Virginia just built a massive bridge leading into the state, but didn't build a highway beyond it... You go Kentucky, finish that 20-mile highway that links up to a bigger highway so that Virginia can open the bridge to nowhere!!
https://goo.gl/maps/vKw37aEhWNHkPAat6
Anyone else got any good examples of states not cooperating?
Not sure that's a good example of a lack of cooperation
https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Tallest-bridge-in-Virginia-may-finally-open-to-traffic-next-year-510372791.html
I'll mention some low-hanging-fruit examples: I-49 near Texarkana, US 12 in Wisconsin, and (historically) the Kansas Turnpike. I think in all of these cases, extensions into the other state were/are planned; it's just that one state was faster with funding and/or construction than the other.
In fact, I'd be really surprised if a state would even design a corridor all the way to a state line, let alone construct it, without first coordinating with the neighboring state.
When the Arkansas idea for extended I-57 first came out, there were crickets in the room wondering about Missouri...but Missouri has since announced plans to upgrade its segments of the future interstate extension
The Bella Vista Bypass on I-49. Seems like when Arkansas has the money to build it, Missouri doesn't, and vice versa. Sounds like things may now be on track for sometime in 2022.
A better example involving Virginia would be US 15...
Virginia would like to 4-lane it north of Leesburg but Maryland has no interest in 4-laning their part (despite much of it being quasi super-2 with ROW in place for 4 lanes). IIRC after many years of waiting on Maryland to change its mind, Virginia is looking at 4 laning about half the distance to the state line as this section of US 15 has a fair number of crashes.
Quote from: pianocello on March 19, 2020, 05:36:20 PM
I'll mention some low-hanging-fruit examples: I-49 near Texarkana, US 12 in Wisconsin, and (historically) the Kansas Turnpike. I think in all of these cases, extensions into the other state were/are planned; it's just that one state was faster with funding and/or construction than the other.
In fact, I'd be really surprised if a state would even design a corridor all the way to a state line, let alone construct it, without first coordinating with the neighboring state.
(https://i.imgur.com/XhTPOvG.jpg)
Quote from: Mapmikey on March 20, 2020, 09:26:12 AM
A better example involving Virginia would be US 15...
Virginia would like to 4-lane it north of Leesburg but Maryland has no interest in 4-laning their part (despite much of it being quasi super-2 with ROW in place for 4 lanes). IIRC after many years of waiting on Maryland to change its mind, Virginia is looking at 4 laning about half the distance to the state line as this section of US 15 has a fair number of crashes.
Didn't stop them from 4-laning US-501 down to the North Carolina state line only to quickly reduce to 2-lanes south of the border in the 1970s.
I-95 Washington Bypass
In the 1990s, Virginia pursued it, studied it, but Maryland refused to go along with it, blocked it, and here we are today (well, not at this moment with the current situation) with continuing congestion that will only get worse throughout the area with no alternative for thru traffic. Further attempts at smaller projects have been made more recently, but still fail.
Today, Maryland still refuses to study or construct any new routes or new Potomac River crossing.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Wash_Bypass.html
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 20, 2020, 11:19:31 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on March 20, 2020, 09:26:12 AM
A better example involving Virginia would be US 15...
Virginia would like to 4-lane it north of Leesburg but Maryland has no interest in 4-laning their part (despite much of it being quasi super-2 with ROW in place for 4 lanes). IIRC after many years of waiting on Maryland to change its mind, Virginia is looking at 4 laning about half the distance to the state line as this section of US 15 has a fair number of crashes.
Didn't stop them from 4-laning US-501 down to the North Carolina state line only to quickly reduce to 2-lanes south of the border in the 1970s.
Then you have the flip side where US 17 was 4-laned on the NC side for years...
Quote from: froggie on March 20, 2020, 12:18:57 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 20, 2020, 11:19:31 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on March 20, 2020, 09:26:12 AM
A better example involving Virginia would be US 15...
Virginia would like to 4-lane it north of Leesburg but Maryland has no interest in 4-laning their part (despite much of it being quasi super-2 with ROW in place for 4 lanes). IIRC after many years of waiting on Maryland to change its mind, Virginia is looking at 4 laning about half the distance to the state line as this section of US 15 has a fair number of crashes.
Didn't stop them from 4-laning US-501 down to the North Carolina state line only to quickly reduce to 2-lanes south of the border in the 1970s.
Then you have the flip side where US 17 was 4-laned on the NC side for years...
Yep, from around 1984 to 2005.
Quote from: MCRoads on March 19, 2020, 02:50:36 PM
Virginia just built a massive bridge leading into the state, but didn't build a highway beyond it... You go Kentucky, finish that 20-mile highway that links up to a bigger highway so that Virginia can open the bridge to nowhere!!
https://goo.gl/maps/vKw37aEhWNHkPAat6
Anyone else got any good examples of states not cooperating?
Kentucky actually has the road complete to KY 80 just outside Elkhorn City. Kentucky actually started working on its side before Virginia started on the bridge. The missing link now to make this a useable segment is the ramp from KY 80 to the new US 460, which is under construction now, and scheduled to open this fall. The connection between KY 80 and the new future US 460 that currently ends at KY 195 is also under construction, and it will contain a bridge that's the highest in our state. I'm contemplating a small meet to go take a look at it later this year.
Quote from: MCRoads on March 19, 2020, 02:50:36 PM
Virginia just built a massive bridge leading into the state, but didn’t build a highway beyond it... You go Kentucky, finish that 20-mile highway that links up to a bigger highway so that Virginia can open the bridge to nowhere!!
https://goo.gl/maps/vKw37aEhWNHkPAat6
Anyone else got any good examples of states not cooperating?
thank you, I finally got to see where Mud Lick, Kentucky was
Quote from: pianocello on March 19, 2020, 05:36:20 PM
I'll mention some low-hanging-fruit examples: I-49 near Texarkana, US 12 in Wisconsin, and (historically) the Kansas Turnpike. I think in all of these cases, extensions into the other state were/are planned; it's just that one state was faster with funding and/or construction than the other.
In fact, I'd be really surprised if a state would even design a corridor all the way to a state line, let alone construct it, without first coordinating with the neighboring state.
When it comes to I-49 north of Texarkana, the
technical fact that the bypass abruptly ends at the state line doesn't take into account the fact that at that point the state line
is US 71/59, the existing route that the future I-49 will generally follow northward; traffic simply "hangs a right" to stay on course. Because the TX segment of the corridor only extends a few miles before re-entering AR, TxDOT, normally a state agency one would expect to be reasonably prompt about freeway development, is in all likelihood awaiting some indication that AR is ready to proceed with their next segment to the north, including cooperation on a Red River crossing. These days, it's all a waiting game regarding funding.
WV-9 (Charles Town Pike) in Jefferson County (far east edge of the state) is a modern four lane divided road until it climbs up to the crest of the Blue Ridge at Keys Gap and the border with Loudoun County, Virginia, where the road becomes VA-9, a rural arterial with plenty of traffic.
There was no interest in widening or improving VA-9, so it's the narrow and crash-prone road that it has been for as long as I can remember.
States can't print money or draft workers, so they build projects in phases. It may look funny now, but will soon be forgotten when the rest of it is built.
Quote from: sparker on March 20, 2020, 01:53:18 PM
When it comes to I-49 north of Texarkana, the technical fact that the bypass abruptly ends at the state line doesn't take into account the fact that at that point the state line is US 71/59, the existing route that the future I-49 will generally follow northward; traffic simply "hangs a right" to stay on course. Because the TX segment of the corridor only extends a few miles before re-entering AR, TxDOT, normally a state agency one would expect to be reasonably prompt about freeway development, is in all likelihood awaiting some indication that AR is ready to proceed with their next segment to the north, including cooperation on a Red River crossing. These days, it's all a waiting game regarding funding.
It's funny looking at the Texas frontage roads that end near the border crossings. They're there for obscure legal reasons, not motorist convenience.
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 20, 2020, 12:23:16 PM
Quote from: froggie on March 20, 2020, 12:18:57 PM
Then you have the flip side where US 17 was 4-laned on the NC side for years...
Yep, from around 1984 to 2005.
With a group of environmental issues that delayed the relocation of US-17 In Virginia.
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on March 20, 2020, 07:48:02 PM
States can't print money or draft workers, so they build projects in phases. It may look funny now, but will soon be forgotten when the rest of it is built.
Quote from: sparker on March 20, 2020, 01:53:18 PM
When it comes to I-49 north of Texarkana, the technical fact that the bypass abruptly ends at the state line doesn't take into account the fact that at that point the state line is US 71/59, the existing route that the future I-49 will generally follow northward; traffic simply "hangs a right" to stay on course. Because the TX segment of the corridor only extends a few miles before re-entering AR, TxDOT, normally a state agency one would expect to be reasonably prompt about freeway development, is in all likelihood awaiting some indication that AR is ready to proceed with their next segment to the north, including cooperation on a Red River crossing. These days, it's all a waiting game regarding funding.
It's funny looking at the Texas frontage roads that end near the border crossings. They're there for obscure legal reasons, not motorist convenience.
I love the one on I-35 at the OK border, just loops back under.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 20, 2020, 05:38:03 PM
WV-9 (Charles Town Pike) in Jefferson County (far east edge of the state) is a modern four lane divided road until it climbs up to the crest of the Blue Ridge at Keys Gap and the border with Loudoun County, Virginia, where the road becomes VA-9, a rural arterial with plenty of traffic.
There was no interest in widening or improving VA-9, so it's the narrow and crash-prone road that it has been for as long as I can remember.
I used to follow that every day from Charles Town to Leesburg. I don't recall too many accidents but a lot of congestion on the Virginia side especially during rush hour when it is a solid line of traffic to Virginia or DC in the morning and to WV in the evening. The worst was the backup at the intersection with VA-287 (Berlin Turnpike).
iPhone
Quote from: stwoodbury on March 21, 2020, 05:08:25 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 20, 2020, 05:38:03 PM
WV-9 (Charles Town Pike) in Jefferson County (far east edge of the state) is a modern four lane divided road until it climbs up to the crest of the Blue Ridge at Keys Gap and the border with Loudoun County, Virginia, where the road becomes VA-9, a rural arterial with plenty of traffic.
There was no interest in widening or improving VA-9, so it's the narrow and crash-prone road that it has been for as long as I can remember.
I used to follow that every day from Charles Town to Leesburg. I don't recall too many accidents but a lot of congestion on the Virginia side especially during rush hour when it is a solid line of traffic to Virginia or DC in the morning and to WV in the evening. The worst was the backup at the intersection with VA-287 (Berlin Turnpike).
iPhone
An obvious -- and prime -- example of VA dragging its feet regarding a multistate project is
Corridor H. 4-laning ends well west of the WV/VA line, although VADOT
did erect US 48 signage along the 2-lane VA 55. But plans to upgrade its section of the corridor seem to be either nonexistent or back-burnered, probably because the corridor's presence principally benefits WV more than VA. Even with the relatively stretched-out/leisurely pace projected for the Kerens to Davis portion along US 219, the WV segment west of Wardensville will in all likelihood be up and running before WV/VA 55 from that town to I-81 sees upgrades consistent with the remainder of the corridor; looks like WVDOT has no intention of extending the expressway east until VA commits to like action on its portion.
Quote from: stwoodbury on March 21, 2020, 05:08:25 PM
I used to follow that every day from Charles Town to Leesburg. I don't recall too many accidents but a lot of congestion on the Virginia side especially during rush hour when it is a solid line of traffic to Virginia or DC in the morning and to WV in the evening. The worst was the backup at the intersection with VA-287 (Berlin Turnpike).
While I know VA-9 quite well, I would not generally have a reason to drive it in peak commute times. But for being a two lane rural arterial highway, reports of crashes on it come up frequently in WTOP Radio traffic reports.
Probably not as often as U.S. 15 between Leesburg, Virginia and the junction with U.S. 340 in Frederick County, Maryland - but often enough.
I can think of a couple:
US 1 at the PA/MD border. A full 4 lane freeway on the PA side with a 55 (should be 65) MPH speed limit. A 2 lane undivided road on the MD side with a 50 MPH speed limit in most instances.
The east end of the CT Turnpike. The freeway ends suddenly at the RI border. The eastern stub (SR 695) became part of the proposed I-84 to Providence that NIMBY's killed, so it remains a dead end to this day.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on March 22, 2020, 07:01:29 PM
US 1 at the PA/MD border. A full 4 lane freeway on the PA side with a 55 (should be 65) MPH speed limit. A 2 lane undivided road on the MD side with a 50 MPH speed limit in most instances.
Maryland had a US-1 Perring Freeway planned between the state line and I-695, at least in early planning stages. Would have been a 4-lane freeway.
AFAIK the proposal was dropped in the late 1970s.
Quote from: Beltway on March 22, 2020, 08:43:43 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on March 22, 2020, 07:01:29 PM
US 1 at the PA/MD border. A full 4 lane freeway on the PA side with a 55 (should be 65) MPH speed limit. A 2 lane undivided road on the MD side with a 50 MPH speed limit in most instances.
Maryland had a US-1 Perring Freeway planned between the state line and I-695, at least in early planning stages. Would have been a 4-lane freeway.
AFAIK the proposal was dropped in the late 1970s.
Certainly would've been a good supplemental route to I-95 for regional traffic, particularly Baltimore <-> Philadelphia, potentially helping to relieve some congestion along the route.
Shame it wasn't constructed, along with extending the US-1 freeway in Pennsylvania to the short US-1 Media Bypass off of I-476.
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 22, 2020, 09:39:39 PM
Quote from: Beltway on March 22, 2020, 08:43:43 PM
Maryland had a US-1 Perring Freeway planned between the state line and I-695, at least in early planning stages. Would have been a 4-lane freeway. AFAIK the proposal was dropped in the late 1970s.
Certainly would've been a good supplemental route to I-95 for regional traffic, particularly Baltimore <-> Philadelphia, potentially helping to relieve some congestion along the route.
Shame it wasn't constructed, along with extending the US-1 freeway in Pennsylvania to the short US-1 Media Bypass off of I-476.
PA US-1 was already a 4-lane arterial for the 15 miles between Kennett Square and the Media Bypass, and there never was any freeway proposal that I was aware of.
I first drove the US-1 freeway in Chester County in 1972, and it seemed way over-designed, given that there was no plan to complete a corridor other than a very preliminary plan in Maryland.
Quote from: sparker on March 22, 2020, 02:31:25 AM
Quote from: stwoodbury on March 21, 2020, 05:08:25 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 20, 2020, 05:38:03 PM
WV-9 (Charles Town Pike) in Jefferson County (far east edge of the state) is a modern four lane divided road until it climbs up to the crest of the Blue Ridge at Keys Gap and the border with Loudoun County, Virginia, where the road becomes VA-9, a rural arterial with plenty of traffic.
There was no interest in widening or improving VA-9, so it's the narrow and crash-prone road that it has been for as long as I can remember.
I used to follow that every day from Charles Town to Leesburg. I don't recall too many accidents but a lot of congestion on the Virginia side especially during rush hour when it is a solid line of traffic to Virginia or DC in the morning and to WV in the evening. The worst was the backup at the intersection with VA-287 (Berlin Turnpike).
iPhone
An obvious -- and prime -- example of VA dragging its feet regarding a multistate project is Corridor H. 4-laning ends well west of the WV/VA line, although VADOT did erect US 48 signage along the 2-lane VA 55. But plans to upgrade its section of the corridor seem to be either nonexistent or back-burnered, probably because the corridor's presence principally benefits WV more than VA. Even with the relatively stretched-out/leisurely pace projected for the Kerens to Davis portion along US 219, the WV segment west of Wardensville will in all likelihood be up and running before WV/VA 55 from that town to I-81 sees upgrades consistent with the remainder of the corridor; looks like WVDOT has no intention of extending the expressway east until VA commits to like action on its portion.
It's been mentioned frequently that the inland port near Front Royal would benefit greatly from the completion of Corridor H.
Part of the problem with West Virginia building beyond the current end of the expressway near Wardensville is that it may not be possible to build a segment of independent use that would connect with existing US 48/WV 55. And it would also take away that revenue cash cow for the local constabulary that is the 25 mph speed limit through Wardensville. GPS units are already beginning to route traffic between this area and DC via Corridor H, so I'd think the opportunities to write speeding tickets to out-of-staters are increasing.
One thing WV needs to do is realign the intersection with WV 259 to increase sight distance for westbound US 48 drivers, if not make US 48 the through route and make WV 259 traffic have to stop.
Quote from: froggie on March 20, 2020, 12:18:57 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 20, 2020, 11:19:31 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on March 20, 2020, 09:26:12 AM
A better example involving Virginia would be US 15...
Virginia would like to 4-lane it north of Leesburg but Maryland has no interest in 4-laning their part (despite much of it being quasi super-2 with ROW in place for 4 lanes). IIRC after many years of waiting on Maryland to change its mind, Virginia is looking at 4 laning about half the distance to the state line as this section of US 15 has a fair number of crashes.
Didn't stop them from 4-laning US-501 down to the North Carolina state line only to quickly reduce to 2-lanes south of the border in the 1970s.
Then you have the flip side where US 17 was 4-laned on the NC side for years...
US 52 is a divided four lane highway on the NC side, while it's a simple 2 lane road on the VA side.
Not in the US, but the worst example of something like this I've ever seen is the west end of the A1 highway in Algeria (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7950155,-1.8479226,741m/data=!3m1!1e3).
Quote from: US 89 on March 25, 2020, 04:57:38 PM
Not in the US, but the worst example of something like this I've ever seen is the west end of the A1 highway in Algeria (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7950155,-1.8479226,741m/data=!3m1!1e3).
Algeria and Morocco don't get along very well. I know the land borders between the two were (or might still be) closed. However, there are direct flights between the two countries.
Quote from: Super Mateo on March 25, 2020, 04:32:31 PM
US 52 is a divided four lane highway on the NC side, while it's a simple 2 lane road on the VA side.
6,900 AADT at the border, and not an arterial. Doesn't need more than 2 lanes.
Quote from: Beltway on March 25, 2020, 05:55:14 PM
Quote from: Super Mateo on March 25, 2020, 04:32:31 PM
US 52 is a divided four lane highway on the NC side, while it's a simple 2 lane road on the VA side.
6,900 AADT at the border, and not an arterial. Doesn't need more than 2 lanes.
With the completion of the I-74 segment between I-77 and the US-52 freeway southeast of Mt. Airy just south of the Virginia border in the 1990s, this further eliminates its usage as a long-distance route as US-52 freeway traffic coming from Winston-Salem now has a direct link to I-77 to continue north on all freeway.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 23, 2020, 12:37:16 PM
It's been mentioned frequently that the inland port near Front Royal would benefit greatly from the completion of Corridor H.
Part of the problem with West Virginia building beyond the current end of the expressway near Wardensville is that it may not be possible to build a segment of independent use that would connect with existing US 48/WV 55. And it would also take away that revenue cash cow for the local constabulary that is the 25 mph speed limit through Wardensville. GPS units are already beginning to route traffic between this area and DC via Corridor H, so I'd think the opportunities to write speeding tickets to out-of-staters are increasing.
One thing WV needs to do is realign the intersection with WV 259 to increase sight distance for westbound US 48 drivers, if not make US 48 the through route and make WV 259 traffic have to stop.
Agree about Corridor H. It makes large areas of West Virginia and probably Ohio closer to the Inland Port.
Regarding Wardensville, I have heard several people say that the speed limit there is strictly enforced, but I do not think I have ever seen any speed limit enforcement going on there. That does not mean that there the limit is not enforced, but I have not noticed it.
I think I saw someplace that Corridor H between its current eastern terminus and the top of the mountain at the border with Virginia is in either preliminary engineering or maybe final design. The WVDOT Corridor H Web site appears to be down, so I cannot consult it right now.
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/closed/CorridorH-WardensvilletoVaLine/Pages/default.aspx
As of 2018, the schedule was to complete the Environmental Re-Evaluation 2018 - 2019, then to begin Final Design in 2020.
Right of way acquisition would begin in 2025, and construction on the $70 million project would begin by 2027 between the current eastern end of the expressway to the Virginia state line.
Proposed location is a 4-lane expressway to the south of the town, with what appears to be one diamond interchange at Trout Run Rd, and a quadrant interchange with where the old route would split off on the western end. The remaining intersections are at-grade.
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/closed/CorridorH-WardensvilletoVaLine/ProjectDocuments/Wardensville_Virginia_PreferredAlt_Final.pdf
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/closed/CorridorH-WardensvilletoVaLine/ProjectDocuments/Corr_H_Wardensville_Public_Mtg_Handout_Final.pdf
US 23 / 441 is a four-lane corridor from I-985 to the Great Smoky Mountains except for one last remaining 7.4 mile segment from Clayton, Georgia to the North Carolina state line. Georgia DOT plans to advertise the project for construction in April 2021.
Project info: http://www.dot.ga.gov/applications/geopi/Pages/Dashboard.aspx?ProjectID=122090-
iPhone
Quote from: US 89 on March 25, 2020, 04:57:38 PM
Not in the US, but the worst example of something like this I've ever seen is the west end of the A1 highway in Algeria (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7950155,-1.8479226,741m/data=!3m1!1e3).
I see your Algerian A1 and raise you China G1012, with a concession that G1012 isn't built up as a motorway to the river, where it abruptly stops before crossing into Russia.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=12/48.3222/134.6926
Quote from: sprjus4 on March 25, 2020, 06:05:19 PM
Quote from: Beltway on March 25, 2020, 05:55:14 PM
Quote from: Super Mateo on March 25, 2020, 04:32:31 PM
US 52 is a divided four lane highway on the NC side, while it's a simple 2 lane road on the VA side.
6,900 AADT at the border, and not an arterial. Doesn't need more than 2 lanes.
With the completion of the I-74 segment between I-77 and the US-52 freeway southeast of Mt. Airy just south of the Virginia border in the 1990s, this further eliminates its usage as a long-distance route as US-52 freeway traffic coming from Winston-Salem now has a direct link to I-77 to continue north on all freeway.
Virginia has also done away with the truck escape ramps that were present for southbound traffic before the I-74 connector was built. They're still visible, but they are overgrown, not maintained, and not signed. IIRC trucks are now prohibited on that segment at Fancy Gap now, and must use I-77.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on March 22, 2020, 07:01:29 PM
I can think of a couple:
US 1 at the PA/MD border. A full 4 lane freeway on the PA side with a 55 (should be 65) MPH speed limit. A 2 lane undivided road on the MD side with a 50 MPH speed limit in most instances.
The east end of the CT Turnpike. The freeway ends suddenly at the RI border. The eastern stub (SR 695) became part of the proposed I-84 to Providence that NIMBY's killed, so it remains a dead end to this day.
Legend has it that at one point RIDOT wanted I-95 to stay with the Turnpike past Norwich and take a more northerly route through the state.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on March 27, 2020, 01:02:50 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on March 22, 2020, 07:01:29 PM
I can think of a couple:
US 1 at the PA/MD border. A full 4 lane freeway on the PA side with a 55 (should be 65) MPH speed limit. A 2 lane undivided road on the MD side with a 50 MPH speed limit in most instances.
The east end of the CT Turnpike. The freeway ends suddenly at the RI border. The eastern stub (SR 695) became part of the proposed I-84 to Providence that NIMBY's killed, so it remains a dead end to this day.
Legend has it that at one point RIDOT wanted I-95 to stay with the Turnpike past Norwich and take a more northerly route through the state.
You're right in that there was an apparent dispute, but it was CTDOT favoring I-95 through Killingly and RIDOT wanting the southerly route. Rhode Island prevailed. At stake was more or fewer interstate miles in each state.
Quote from: ftballfan on March 25, 2020, 05:12:52 PM
Quote from: US 89 on March 25, 2020, 04:57:38 PM
Not in the US, but the worst example of something like this I've ever seen is the west end of the A1 highway in Algeria (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7950155,-1.8479226,741m/data=!3m1!1e3).
Algeria and Morocco don't get along very well. I know the land borders between the two were (or might still be) closed. However, there are direct flights between the two countries.
I wonder if the thought was to connect with Morocco's A2. It looks to be in line a few miles away.