route designations on Google Maps. There are a lot of long-decommissioned routes that still appear on their maps for whatever reason, and they've jumped the gun on several recent interstate changes like I-11 and I-880. They also once randomly moved US 189 to an old alignment through northern Utah.
And they place highway designations that were never more than paper concepts like CA 179 and CA 122. Google is absolute garbage for accuracy in rural areas. They seemed to have fallen way off in terms of actually mapping roadways in Street View. I even recently encountered one of the legs of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway which Google didn't even have existing; Forest Route 10 on Forest Road 6S10X.
Kansas:
I-70/US 40: Over Four Hundred miles of America's Main Street. The part of Kansas that most visitors see.
The Kansas Turnpike: Connects the state capital with its two largest metropolitan areas.
US 54: The main drag of the state's largest city. If Wichita is the Emerald City, US 54 is its Yellow Brick Road.
K-177: The scenic route through Kansas' most scenic area, the Flint Hills.
Quote from: cjk374 on October 27, 2019, 11:41:43 AM
Quote from: bassoon1986 on October 26, 2019, 09:57:11 PM
Louisiana:
LA 1- Longest state Highway from northern border to the coast. Lots of miles for a small state - over 400. While the only major/large city it serves is Shreveport, you can see the state capitol building from across the river.
I-10 - Major transportation corridor for the Gulf Coast and pretty darn busy inter regional highway for all the large cities it covers: Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell. Swampy scenic highway you won't see the likes of on many other interstates and the infrastructure of bridges alone is unmatched. Passes by some Louisiana iconics: State Capitol building (tallest one in the 50 states I think), LSU Stadium, the pumps of New Orleans, and the French Quarter. I think you can see the Quarter from 10, if not, it has its own exit (in French!)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway- longest over water bridge in the world.
LA 6 - Part of the Camino Real and major highway through Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana (1714). The original alignment downtown is very historic and looks like the French architecture in New Orleans.
iPhone
I never would have thought about LA 6. It makes sense now after your explanation.
I would have put your other 3 choices & US 80 on my Mt Rushmore. US 80 is fairly unaltered except for a few bridge replacements and 2 route adjustments through Tremont Bottoms & Russell Sage wildlife area.
My variation on Louisiana would be...
Airline Hwy (Huey Long's signature road project)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway
I-10 causeway between Baton Rouge & Lafayette
The underground garage for Harrah's casino (because that was the only part of the Riverfront Expwy in New Orleans that was ever built)
Quote from: planxtymcgillicuddy on October 27, 2019, 12:03:41 AM
North Carolina:
I-40/I-95/Blue Ridge Parkway/NC-12
I'd have to disagree with I-95 being important or iconic for NC, for most of us I-95 is an afterthought and it doesn't serve very much of the state's population, seeing a lot of thru traffic through the state. I'd probably have put I-85 instead, due to it linking most of our major metro areas and being a pretty important route for most.
Iconic and important - I will argue - are very different!
Iconic for Jersey - the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are obviously state icons. I'll argue for two lesser ones, though, for their historic value...
- the Pulaski Skyway, a literal landmark and one of the first "superhighways" in the country.
- The LINCOLN HIGHWAY - now a few different routes in NJ, but we can pull out US 1, famous for many reasons, including it (and its US 9 concurrency) being the site of the first cloverleaf interchange.
Pennsylvania - four most iconic:
1. PA Turnpike - "America's First Superhighway"
2. US 30 - Lincoln Highway
3. US 22
4. US 6 across the Northern Tier
I don't think anyone has done Nevada so here goes:
- The Lincoln Highway has a huge following in Nevada and was the first true automotive road across the state.
- US 50 gets a lot of interest for the Loneliest Road section but I'd argue that the route through Cave Rock carries a ton of significance which also ties back to the South Lincoln Highway.
- US 93/US 466 from Boulder City to Hoover Dam was hugely iconic in it's time and still is a big draw as NV 172.
- Las Vegas Boulevard (US 91/US 466) for obvious reasons given the southeast part of the state really grew up around gambling.
I don't think WA is done yet, so here are the top four:
I-5: The West Coast's Main Street
I-82: Shortcut from Seattle to Salt Lake/Denver
I-90: The longest 2di ends in Seattle
WA 99: Historic N-S route through the state that was taken over by I-5, but still exists in Seattle-Tacoma area, including historic Alaskan Way viaduct and its tunnel replacement
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 09:37:59 AM
- The Lincoln Highway has a huge following in Nevada
Even east of Ely? :poke:
Quote from: US 89 on October 28, 2019, 10:24:53 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 09:37:59 AM
- The Lincoln Highway has a huge following in Nevada
Even east of Ely? :poke:
Probably depends if you're heading towards Dugway on the earliest alignment or West Wendover on the later alignment. Didn't the Lincoln Highway Association just do the replica 1919 military convoy on the early Dugway alignment?
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on October 27, 2019, 10:41:08 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on October 27, 2019, 11:41:43 AM
Quote from: bassoon1986 on October 26, 2019, 09:57:11 PM
Louisiana:
LA 1- Longest state Highway from northern border to the coast. Lots of miles for a small state - over 400. While the only major/large city it serves is Shreveport, you can see the state capitol building from across the river.
I-10 - Major transportation corridor for the Gulf Coast and pretty darn busy inter regional highway for all the large cities it covers: Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell. Swampy scenic highway you won't see the likes of on many other interstates and the infrastructure of bridges alone is unmatched. Passes by some Louisiana iconics: State Capitol building (tallest one in the 50 states I think), LSU Stadium, the pumps of New Orleans, and the French Quarter. I think you can see the Quarter from 10, if not, it has its own exit (in French!)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway- longest over water bridge in the world.
LA 6 - Part of the Camino Real and major highway through Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana (1714). The original alignment downtown is very historic and looks like the French architecture in New Orleans.
iPhone
I never would have thought about LA 6. It makes sense now after your explanation.
I would have put your other 3 choices & US 80 on my Mt Rushmore. US 80 is fairly unaltered except for a few bridge replacements and 2 route adjustments through Tremont Bottoms & Russell Sage wildlife area.
My variation on Louisiana would be...
Airline Hwy (Huey Long's signature road project)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway/Tollway
I-10 causeway between Baton Rouge & Lafayette
The underground garage for Harrah's casino (because that was the only part of the Riverfront Expwy in New Orleans that was ever built)
I like your choices and cjk374 on US 80, too. That was another historic one. Dixie Overland Hwy.
iPhone
Texas:
With as many roads to choose from as TX has, one person's 4-on-Rushmore could be different from someone else's. Here goes nothin'...
* I-35. Has to be on a TX list, with many of the state's big metros, seemingly endless construction, and always attracts lots of traffic and phenomenal economic growth.
* I-10. Connects several TX metros, spans almost all climate and geographic landforms in the state, and where else would you see an Exit 880?
* Route 66. Yes, it was largely supplanted by I-40 in TX, but still is an attraction for travelers and history buffs alike.
* TX 21/TX OSR. Maybe not what many would choose, but it still deserves a place at the table in some way. The Old San Antonio Road was one of the original organized paths/roads in the state, leading to the earliest Spanish/French colonizations and the beginnings of American/European settlement in what would become Texas. Nacogdoches, the oldest town in the state, was founded along the road in 1779.
For CA:
(1a) I-5, for obvious reasons; main N-S artery, LA's & SD's arguable "main street", longest, yadda yadda........but--
(1b) US 101, mainstay of much of CA from coast to about 40-50 miles inland north of LA, including Bay Area.
(2) I-15; it serves as the collector from several routes coming in from the east (I-40, I-70) and distributes it to
greater L.A. and, since the '80's, S.D.
(3) CA 99 (and its US predecessor) -- former main N-S artery, still major regional server and commercial conduit.
Honorable mention: I-10 (L.A.-Southern Tier), I-40/CA 58 combination (commercial artery, historical "dust bowl" emigration route as US 66 & 466), I-80 (and old US 40) -- how lots of folks got into the northern part of the state and how they got around once here.
Quote from: -- US 175 -- on October 28, 2019, 03:25:24 PM
* I-35. Has to be on a TX list, with many of the state's big metros, seemingly endless construction, and always attracts lots of traffic and phenomenal economic growth.
I-35 is also a major freight corridor that links to Laredo, the largest Mexico-United States truck gateway by far.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 11:36:00 AM
Quote from: US 89 on October 28, 2019, 10:24:53 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 09:37:59 AM
- The Lincoln Highway has a huge following in Nevada
Even east of Ely? :poke:
Probably depends if you’re heading towards Dugway on the earliest alignment or West Wendover on the later alignment. Didn’t the Lincoln Highway Association just do the replica 1919 military convoy on the early Dugway alignment?
Not quite, because a good portion of the original Lincoln Highway alignment is completely closed to the public on the Dugway military grounds. It looks like the replica convoy connected from Dugway to Fish Springs on the Pony Express road (https://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/tour/2019/map/), which is a bit south of the original Lincoln routing but still is a pretty good approximation of the 1919 route.
Point being, how many people drive across the Utah desert on shitty roads just to follow the Lincoln Highway? I feel like most Lincoln followers in Nevada would favor the later 93/Alt 93 routing up to Wendover.
Quote from: sprjus4 on October 28, 2019, 05:06:58 PM
Quote from: -- US 175 -- on October 28, 2019, 03:25:24 PM
* I-35. Has to be on a TX list, with many of the state's big metros, seemingly endless construction, and always attracts lots of traffic and phenomenal economic growth.
I-35 is also a major freight corridor that links to Laredo, the largest Mexico-United States truck gateway by far.
You'd have to give at least some consideration to I-45, which connects the state's two largest metro areas and continues to the Gulf. Not sure The Mother Road is as important in Texas as it is in at least five of the other states it crosses.
I'll do Maryland:
US-50/301 Chesapeake Bay Bridge- The most important bridge in the entire state is arguably also the worst bottleneck.
I-95/I-495 Capital Beltway- Circles the Nation's Capital and carry's the main street of the east coast(I-95)
I-695 Baltimore Beltway- Circles Maryland's biggest city
I-68 or I-70- Gotta give Western Maryland some love too!
Quote from: US 89 on October 28, 2019, 05:45:50 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 11:36:00 AM
Quote from: US 89 on October 28, 2019, 10:24:53 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2019, 09:37:59 AM
- The Lincoln Highway has a huge following in Nevada
Even east of Ely? :poke:
Probably depends if you're heading towards Dugway on the earliest alignment or West Wendover on the later alignment. Didn't the Lincoln Highway Association just do the replica 1919 military convoy on the early Dugway alignment?
Not quite, because a good portion of the original Lincoln Highway alignment is completely closed to the public on the Dugway military grounds. It looks like the replica convoy connected from Dugway to Fish Springs on the Pony Express road (https://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/tour/2019/map/), which is a bit south of the original Lincoln routing but still is a pretty good approximation of the 1919 route.
Point being, how many people drive across the Utah desert on shitty roads just to follow the Lincoln Highway? I feel like most Lincoln followers in Nevada would favor the later 93/Alt 93 routing up to Wendover.
Off-road/overland enthusiasts would likely be interested if the original alignment was open through the Dugway Proving Ground. I'm surprised that the convey route avoided so much of the original routes looking at the map they published..granted it was more of a ceremonial emulation as opposed to original convoy trying to prove cross-country travel was viable. Speaking for myself I've done a couple historic highway alignments through the desert that took 3-5 days to complete in a proper vehicle. Trips like that tend to be way more of a thrill ride over driving around on even the most haggard paved roads. Definitely not mainstream by any measure but it definitely has it's demographic. Even highways like US 66 in California have purists (usually the National Old Trails Road people) that insist on driving any available rail frontage road that's accessible out in the Mojave. Even the Lincoln Highway crowd here in California tends to seek out as many early alignments of the highway as possible (myself included as a somewhat frequent contributor on the Facebook groups).
Quote from: Konza on October 28, 2019, 05:48:42 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on October 28, 2019, 05:06:58 PM
Quote from: -- US 175 -- on October 28, 2019, 03:25:24 PM
* I-35. Has to be on a TX list, with many of the state's big metros, seemingly endless construction, and always attracts lots of traffic and phenomenal economic growth.
I-35 is also a major freight corridor that links to Laredo, the largest Mexico-United States truck gateway by far.
You'd have to give at least some consideration to I-45, which connects the state's two largest metro areas and continues to the Gulf.
I did consider it, but I guess I didn't want the list to look like it was all about interstates, as there are so many other roads to consider in TX. Guess it's more difficult to whittle a list like this down to 4.
QuoteNot sure The Mother Road is as important in Texas as it is in at least five of the other states it crosses.
Sure, definitely a point with TX having the second-shortest Route 66 mileage. I guess it's good that Mount Rushmore profiles people and not roads 😉
My take on Michigan would be:
I-75
M-1
M-28
M-119
For Ohio
I-80
I-75
I-71
US-35
For Indiana
I-80
I-69
I-65
US-31
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 03, 2019, 08:42:57 AM
For Indiana
I-80
I-69
I-70
I-65
US-31
FTFY
Only other one I would consider, for historical purposes, is the old Dixie Highway
Quote from: ilpt4u on November 03, 2019, 12:22:29 PM
I-80
Indiana Toll Road
I-69
I-65
US-31
FTFY
What is the significance of I-80 over 90? If anything, I would argue that 90 is more iconic because it is the entirety of the Toll Road.
Quote from: thspfc on November 03, 2019, 07:28:18 PM
Quote from: ilpt4u on November 03, 2019, 12:22:29 PM
I-80
Indiana Toll Road
I-69
I-65
US-31
FTFY
What is the significance of I-80 over 90? If anything, I would argue that 90 is more iconic because it is the entirety of the Toll Road.
Once they split @ Lake Station, I-80/94 has higher traffic counts over the rest of the Toll Road leading to the Skyway
I would leave I-80>I-90 in Indiana
Arizona:
I-17: Arizona's 2DI intrastate interstate, connecting Phoenix with Flagstaff. Major shift in elevation, scenery and culture.
I-15: Arizona's 2DI pene-enclave, basically only accessible by car through Utah or Nevada. Beautiful drive through the rugged Virgin River Gorge
US 191: Over one mile gain in elevation, 400+ slow curves, traversing some of the most remote terrain in the USA along with one of the largest copper mines in the world.
AZ-64: Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 03, 2019, 11:21:32 PM
Arizona:
I-17: Arizona's 2DI intrastate interstate, connecting Phoenix with Flagstaff. Major shift in elevation, scenery and culture.
I-15: Arizona's 2DI pene-enclave, basically only accessible by car through Utah or Nevada. Beautiful drive through the rugged Virgin River Gorge
US 191: Over one mile gain in elevation, 400+ slow curves, traversing some of the most remote terrain in the USA along with one of the largest copper mines in the world.
AZ-64: Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
But iconic? As important as I-17 is it's path was blazed by a combination of AZ 69 and US 89. US 91 was the least impactful of the US Routes in Arizona and I-15 doesn't even touch a segment of Arizona that isn't separated from the rest of the state by the Colorado River. US 191 maybe gets in by the infamy of US 666 and the beast that is the Coronado Trail. Most people don't think of AZ 64 when it comes to the Grand Canyon, they think of US 66...even though it was a fair bit to the south.
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 03, 2019, 11:21:32 PM
Arizona:
I-17: Arizona's 2DI intrastate interstate, connecting Phoenix with Flagstaff. Major shift in elevation, scenery and culture.
I-15: Arizona's 2DI pene-enclave, basically only accessible by car through Utah or Nevada. Beautiful drive through the rugged Virgin River Gorge
US 191: Over one mile gain in elevation, 400+ slow curves, traversing some of the most remote terrain in the USA along with one of the largest copper mines in the world.
AZ-64: Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
I'd take out I-17 from that list and put in AZ 89A. Awesome and historic drive through the Oak Creek Canyon and Jerome area.
Quote from: US 89 on November 03, 2019, 11:39:07 PM
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 03, 2019, 11:21:32 PM
Arizona:
I-17: Arizona's 2DI intrastate interstate, connecting Phoenix with Flagstaff. Major shift in elevation, scenery and culture.
I-15: Arizona's 2DI pene-enclave, basically only accessible by car through Utah or Nevada. Beautiful drive through the rugged Virgin River Gorge
US 191: Over one mile gain in elevation, 400+ slow curves, traversing some of the most remote terrain in the USA along with one of the largest copper mines in the world.
AZ-64: Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
I'd take out I-17 from that list and put in AZ 89A. Awesome and historic drive through the Oak Creek Canyon and Jerome area.
That's why I had US 89 on my list. AZ 89A was US 89A and even has a signed historic segment. The other US 89A through the Vermilion Cliffs is another top level scenic road. Either way all of these roads owe their existence to US 89.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 03, 2019, 11:46:26 PM
Quote from: US 89 on November 03, 2019, 11:39:07 PM
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 03, 2019, 11:21:32 PM
Arizona:
I-17: Arizona's 2DI intrastate interstate, connecting Phoenix with Flagstaff. Major shift in elevation, scenery and culture.
I-15: Arizona's 2DI pene-enclave, basically only accessible by car through Utah or Nevada. Beautiful drive through the rugged Virgin River Gorge
US 191: Over one mile gain in elevation, 400+ slow curves, traversing some of the most remote terrain in the USA along with one of the largest copper mines in the world.
AZ-64: Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
I'd take out I-17 from that list and put in AZ 89A. Awesome and historic drive through the Oak Creek Canyon and Jerome area.
That's why I had US 89 on my list. AZ 89A was US 89A and even has a signed historic segment. The other US 89A through the Vermilion Cliffs is another top level scenic road. Either way all of these roads owe their existence to US 89.
Let me preface my response by saying I based my decision on current routes of 2019, not former routes that have been truncated or broken up.
Since Route 66 is mostly decommissioned, and more of a national icon, I excluded it.
I'll defend I-17: It traverses part of the major population corridor in the heart of Arizona, and transitions through the majority of climate zones the state has to offer. The juxtaposition of old freeway design (Durango Curve, old Phoenix) against new (North Phoenix, Anthem) is obvious, as well as the cultural shift, from the blue collar inner neighborhoods of Phoenix, to the suburbs of North Phoenix, to the college/hippie/Native culture in Flagstaff. One can get a good picture of what Arizona is all about in a 2-hour drive.
I thought of including 89 but thought better of it due to its close proximity to I-17.
I-15, upon reflection, is more of an interesting oddity than an Icon, so I guess I'll scratch it. In its place I would include 163 in Monument Valley, since it's in so many movies with its images commonly associated with the Arizona Old West. Ironically, the part commonly used in movies is actually in Utah.
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 04, 2019, 08:48:25 AM
Since Route 66 is mostly decommissioned, and more of a national icon, I excluded it.
Are any segments still posted as US-66?
Quote from: Beltway on November 04, 2019, 09:18:19 AM
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 04, 2019, 08:48:25 AM
Since Route 66 is mostly decommissioned, and more of a national icon, I excluded it.
Are any segments still posted as US-66?
Most of AZ 66, the Oatman Highway and most I-40 Business routes have US 66 Historic signage in Arizona. Decommissioned or not the route is very much alive because people want it to be.
Something has to be said for I-10 and/or Historic US 80. The railroad that parallels I-10 is the main reason for the Gadsden Purchase, which brought most all of the land south of the Gila River into the United States.
I'd go:
I-10/Historic US 80
I-40/Historic US 66
One of the roads that connects Phoenix with Flagstaff, so either I-17 or Historic US 89
AZ 64 to the Grand Canyon
Quote from: JKRhodes on November 04, 2019, 08:48:25 AM
I-15, upon reflection, is more of an interesting oddity than an Icon, so I guess I'll scratch it. In its place I would include 163 in Monument Valley, since it's in so many movies with its images commonly associated with the Arizona Old West. Ironically, the part commonly used in movies is actually in Utah.
I don't think I-15 is as illogical as it would seem at first glance. I think even non-roadgeeks are aware of the scenic nature of Virgin River Gorge on I-15 through Arizona!
Quote from: J3ebrules on October 28, 2019, 01:24:26 AM
Iconic and important - I will argue - are very different!
Iconic for Jersey - the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are obviously state icons. I'll argue for two lesser ones, though, for their historic value...
- the Pulaski Skyway, a literal landmark and one of the first "superhighways" in the country.
- The LINCOLN HIGHWAY - now a few different routes in NJ, but we can pull out US 1, famous for many reasons, including it (and its US 9 concurrency) being the site of the first cloverleaf interchange.
The Pulaski Skyway was also mentioned in Orson Welles' 1939 radio adaptation of
The War of The Worlds, which is historic for its own reasons.
A couple thoughts for Montana:
Most important:
US 2: the northern Hi-Line for east/west traffic along the Canadian border (admittedly, a bit of personal bias on this one)
I-94/I-90 west of Billings (Historic US 10): main east/west corridor, connecting the most important population centers.
Most iconic:
Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier National Park: an amazing feat of road-building, and extremely scenic
US 212/Beartooth Highway over Beartooth Pass: arguably one of the most scenic and breathtaking stretches of highway in the US.
If people don't mind me including Canada... :colorful:
For Ontario:
- The 401: The busiest highway in North America, travels the length of Southern Ontario (along the populated Windsor-Quebec City corridor), the longest freeway in the province. The easiest choice of the four.
- The QEW: Connects the Golden Horseshoe (Ontario's most populous region) and it's one of the earliest divided highways.
- Highway 17: The longest highway in the province, passes through both Northern and Southern Ontario and Canada's capital (Ottawa), the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway, and the Lake Superior portion is among the most scenic drives in the province.
- Highway 11: A continuation of Yonge St in Toronto that extends all the way to the Lake of the Woods, a majority of the route is part of the Trans-Canada, and the southern portion is an important highway for cottage country traffic.
Honourable mentions:
- The 407: One of the first all-electronic toll roads and an important bypass and relief freeway for the GTA.
- Former Highway 2: Almost entirely decommissioned, Highway 2 was Ontario's main street following a similar route to the current 401.
- The 400: One of the earliest freeways in the province, it's a vital highway for cottage country traffic and will eventually reach up to the northern Ontario city of Sudbury.
Quote from: Henry on October 28, 2019, 10:18:40 AM
I don't think WA is done yet, so here are the top four:
I-5: The West Coast's Main Street
I-82: Shortcut from Seattle to Salt Lake/Denver
I-90: The longest 2di ends in Seattle
WA 99: Historic N-S route through the state that was taken over by I-5, but still exists in Seattle-Tacoma area, including historic Alaskan Way viaduct and its tunnel replacement
I'd take out I-82 and replace it with WA-20 personally. It's certainly not very iconic and importance is definitely 3rd place to I-90 and I-5. WA-20 as the North Cascades Highway highlights a more scenic route, which is missing from your list.
I'd also maybe consider WA-410 over Chinook Pass which is also very scenic and also offers views of Mount Rainier, the state's highest mountain, to replace either I-5 or WA-99 since they're just different iterations of the same route.
I'll do Delaware:
- DE-1 - The route serving every major region of the state: Wilmington/Newark, Middletown, Dover, and the beaches. It contains two of Delaware's "major" bridges (Indian River Inlet/Cullen and C&D Canal/Roth), is relatively modern, and handles tons of traffic. When I was doing my MS in Economics at UD, one of my professors (who specialized in Delaware economic history) credited DE-1 to the massive population boom in Sussex County.
- US-13 - Basically the "Main Street" of Delaware, it serves Wilmington, Middletown(ish), Dover, and inland Sussex County. Until the 1990s, this was pretty much your route between Wilmington and the beaches until you split onto US-113 in Dover. Now, it mainly serves local traffic north of Camden/Puncheon Run Connector, but I live within 1000 feet of it in Dover and can tell you it is one busy highway. South of the Puncheon Run Connector, it also connects to Salisbury MD (the other "major city" on the Delmarva peninsula) and eventually to Norfolk/Virginia Beach via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
- Delaware Turnpike (I-95 MD line to I-295, continuing onto I-295 to NJ) - Forms part of a major route between Washington/Baltimore and points south and New York/New Jersey/New England. Incredibly busy and important route. Includes the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the only fixed crossing between Delaware and New Jersey and also the southernmost fixed crossing of the Delaware River.
- I-495 - Serves as a more local alternate to I-95 for Washington/Maryland/Delaware traffic to Philadelphia (I-295 serves as a longer distance alternate, as it's essentially the eastern bypass of Philadelphia). Also serves the Port of Wilmington.
Yes, I am aware I didn't include I-95 between I-295 and the PA line (i.e. I-95 through Wilmington). While it is an extremely important local route and I have sat in its traffic during rush hour before, I feel that these roads are really the ones that out of staters would associate with our state. Also, outside of rush hour, I haven't really noticed much traffic on I-95 through Wilmington.
Quote from: Jmiles32 on October 28, 2019, 05:58:54 PM
I'll do Maryland:
...
I-68 or I-70- Gotta give Western Maryland some love too!
Don't forget about the Sideling Hill Rock Cut on I-68! When I went to Cumberland for the first time I stopped at the rest area at the cut. I nearly cried (noting that I was 24 at the time). Not even joking.
Quote from: ipeters61 on November 10, 2019, 08:56:06 PM
- US-13 - Basically the "Main Street" of Delaware, it serves Wilmington, Middletown(ish), Dover, and inland Sussex County. Until the 1990s, this was pretty much your route between Wilmington and the beaches until you split onto US-113 in Dover. Now, it mainly serves local traffic north of Camden/Puncheon Run Connector, but I live within 1000 feet of it in Dover and can tell you it is one busy highway. South of the Puncheon Run Connector, it also connects to Salisbury MD (the other "major city" on the Delmarva peninsula) and eventually to Norfolk/Virginia Beach via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
For thru traffic, US-113 is the overall better thru route rather than US-13, IMO.
Quote from: sprjus4 on November 10, 2019, 09:09:36 PM
Quote from: ipeters61 on November 10, 2019, 08:56:06 PM
- US-13 - Basically the "Main Street" of Delaware, it serves Wilmington, Middletown(ish), Dover, and inland Sussex County. Until the 1990s, this was pretty much your route between Wilmington and the beaches until you split onto US-113 in Dover. Now, it mainly serves local traffic north of Camden/Puncheon Run Connector, but I live within 1000 feet of it in Dover and can tell you it is one busy highway. South of the Puncheon Run Connector, it also connects to Salisbury MD (the other "major city" on the Delmarva peninsula) and eventually to Norfolk/Virginia Beach via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
For thru traffic, US-113 is the overall better thru route rather than US-13, IMO.
My personal experience says the same, as well. Going from New York/Philadelphia/Wilmington/Dover to Norfolk? Take DE-1 to US-113, then get on US-13 at the end of US-113. If I'm going to Trap Pond in the Laurel DE area or even Salisbury MD, I usually take that route (taking East Trap Pond Road from Georgetown down to DE-24) since I honestly can't stand driving US-13 for that long.
However, US-13 serves more significant towns in DE than US-113, which is why I chose it instead. And I wanted to include one route with more local significance.
My version of Ohio:
1. I-71
2. The Ohio Turnpike
3. I-75
4. US 23
Oregon is known for its beauty.
US 101: Some stretches are right on the coast and they have the best views of the ocean.
US 30/I-84: From Astoria to Ontario one can sure see a lot of different natural scenes from the longest bridge on US 101, the Columbia Gorge, NE Oregon's Wallowa Mountains and finally end up crossing the Snake River. Interesting towns along with PDX await the traveler.
SR 126: Coast Range seasonal changes, Eugene-Springfield, the McKenzie River, the Cascades and Central Oregon lay along this route.
US 26: From the coast to Ontario, this E/W route offers more to see than US 20, especially in Eastern Oregon. Some of the types of terrain and natural growth will surprise you out there! Heading east of PDX you get to see "ski country" and Mt. Hood up close. For the best stocked high variety general store, stop in John Day. It is the only town around for a long ways, thus the evolution of that store's inventory. Believe it or not, you can get a decent catfish dinner at one of the downtown restaurants....in the middle of Eastern Oregon?
Rick
I'd say US 30 has a lot more brand equity as a iconic route given that it was part of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Not many people drive I-84 for scenery but definitely do on Historic US 30.
Heh, no one's tried MN yet.
I-94
I-35
US 169
US 61
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on November 11, 2019, 05:38:44 PM
Heh, no one's tried MN yet.
I-94
I-35
US 169
US 61
I'd swap out 169 for MN-61, unless you're counting US and MN 61 as the same route.
Quote from: thspfc on November 11, 2019, 05:57:12 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on November 11, 2019, 05:38:44 PM
Heh, no one's tried MN yet.
I-94
I-35
US 169
US 61
I'd swap out 169 for MN-61, unless you're counting US and MN 61 as the same route.
For this purpose I was combining the two 61s. 169 is easily the flimsiest of the four anyway and there are a few routes it could probably be swapped with.
Alabama:
I-65: Connects the four largest metro areas (Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville)
I-20: Not all roads lead to Atlanta, but I-20 connects Tuscaloosa (metro area #5) and Birmingham with Atlanta
U.S. 280: Not as iconic for the rest of the state, but definitely iconic for the Birmingham area
U.S. 231: The stretch between Montgomery and the Florida state line is vital to tourism