I-35 in Duluth has some really nice stretches of interstate near Lake Superior in downtown. It was built a bit later than most downtown interstates (opened 1992) and it shows. It is mostly in a trench with several freeway-cap parks and tunnels, virtually nil in the way of graffiti, and modern interchanges (like a SPUI at Lake Avenue). Also in MN, I-35E in St Paul has a nice downtown stretch (modern bridges, smart signage, and plants in the median south of downtown).
Any other above-par stretches of urban interstate?
I-405 and US 26 in Portland have some scenic downtown views.
Some of California's interstates have really nice plants on the slopes
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 25, 2020, 01:50:49 PM
I-35 in Duluth has some really nice stretches of interstate near Lake Superior in downtown. It was built a bit later than most downtown interstates (opened 1992) and it shows. It is mostly in a trench with several freeway-cap parks and tunnels, virtually nil in the way of graffiti, and modern interchanges (like a SPUI at Lake Avenue). Also in MN, I-35W in St Paul has a nice downtown stretch (modern bridges, smart signage, and plants in the median south of downtown).
Any other above-par stretches of urban interstate?
When I saw the post I was going to say I-35 in Duluth first.
You mean 35E in Saint Paul, which is the practice freeway
For general driving pleasure and design, I-10 through downtown Phoenix is one of my favorites. For beautiful views of a city skyline, the final stretch of I-280 in San Francisco before the Sixth Street exit.
I-25 though Denver
I-90/94 through Chicago
I-71 through Cincinnati
I-94 through St. Paul and Minneapolis
I-376 through Pittsburgh
I-5 through Seattle
Setting aside the 40 mph speed limit, I think this section (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1510958,-77.6103231,3a,75y,59.02h,86.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOO21SuzxNF-zdvN2K2jYug!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1) of I-490 in Downtown Rochester, bridge included, is an all-time classic. It's a short, sweet and all-encompassing view of downtown, where the old saying "blink and you miss it" actually applies quite literally.
I've been to many cities - both driving through and visiting - and come away wishing they had a nice, clean, snapshot view of their city from the freeway just like this one. But that's why there's no place like home, I guess. :)
I-376 does really fit the bill. There's a reason Pittsburgh is called "The only city with an entrance."
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 25, 2020, 11:44:03 PM
I-376 does really fit the bill. There's a reason Pittsburgh is called "The only city with an entrance."
^ 100% this. Coming in at night and seeing everything lit up is very cool (a lot cooler than coming down the Grapevine and seeing just miles of taillights :-) ).
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 25, 2020, 11:44:03 PM
I-376 does really fit the bill. There's a reason Pittsburgh is called "The only city with an entrance."
Well the tunnel and subsequent yellow bridge certainly don't hurt.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/7ps914/the_best_entrance_to_any_city/
Quote from: ari-s-drives on June 26, 2020, 12:12:54 AM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 25, 2020, 11:44:03 PM
I-376 does really fit the bill. There's a reason Pittsburgh is called "The only city with an entrance."
^ 100% this. Coming in at night and seeing everything lit up is very cool (a lot cooler than coming down the Grapevine and seeing just miles of taillights :-) ).
I haven't been to Pittsburgh, but I really enjoyed how it was conveyed in
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (the film). One gripe was that it was set in the 1990s, but the Fort Pitt Bridge had I-376 signs with modern numbering. I understand that it would be expensive and confusing to accurately resign it, however.
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 25, 2020, 01:58:32 PM
Some of California's interstates have really nice plants on the slopes
I would say I-80 in San Francisco and CA 110 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway are the only two that make you feel like you are driving through downtown. CA 163 enters downtown very suddenly at it's terminus which is quite visually striking.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 26, 2020, 12:29:36 AM
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 25, 2020, 01:58:32 PM
Some of California's interstates have really nice plants on the slopes
I would say I-80 in San Francisco and CA 110 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway are the only two that make you feel like you are driving through downtown. CA 163 enters downtown very suddenly at it's terminus which is quite visually striking.
163 is one of the few CA freeways that doesn't look like a hellhole of despair approaching downtown (read: everything radiating from Los Angeles). The arched bridges, treed-in setting, planted median, and 4-lane form certainly help.
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 26, 2020, 12:33:53 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 26, 2020, 12:29:36 AM
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 25, 2020, 01:58:32 PM
Some of California's interstates have really nice plants on the slopes
I would say I-80 in San Francisco and CA 110 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway are the only two that make you feel like you are driving through downtown. CA 163 enters downtown very suddenly at it's terminus which is quite visually striking.
163 is one of the few CA freeways that doesn't look like a hellhole of despair approaching downtown (read: everything radiating from Los Angeles). The arched bridges, treed-in setting, planted median, and 4-lane form certainly help.
You could really call it more of a parkway anyway.
Quote from: thspfc on June 25, 2020, 03:14:01 PM
I-25 though Denver
I-90/94 through Chicago
I-71 through Cincinnati
I-94 through St. Paul and Minneapolis
I-376 through Pittsburgh
I-5 through Seattle
I've lived in both Denver and Cincinnati. 71 yes --- 25 no. I hate 25 actually.
My favorite in Boston is I-90 inside 128 simply because of nostalgia.
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 26, 2020, 12:37:58 AM
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 26, 2020, 12:33:53 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 26, 2020, 12:29:36 AM
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 25, 2020, 01:58:32 PM
Some of California's interstates have really nice plants on the slopes
I would say I-80 in San Francisco and CA 110 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway are the only two that make you feel like you are driving through downtown. CA 163 enters downtown very suddenly at it's terminus which is quite visually striking.
163 is one of the few CA freeways that doesn't look like a hellhole of despair approaching downtown (read: everything radiating from Los Angeles). The arched bridges, treed-in setting, planted median, and 4-lane form certainly help.
You could really call it more of a parkway anyway.
But it is fully limited access and thus a freeway. Even wild stuff like CA 18 climbing to CA 138 on the Rim of the World Highway are technically freeways in extreme form.
If I-490 is one of the best downtown freeways, why is the Inner Spur Loop so terrible-looking?
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 12:50:08 AM
My favorite in Boston is I-90 inside 128 simply because of nostalgia.
I feel the same way about Storrow Drive.
How about I-40 Oklahoma City (opened January 5, 2012)?
I think so many downtown freeways are downright awful in so many ways that the "best" ones are automatically a minority.
But for ones there were at least designed well as freeways and integrated well with the connecting street network, I'm going to nominate the US 54/400/Kellogg Avenue Freeway in Wichita. I think this one had the benefit of learning from the mistakes of older downtown freeways, so it lacks the design flaws of so many of them (sharp curves, left entrance and exit ramps, closely spaced ramps, poorly executed "loop" configurations that don't quite function in the "ring road" fashion some designers intended, etc.). The Kellogg also has high aesthetic value where many other downtown freeways do not.
Furthermore, instead of being built on a wholly invented alignment, it was built over an existing arterial highway (US 54/400/Kellogg Avenue existed there long before the freeway came along), which minimized disruption to the existing physical context. Whether it was ultimately justified as opposed to other alternatives, however, will likely be a matter of debate for a long time to come.
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 26, 2020, 01:03:46 AM
If I-490 is one of the best downtown freeways, why is the Inner Spur Loop so terrible-looking?
Because it's depressed. (Double-meaning, but both are true! :D)
Keep in mind too that about 1/3 of the Inner Loop has now been removed, and the entire non-I-490 portion has lacked investment over the years. It essentially goes around the back side of the city, so it's not too surprising that the front side (I-490) is much better both functionally and aesthetically.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 26, 2020, 12:50:08 AM
My favorite in Boston is I-90 inside 128 simply because of nostalgia.
Even if it's not the best-designed downtown freeway, I have to agree with the nostalgia aspect. Back in my college days of driving back & forth between Worcester & Logan, my favorite part of 90 was all the tunnels (unless it was rush hour).
From a design perspective, I think I-95 thru Baltimore is a top contender. Mostly 8 lanes (brief exception within exit 53) with full shoulders, well-designed interchanges with proper merge areas, elevated (and recently redecked), tunnel carrying all 8 lanes under the harbor, and direct access into downtown via the short I-395. Good view of downtown and the sports stadiums while passing thru as well (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2694344,-76.6329756,3a,45.3y,42.71h,85.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svUULuwkS7dn8-20Yl8kdbg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?hl=en).
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 26, 2020, 04:50:05 AM
How about I-40 Oklahoma City (opened January 5, 2012)?
It's certainly wide enough to accommodate traffic, at least every time I've used it. But it isn't exactly scenic.
Quote from: thspfc on June 25, 2020, 03:14:01 PM
I-25 though Denver
I-90/94 through Chicago
I-71 through Cincinnati
I-94 through St. Paul and Minneapolis
I-376 through Pittsburgh
I-5 through Seattle
Agreed on both I-90/I-94 and I-5!
I'd also like to add to the list the Downtown Connector in Atlanta, I-278 through New York, I-95 in Philadelphia, I-77 in Cleveland, I-45 in Houston and any 2di in St. Louis (two words: Gateway Arch).
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 26, 2020, 04:50:05 AM
How about I-40 Oklahoma City (opened January 5, 2012)?
Another good one.
I really like the stretch of the Santa Ana Freeway that remains part of US 101 - it is narrow and congested, but also full of history and offers its own "entrance into town" vibe near Los Angeles's Union Station that is not quite as dramatic as Harbor Freeway/110 past Staples Center, but still fun. (the Harbor Freeway does have more of a "skyscraper canyon" feel)
FDR Drive in Manhattan could also fit this category if we're just talking limited-access routes in urban cores in general (and I did see Boston's Storrow Drive mentioned earlier).
I-74 eastbound through Peoria gives some nice views of the city, and has enough lanes to avoid congestion most of the time.
I-64 through Charleston is interesting because of all the bridges.
I-77 and I-85 in Charlotte have lots of lanes and are in pretty good shape pavement-wise.
I-40 through Albuquerque has nicely decorated bridges and walls and has planty of lanes.
I-71/75 heading north into Cincinnati from northern Kentucky gives a great view of the skyline, but is usually jammed with traffic.
I-90/94 in Chicago has lots of great views of the city, but I have a hard time agreeing that it's the "best" because of all the traffic.
Quote from: csw on June 26, 2020, 01:01:12 PM
I-90/94 in Chicago has lots of great views of the city, but I have a hard time agreeing that it's the "best" because of all the traffic.
I think the same thing about I-290.
Quote from: webny99 on June 25, 2020, 11:39:21 PM
Setting aside the 40 mph speed limit, I think this section (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1510958,-77.6103231,3a,75y,59.02h,86.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOO21SuzxNF-zdvN2K2jYug!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1) of I-490 in Downtown Rochester, bridge included, is an all-time classic. It's a short, sweet and all-encompassing view of downtown, where the old saying "blink and you miss it" actually applies quite literally.
I've been to many cities - both driving through and visiting - and come away wishing they had a nice, clean, snapshot view of their city from the freeway just like this one. But that's why there's no place like home, I guess. :)
I-490 and I-787 (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6501932,-73.7482838,3a,75y,194.63h,83.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEq8MoIxyRN5_cOfen6quYA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) are both really nice.
US-421/Salem Parkway through Winston-Salem at night. In the many times I've taken that route to see races at Bowman-Gray, I am dumbfounded that I never brought my camera. W-S all lit up is so visually pleasing to me
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 25, 2020, 11:44:03 PM
I-376 does really fit the bill. There's a reason Pittsburgh is called "The only city with an entrance."
They said that about Dallas until Kennedy visited :(
The FDR Drive in Manhattan is pretty spectacular views-wise, but it's not exactly close to freeway standards and doesn't really go through Lower Manhattan. I'm also a big fan of I-280 through the Oranges and Newark, I like the depressed freeway style and I also like being able to see trains on the NJT M&E elevated line right next to the highway!
Quote from: csw on June 26, 2020, 01:01:12 PM
I-90/94 in Chicago has lots of great views of the city, but I have a hard time agreeing that it's the "best" because of all the traffic.
The only thing I dislike there is all those on and off ramps every 500 feet or so.
For Chicago I personally like I-55 it gives it a nice view coming in from the southwest.
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 25, 2020, 01:50:49 PM
I-35 in Duluth has some really nice stretches of interstate near Lake Superior in downtown. It was built a bit later than most downtown interstates (opened 1992) and it shows. It is mostly in a trench with several freeway-cap parks and tunnels, virtually nil in the way of graffiti, and modern interchanges (like a SPUI at Lake Avenue).
The original plan was for an elevated freeway, which wasn't popular because it would have blocked the lake view similar to the Embarcadero Freeway in SF. As Steve Riner mentioned on his site, the underground freeway may have been the best thing to happen to Duluth as it was a rare example of urban renewal actually working out, removing a lot of ugly, decaying buildings and lesser-used railroads east of downtown and replacing them with greenspace.
I-40 thru downtown Memphis is one of my favorites. The Pyramid really is startling and cool.
I also like the Pierce Elevated in Houston. In one area it feels like you're just barely squeezing between 2 buildings.
Quote from: CoreySamson on June 27, 2020, 11:59:07 AM
I-40 thru downtown Memphis is one of my favorites. The Pyramid really is startling and cool.
I also like the Pierce Elevated in Houston. In one area it feels like you're just barely squeezing between 2 buildings.
If NHHIP goes through than the Pierce could be a thing of the past :-(
Downtown Connector in Atlanta is if CA-110 met interstate standards.GA-400 in Downtown Buckhead.
I-405 in Bellevue, WA gives that the feel of going into downtown.
I-196 and US-131 in Grand Rapids
I-65 in Louisville (except for the toll bridge just north of it)
In Detroit, I-375 before the sharp curve to end at Jefferson Ave (BUS-375) with the view of the Ren Cen in the foreground.
I've always liked the West Side Highway on the Upper West Side. The Hudson on one and the topography with the hi-rises in the background on the other is very striking.
You get some great views of Manhattan going southbound on the Bruckner Expressway.
I-95 and I-195 through Providence are quite nice now.
Quote from: texaskdog on June 25, 2020, 02:16:56 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 25, 2020, 01:50:49 PM
I-35 in Duluth has some really nice stretches of interstate near Lake Superior in downtown. It was built a bit later than most downtown interstates (opened 1992) and it shows. It is mostly in a trench with several freeway-cap parks and tunnels, virtually nil in the way of graffiti, and modern interchanges (like a SPUI at Lake Avenue). Also in MN, I-35W in St Paul has a nice downtown stretch (modern bridges, smart signage, and plants in the median south of downtown).
Any other above-par stretches of urban interstate?
When I saw the post I was going to say I-35 in Duluth first.
You mean 35E in Saint Paul, which is the practice freeway
I've been very impressed with what MnDOT did with I-35E/94 in downtown Saint Paul, MN when they rebuilt it in the 1980s.
Mike
The Gardiner Expressway in Toronto goes right next to the core and you come close to multiple buildings. It's also elevated for a large section. The expressway itself is pretty old (no shoulders etc.) but the scenery is awesome.
Quote from: Henry on June 26, 2020, 10:37:58 AM
Quote from: thspfc on June 25, 2020, 03:14:01 PM
I-45 in Houston
Just like a baseball in Minute Maid Park.... Going? Going! Almost gone...................................
I-5 North going to Downtown San Diego is good.
Manila Skyway in Pinoy Joyrides videos have some good shots of Makati area.
Gowanus Expressway and the BQE have great views
I-95 literally touches the tallest building in Richmond.
I'd have to nominate US 101 through Santa Barbara; the southern (compass WSW-ENE portion) portion, the most recently completed, while remaining a surface freeway, did not require any signifcant property taking when it was made full freeway (crossing streets were sunk into underpasses), while the northern (compass SSE-NNW) portion simply follows the UP/Amtrak rail line, which when initially built as an expressway also had minimal residential displacement. Both quite scenic and largely respectful of the neighboring community.
I-394 in Minneapolis as it dives below downtown, then rises up to dump you in at its eastern terminus.