Can an Interstate be busy, yet have hardly any services or meaningful exits along it. Sounds like an oxymoron, but it can happen.
Case in point: Today in my work, I had to travel Interstate 80 across part of Wyoming between Green River and Creston Jct (taking SR-789 back to Colorado).
Weather was clear for a winters day both in the skies and on the road. A good amount of cross-country truckers and other travelers, as well as westbound trains on the paralleling Union Pacific line. But between Rock Springs and Wamsutta, there is NOTHING. No wonder when I was on our family's 2-week cross-country trip across America in 1983 I pretty much slept thru Wyoming on I-80.
It kind of reminded me of going across I-40 between Flagstaff AZ and Gallup, NM...but worse (at least there were still a few "towns" spaced out every half hour or so).
That being said, what other stretches of interstates have beefy traffic counts, but little to no civilization, with lack of destination exits (non- ranch access exits), towns and services?
I-15 in California north of San Bernadino
To a lesser extent, I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis and I-55 between Jackson and Memphis.
I-95 between Petersburg and...well, Florida.
A good portion of I-75 in KY, TN, southern GA and northern FL are pretty desolate compared to the busy traffic on the 6 lane rural interstate (except TN, it's still 4 lanes there).
Pretty much all of I-17 north of Phoenix, especially on a Sedona 500 Sunday.
A lot of these interstates mentioned, though may sound desolate, have exits that connect to other highways and towns or have maybe a gas/c-store at many of the exits.
I'm looking more at interstates (like the mentioned I-15, I-40 and I-80 out west) that carry a lot of traffic, but there are no towns, paved connector roads nor services for long stretches
That being the case I-5 between CA 99/Wheeler Ridge and I-580 probably meets the criteria. Its definitely the preferred route for Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic.
Quote from: thenetwork on January 19, 2021, 10:02:40 PM
A lot of these interstates mentioned, though may sound desolate, have exits that connect to other highways and towns or have maybe a gas/c-store at many of the exits.
I'm looking more at interstates (like the mentioned I-15, I-40 and I-80 out west) that carry a lot of traffic, but there are no towns, paved connector roads nor services for long stretches
In that case, not a lot of interstates here in the east would quality. I'm guessing you won't count I-80 in PA either. Probably the best place to find those are the Appalachians here, and maybe a section of I-40 near the TN-NC border, I-77 in WV, I-79 in WV or I-81 in VA would qualify. Another place that may have some is the White Mountains in New England, though I'm not too familiar with that area.
For my area, this section (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9862269,-76.7691449,3a,75y,70.22h,87.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBKCF_83S1dj0ujIBGCpBgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1) of the NY Thruway through the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge is the closest you're going to get to being truly desolate but still have volumes upwards of 30K (around 35K as of the most recent data). It's 17 miles between exits, both of which have services. Of course, it's still not that desolate when compared to parts of the West and Midwest, but I'm just putting it out there because it's the best example you're going to find in NY state, if not the entire Northeast.
Parts of I-81 and I-95 might have the traffic volumes to qualify, but good luck finding a 17-mile stretch with no exits or a string of exits with no services.
I-90, west of Westfield, MA.
I haven't been on much of I-10 in Arizona west of SR 85, but will opine that, east of there, outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas it (1) doesn't run close to many towns (Benson, Casa Grande, and Wilcox are all that immediately come to mind), (2) is pretty doggoned desolate, and (3) seems awfully busy to me.
Speed limit is 75 MPH more often than it isn't, but the traffic, especially truck traffic, is heavy enough that it's hard to keep the cruise control engaged.
I-20/59 between Meridian, MS and Tuscaloosa, AL
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 10:10:25 PM
That being the case I-5 between CA 99/Wheeler Ridge and I-580 probably meets the criteria. Its definitely the preferred route for Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic.
How about I-5 from Sacramento to Redding it seems to be the other part of I-5 that meets this criteria for Pacific Northwest traffic.
Quote from: bing101 on January 20, 2021, 12:36:39 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 10:10:25 PM
That being the case I-5 between CA 99/Wheeler Ridge and I-580 probably meets the criteria. Its definitely the preferred route for Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic.
How about I-5 from Sacramento to Redding it seems to be the other part of I-5 that meets this criteria for Pacific Northwest traffic.
I personally don't think so, that stretch gets really calm north of CA 113 and doesn't really pick up again until Red Bluff.
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
It's not an Interstate (many could argue it deserves a designation yesterday), but Florida's Turnpike could qualify between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee. For 92 miles northbound and 87 miles southbound, there are only two service plazas and one interchange, with gaps of 32 miles (Fort Pierce to Fort Drum Service Plaza) and 37 miles (Yeehaw Junction to Canoe Creek Service Plaza) between services, while traveling through a very lightly populated part of Florida but carrying traffic directly between two of Florida's most populated areas.
Quote from: Takumi on January 19, 2021, 09:40:19 PM
I-95 between Petersburg and...well, Florida.
I'd say I-64 on both sides of Richmond counts as well.
I-15 between SoCal and Las Vegas
I-75 and I-95 for all of FL pretty much, especially in season.
I-95 south of Richmond
I-35 between San Antonio and DFW
I-5 in the Central Valley
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-75 and I-95 for all of FL pretty much, especially in season.
You have an idea of how busy Alligator Alley is? That may be the best example for a busy freeway and using the op's strict standard for desolate (no exits to gas stations/restaurants/convenience stores) here in the east.
I second I-15 between San Bernardino and Vegas. I-90/94 from Madison to Tomah. I-70 from Denver to around Vail.
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:36:09 PM
I-70 from Denver to around Vail.
Idaho Springs is hardly "nothing". Might even through Georgetown in there too.
Quote from: kphoger on January 20, 2021, 12:38:25 PM
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:36:09 PM
I-70 from Denver to around Vail.
Idaho Springs is hardly "nothing". Might even through Georgetown in there too.
If I-70 through there is not "desolate", then there are like five truly desolate Interstate stretches in the country. And Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco, Copper Mountain, and Vail are all more notable than Idaho Springs anyways . . .
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
I actually looked up the AADT of that stretch of I-80 in Wyoming. It's only 6-7k. What's "beefy" by the OP's standards is "pretty dead" by our standards, so things like the Northway might qualify.
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:42:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 20, 2021, 12:38:25 PM
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:36:09 PM
I-70 from Denver to around Vail.
Idaho Springs is hardly "nothing". Might even through Georgetown in there too.
If I-70 through there is not "desolate", then there are like five truly desolate Interstate stretches in the country. And Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco, Copper Mountain, and Vail are all more notable than Idaho Springs anyways . . .
Well, I've personally had multiple reasons to get off I-70 at Idaho Springs, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Not counting access to hike St Mary's Glacier, which uses a nearby exit instead)... My family got off the highway there during one of our recent road trips to fill up with gas and eat lunch. At the west end, there's a big Kum & Go, plus two other smaller gas stations. At the east end, there's a big Phillips 66 station, plus a smaller Exxon, as well as McDonald's and Carl's Jr. In between is a whole host of gift shops, hotels/motels, local restaurants (I recommend Smokin Yard's BBQ) and cafés, a hot spring pool and spa, and various other tourist draws.
https://thisisidahosprings.com/idaho-springs-colorado-tourism/ (https://thisisidahosprings.com/idaho-springs-colorado-tourism/)
The challenge with finding desolation in the East is that–in addition to the fact that cities and towns are more numerous and closer together than in the West–the land itself is more naturally habitable. Rainfall is plentiful, terrain tends to be more hilly than mountainous, and it was fairly easy for settlers to dig a well, build a homestead, and begin growing crops to sustain themselves. In Pennsylvania, with the exception of protected state and national forests, it seems virtually impossible to drive a few miles in even the most rural parts of the state and not run into a homestead here, a farm there, etc.
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
More specifically, the closest I-80 gets to crossing an area devoid of development is due south of Williamsport. Westbound, after passing the interchange with US 15 at New Columbia, I-80 passes through a swath of the Bald Eagle State Forest that is virtually free of humans except for I-80 itself. The stretch includes an interchange with a road that reverts to gravel just beyond the interchange–the only one (to my knowledge) that PennDOT has felt the need to label "
NO SERVICES" .
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 10:10:25 PM
That being the case I-5 between CA 99/Wheeler Ridge and I-580 probably meets the criteria. Its definitely the preferred route for Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic.
I believe I-5 from Castaic to CA-99 (Tejon Pass/Grapevine) counts too.
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 20, 2021, 12:35:09 PM
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-75 and I-95 for all of FL pretty much, especially in season.
You have an idea of how busy Alligator Alley is? That may be the best example for a busy freeway and using the op's strict standard for desolate (no exits to gas stations/restaurants/convenience stores) here in the east.
Alligator Alley on a Sunday afternoon or a holiday weekend is surprisingly busy. Not quite bumper to bumper, but plenty of traffic for 2 exits and 80 miles of nearly uninhabited land. Exit 80 (SR 29) has no services but there's large gas station at Exit 49 (CR 833).
Though not an Interstate, Florida's Turnpike northbound from FL 70 to Kissimmee is full of weekend travelers and the exits are also sparsely populated at best. At least there's a service plaza in the middle.
I-80 between Fernley and Lovelock in NV; about the only meaningful exit is that for US 95 south at about the midpoint. Desolate desert, alkali flats -- even the Humboldt Sink -- all as roadside "attractions". But full of traffic -- dominated by trucks -- nevertheless.
I-5 between Eugene and Albany... especially on Beavers or Ducks games.
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-15 between SoCal and Las Vegas
I-75 and I-95 for all of FL pretty much, especially in season.
I-95 south of Richmond
I-35 between San Antonio and DFW
I-5 in the Central Valley
I would also include I-15 through Arizona/Virgin River Gorge because of the amount of traffic and limited facilities and the fact to get to the rest of Arizona from there, you have to leave the state.
I'd love to include I-70 in Utah, but the traffic counts are nowhere near what they see on I-15.
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
Would I-89 between Burlington and the Canadian border qualify? I feel like it carries a lot of Montreal bound traffic from both Burlington and Boston.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on January 20, 2021, 09:45:01 PM
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
Would I-89 between Burlington and the Canadian border qualify? I feel like it carries a lot of Montreal bound traffic from both Burlington and Boston.
To the op's standard, no. I'm not familiar with the area, but with a quick search on google maps, it seems like every exit lands you in a town or have a gas station, which disqualifies the freeway based on the op's standard of desolate.
I-65 between Birmingham and Huntsville. A lot of trucks.
I-24 between Monteagle and Manchester, TN. Also from Jasper to near Chattanooga, TN.
I 39 in Illinois. 30 years in still nothing on it. BOOOORRRRING
Quote from: briantroutman on January 20, 2021, 12:58:09 PM
Westbound, after passing the interchange with US 15 at New Columbia, I-80 passes through a swath of the Bald Eagle State Forest that is virtually free of humans except for I-80 itself. The stretch includes an interchange with a road that reverts to gravel just beyond the interchange–the only one (to my knowledge) that PennDOT has felt the need to label "NO SERVICES" .
This is the most comparable example I've seen so far to I-90 through Montezuma. It's maybe even a bit
more desolate, although in a very different and less traditional way, and it's almost identical in length at about 17 miles. Traffic volumes are significantly lower, though: 20-22K according to PennDOT's most recent data, just over half of the 37K on I-90.
Quote from: texaskdog on January 21, 2021, 09:07:23 AM
I 39 in Illinois. 30 years in still nothing on it. BOOOORRRRING
South of Rochelle, AADT stays in the 15k-21k range. That surprised me: I figured it would be lower.
Quote from: kphoger on January 20, 2021, 12:57:44 PM
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:42:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 20, 2021, 12:38:25 PM
Quote from: thspfc on January 20, 2021, 12:36:09 PM
I-70 from Denver to around Vail.
Idaho Springs is hardly "nothing". Might even through Georgetown in there too.
If I-70 through there is not "desolate", then there are like five truly desolate Interstate stretches in the country. And Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco, Copper Mountain, and Vail are all more notable than Idaho Springs anyways . . .
Well, I've personally had multiple reasons to get off I-70 at Idaho Springs, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Not counting access to hike St Mary's Glacier, which uses a nearby exit instead)... My family got off the highway there during one of our recent road trips to fill up with gas and eat lunch. At the west end, there's a big Kum & Go, plus two other smaller gas stations. At the east end, there's a big Phillips 66 station, plus a smaller Exxon, as well as McDonald's and Carl's Jr. In between is a whole host of gift shops, hotels/motels, local restaurants (I recommend Smokin Yard's BBQ) and cafés, a hot spring pool and spa, and various other tourist draws.
https://thisisidahosprings.com/idaho-springs-colorado-tourism/ (https://thisisidahosprings.com/idaho-springs-colorado-tourism/)
It's a very neat place. I always enjoy driving through there. But normally we stop at Silverthorne or Frisco.
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-35 between San Antonio and DFW
Ummm.... I-35 between San Antonio and DFW goes through a town every 10-15 miles the entire stretch, where even the littlest town has 3 exits. Not to mention there is a metro area of 2.5 million people on that route you skipped over. That portion of interstate is basically a 290 mile urban corridor.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on January 21, 2021, 01:45:25 PM
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-35 between San Antonio and DFW
Ummm.... I-35 between San Antonio and DFW goes through a town every 10-15 miles the entire stretch, where even the littlest town has 3 exits. Not to mention there is a metro area of 2.5 million people on that route you skipped over. That portion of interstate is basically a 290 mile urban corridor.
:-D Desolate! Yeah, right!
I-70 in Western Colorado I think qualifies.
I-30 between Texarkana and Little Rock is interesting to me. Driving on it, it feels very desolate. The tall trees block off any vision of life and exits are very far apart. I didn't really think about it until I was low on gas and felt like I was going to be walking because of these two reasons.
I think I-40 between Memphis and Nashville has this feeling. I know it is not as desolate as it feels, but the vegetation makes it feel like I am driving through the woods, but there is a lot of traffic.
Minneapolis: I-35W northeast of Lexington Avenue and I-35E north of County E. The desolate feelings have been reduced by the additions of MnPass lanes on 35E and the ongoing construction of ones on 35W. On I-35E between County E and County 96, you can look down from an overpass and see a lonely rural-type restaurant sitting on a corner. That to me is a rural feeling.
I-80 in Wyoming. Pretty much the entire state outside of Cheyenne & Laramie (because they're not desolate). All the trucks. All of them. And all of the wind.
Quote from: Mark68 on January 21, 2021, 01:59:21 PM
I-80 in Wyoming. Pretty much the entire state outside of Cheyenne & Laramie (because they're not desolate). All the trucks. All of them. And all of the wind.
Did you read the OP?
Quote from: Mark68 on January 21, 2021, 01:59:21 PM
I-80 in Wyoming. Pretty much the entire state outside of Cheyenne & Laramie (because they're not desolate). All the trucks. All of them. And all of the wind.
There's a lot of truck traffic but it has never struck me as busy.
Quote from: thspfc on January 22, 2021, 02:43:23 PM
Quote from: Mark68 on January 21, 2021, 01:59:21 PM
I-80 in Wyoming. Pretty much the entire state outside of Cheyenne & Laramie (because they're not desolate). All the trucks. All of them. And all of the wind.
There's a lot of truck traffic but it has never struck me as busy.
So you're saying the OP's own example doesn't qualify.
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 20, 2021, 11:26:30 AM
Quote from: Takumi on January 19, 2021, 09:40:19 PM
I-95 between Petersburg and...well, Florida.
I'd say I-64 on both sides of Richmond counts as well.
Yeah, though the east side is a relatively short stretch in comparison with west of Richmond. Between 295 and around VA 30 it's quiet, then you start running into Williamsburg and Hampton Roads development.
Interstate 81 in VA doesn't go through all that much, with its largest city being the Roanoke area. I'd look for the highest combination of desolate and heavily traveled to be either between the two 64 interchanges or the stretch north of Harrisonburg. Between Gainesville and Front Royal on I-66 has some traffic to it too, with almost nothing in between.
My other suggestion would be to find a place on I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis. There's some decently desolate spots there.
Given that *busiest* is the word emphasized in the thread title, has there been any examples that are truly busy in an objective sense, and not just "heavy truck traffic" or "lots of long distance traffic"? I'm thinking volumes of at least 50-60K.
Quote from: webny99 on January 22, 2021, 03:55:08 PM
Given that *busiest* is the word emphasized in the thread title, has there been any examples that are truly busy in an objective sense, and not just "heavy truck traffic" or "lots of long distance traffic"? I'm thinking volumes of at least 50-60K.
I mean, it's not "desolate" as in the I-80 Wyoming example, but I've found I-75 in Southern Georgia, despite not going through any large towns to feel pretty darn busy. AADT in the couple spots I checked are just a hair under 50K.
Chris
Quote from: thenetwork on January 19, 2021, 09:20:26 PM
But between Rock Springs and Wamsutta, there is NOTHING.
OK, what am I missing here? When I look at the
WYDOT AADT map (https://apps.wyoroad.info/itsm/map.html) for that stretch, every segment has a
Truck AADT that's
higher than the
Total AADT.
:hmmm:
To help look at things more systematically, I (admittedly inexactly) overlaid froggie's AADT map over Wikipedia's population density map to see what I could see. Overall, what we want is land that's toward the green side and lines that aren't. While this neglects small areas of settlement, it seems like a useful visual aid.
What sticks out the most for me is I-40 in the Southwest, but there's also some others, like that infamous bit of I-80 in WY.
(https://i.imgur.com/GBLDez3.png)
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 22, 2021, 05:18:33 PM
To help look at things more systematically, I (admittedly inexactly) overlaid froggie's AADT map over Wikipedia's population density map to see what I could see. Overall, what we want is land that's toward the green side and lines that aren't. While this neglects small areas of settlement, it seems like a useful visual aid.
What sticks out the most for me is I-40 in the Southwest, but there's also some others, like that infamous bit of I-80 in WY.
(https://i.imgur.com/GBLDez3.png)
Nicely done.
I'd also point out I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split.
Chris
Quote from: bing101 on January 20, 2021, 12:36:39 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 19, 2021, 10:10:25 PM
That being the case I-5 between CA 99/Wheeler Ridge and I-580 probably meets the criteria. Its definitely the preferred route for Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic.
How about I-5 from Sacramento to Redding it seems to be the other part of I-5 that meets this criteria for Pacific Northwest traffic.
I don't think so. That stretch of I-5 has decent sized towns every 20-30 miles, real towns with permanent populations, not just a gas station, a hotel, and two fast food places. Williams, Willows, Orland, Corning, Red Bluff, Cottonwood. The Sacramento Valley has rich agriculture and the towns have the people that work the land, plus all the ag related businesses. Noticeably less desolate than I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy, to say nothing of I-80 through Wyoming.
When I saw the post about desolate interstates, the first one that came to mind was I-10 in west Texas. Given that it's the main route between El Paso and San Antonio (as well as Dallas via I-20), how busy would you say it gets with truck traffic? From what I've seen of it in pictures, it seems pretty empty for the most part.
Quote from: webny99 on January 22, 2021, 03:55:08 PM
Given that *busiest* is the word emphasized in the thread title, has there been any examples that are truly busy in an objective sense, and not just "heavy truck traffic" or "lots of long distance traffic"? I'm thinking volumes of at least 50-60K.
Best example I can think of would be I-64 between Richmond and Williamsburg with over 60,000 AADT, a few exits spread miles apart, and continuous trees on the outside and in the median with no sight of the opposite roadway. The stretch is only 30 miles long, though is monotonous 4 lane 70 mph interstate with heavy traffic with the left lane varying from 50-80mph (trucks aren't even a problem half the time, nobody seems to know how to drive 70 mph, yet come to Hampton Roads and 75-80 mph on 55-65 mph freeways is common place) and the right lane a steady 55 mph and no change in scenery that seems to go on forever.
Plans are to widen this segment of interstate to 6 lanes in the next decade, and by the time that finishes, traversing this corridor will definitely look different given the lack of median trees.
I-95 from the Savannah River to Exit 33 (US 17) in SC. 50-60K cars a day on a 2/2 stretch of road, a hugely important piece of road as it gains thousands of cars from people getting off US 17 from the Charleston area who pick it up at 33. Has 2 stretches of 8-10 miles without exits.
You could add up to Exit 86 with I-95. About 50K cars a day that whole stretch, and it basically goes through a bunch of pine trees with only the 2 exits at Walterboro, and the one at St. George having many services.
95 gains a bunch of cars from 26 as folks from other parts of SC and I-77 use it to get to Florida.
Quote from: Sctvhound on January 23, 2021, 01:57:25 AM
I-95 from the Savannah River to Exit 33 (US 17) in SC. 50-60K cars a day on a 2/2 stretch of road, a hugely important piece of road as it gains thousands of cars from people getting off US 17 from the Charleston area who pick it up at 33. Has 2 stretches of 8-10 miles without exits.
You could add up to Exit 86 with I-95. About 50K cars a day that whole stretch, and it basically goes through a bunch of pine trees with only the 2 exits at Walterboro, and the one at St. George having many services.
95 gains a bunch of cars from 26 as folks from other parts of SC and I-77 use it to get to Florida.
I would go further to say all of 95 from GA to Florence. I used to drive that for work on a regular basis, and its hell. Old crappy pavement, narrow lanes, heavy traffic going way too fast. The interchange with I-26 is woefully substandard, almost to the point of being dangerous.
Quote from: fillup420 on January 23, 2021, 06:49:27 AM
Quote from: Sctvhound on January 23, 2021, 01:57:25 AM
I-95 from the Savannah River to Exit 33 (US 17) in SC. 50-60K cars a day on a 2/2 stretch of road, a hugely important piece of road as it gains thousands of cars from people getting off US 17 from the Charleston area who pick it up at 33. Has 2 stretches of 8-10 miles without exits.
You could add up to Exit 86 with I-95. About 50K cars a day that whole stretch, and it basically goes through a bunch of pine trees with only the 2 exits at Walterboro, and the one at St. George having many services.
95 gains a bunch of cars from 26 as folks from other parts of SC and I-77 use it to get to Florida.
I would go further to say all of 95 from GA to Florence. I used to drive that for work on a regular basis, and its hell. Old crappy pavement, narrow lanes, heavy traffic going way too fast. The interchange with I-26 is woefully substandard, almost to the point of being dangerous.
From what it looks like, both I-95 to I-26 movements would benefit from flyovers. I-95 SB to I-26 EB probably have a lot of traffic going into Charleston, and I-95 NB to I-26 WB is part of the connection from I-95 in FL to the I-77 corridor.
Quote from: jayhawkco on January 22, 2021, 05:33:06 PM
I'd also point out I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split.
Are you referring to I-20? That between I-10 and Dallas stood out to me as well.
Also I-70 in western Colorado and I-80 through Nebraska.
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2021, 12:44:16 PM
Quote from: jayhawkco on January 22, 2021, 05:33:06 PM
I'd also point out I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split.
Are you referring to I-20? That between I-10 and Dallas stood out to me as well.
Also I-70 in western Colorado and I-80 through Nebraska.
No. As I posted, I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split. In the map posted above, it's in a very desolate area (dark green population density) but the AADT isn't that low as it necessarily carries both the I-10 and what will become the I-20 traffic together. There is absolutely nothing out there if you've ever been.
The I-20 stretch at least has Midland/Odessa and Abilene.
Chris
Quote from: jayhawkco on January 23, 2021, 05:00:06 PM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2021, 12:44:16 PM
Quote from: jayhawkco on January 22, 2021, 05:33:06 PM
I'd also point out I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split.
Are you referring to I-20? That between I-10 and Dallas stood out to me as well.
Also I-70 in western Colorado and I-80 through Nebraska.
No. As I posted, I-10 between El Paso and the I-20 split. In the map posted above, it's in a very desolate area (dark green population density) but the AADT isn't that low as it necessarily carries both the I-10 and what will become the I-20 traffic together. There is absolutely nothing out there if you've ever been.
The I-20 stretch at least has Midland/Odessa and Abilene.
Sorry, I misread your post and was looking at the wrong section of I-10 (between I-20 and San Antonio). That doesn't seem as busy as I-20, but you're right about the stretch west of I-20.
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2021, 05:43:03 PM
Sorry, I misread your post and was looking at the wrong section of I-10 (between I-20 and San Antonio). That doesn't seem as busy as I-20, but you're right about the stretch west of I-20.
Yeah, that portion of I-10 (which I haven't been on yet) looks to be pretty barren since there aren't any towns over 10,000 people until you're almost to San Antonio (Kerrville, pop. 23,754) .
Chris
Quote from: fillup420 on January 23, 2021, 06:49:27 AM
Quote from: Sctvhound on January 23, 2021, 01:57:25 AM
I-95 from the Savannah River to Exit 33 (US 17) in SC. 50-60K cars a day on a 2/2 stretch of road, a hugely important piece of road as it gains thousands of cars from people getting off US 17 from the Charleston area who pick it up at 33. Has 2 stretches of 8-10 miles without exits.
You could add up to Exit 86 with I-95. About 50K cars a day that whole stretch, and it basically goes through a bunch of pine trees with only the 2 exits at Walterboro, and the one at St. George having many services.
95 gains a bunch of cars from 26 as folks from other parts of SC and I-77 use it to get to Florida.
I would go further to say all of 95 from GA to Florence. I used to drive that for work on a regular basis, and its hell. Old crappy pavement, narrow lanes, heavy traffic going way too fast. The interchange with I-26 is woefully substandard, almost to the point of being dangerous.
Yup. From Lake Marion to Florence (Exit 98 to 157) there is one exit (119 in Manning) with more than 1 gas station and/or motel on it. Still the same two lanes that it was when they built it in the 1960s-70s. And the I-26 interchange is brutal. Four sharp curves that could turn almost any truck. Pretty much the whole state of SC except for those 5 miles or so around Florence where it goes to 3/3 is probably the most substandard part of I-95.
Quote from: 1 on January 22, 2021, 02:46:15 PM
Quote from: thspfc on January 22, 2021, 02:43:23 PM
Quote from: Mark68 on January 21, 2021, 01:59:21 PM
I-80 in Wyoming. Pretty much the entire state outside of Cheyenne & Laramie (because they're not desolate). All the trucks. All of them. And all of the wind.
There's a lot of truck traffic but it has never struck me as busy.
So you're saying the OP's own example doesn't qualify.
I mean, yeah, kind of. "Busiest" is obviously being used very loosely here. In my mind, just because a road has a lot of truck traffic doesn't mean it's busy.
This probably doesn't really work when compared to the whole country, but a regional example that came to mind is I-95 between Danvers and Newburyport, MA. It's a fairly busy 8-lane freeway with exits every 2-3 miles, but not a single one of the interchanges along this 16-mile stretch has commercial development around it. No gas stations, fast food, nothing. Sure there are little towns just off the road, but the immediate surroundings just consist of lots of trees and some residential. Pretty desolate by eastern Mass standards.
I'm not sure if it qualifies, but the stretch of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside through Camp Pendleton always struck me as an odd contrast. It's not an especially long stretch, but there is the extremely busy 8-lane freeway, adjacent to the coast, with no private development or services.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3287157,-117.4925478,3a,75y,139.01h,82.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_i-FRQoLA-Re2TkZmBMz5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Quote from: jdbx on January 26, 2021, 03:26:44 PM
I'm not sure if it qualifies, but the stretch of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside through Camp Pendleton always struck me as an odd contrast. It's not an especially long stretch, but there is the extremely busy 8-lane freeway, adjacent to the coast, with no private development or services.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3287157,-117.4925478,3a,75y,139.01h,82.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_i-FRQoLA-Re2TkZmBMz5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
I agree. That portion of I-5 feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, yet you are in between 2 mega cities. The huge ultra busy freeway feels out of place.
Quote from: jdbx on January 26, 2021, 03:26:44 PM
I'm not sure if it qualifies, but the stretch of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside through Camp Pendleton always struck me as an odd contrast. It's not an especially long stretch, but there is the extremely busy 8-lane freeway, adjacent to the coast, with no private development or services.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3287157,-117.4925478,3a,75y,139.01h,82.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_i-FRQoLA-Re2TkZmBMz5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
The distance between services is only 17 miles. That doesn't sound like very far, but I'm guessing it's pretty rare for a non-tollway route with an AADT of 145,000.
Quote from: kphoger on January 26, 2021, 03:38:21 PM
Quote from: jdbx on January 26, 2021, 03:26:44 PM
I'm not sure if it qualifies, but the stretch of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside through Camp Pendleton always struck me as an odd contrast. It's not an especially long stretch, but there is the extremely busy 8-lane freeway, adjacent to the coast, with no private development or services.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3287157,-117.4925478,3a,75y,139.01h,82.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_i-FRQoLA-Re2TkZmBMz5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
The distance between services is only 17 miles. That doesn't sound like very far, but I'm guessing it's pretty rare for a non-tollway route with an AADT of 145,000.
Yes, it's 17 miles and not far, but there is something about that drive. Maybe because, particularly driving southbound on I-5, you have been in a continuous city for 100 miles, then you see open nothingness, for a second you forget you are still not far away from the Los Angeles or San Diego areas.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on January 26, 2021, 03:47:09 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 26, 2021, 03:38:21 PM
Quote from: jdbx on January 26, 2021, 03:26:44 PM
I'm not sure if it qualifies, but the stretch of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside through Camp Pendleton always struck me as an odd contrast. It's not an especially long stretch, but there is the extremely busy 8-lane freeway, adjacent to the coast, with no private development or services.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3287157,-117.4925478,3a,75y,139.01h,82.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_i-FRQoLA-Re2TkZmBMz5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
The distance between services is only 17 miles. That doesn't sound like very far, but I'm guessing it's pretty rare for a non-tollway route with an AADT of 145,000.
Yes, it's 17 miles and not far, but there is something about that drive. Maybe because, particularly driving southbound on I-5, you have been in a continuous city for 100 miles, then you see open nothingness, for a second you forget you are still not far away from the Los Angeles or San Diego areas.
Exactly. That sensation is compounded even more when it's a holiday weekend or other busy time and you are in bumper-to-bumper traffic in that environment. I have encountered that many times when driving down to San Diego for a weekend getaway.
These stretches aren't long, but I-80 in IL from exit 93 to 112 has no services at the intermediate interchanges, and between Exits 33 and 70 only has the services at Exit 56 Princeton and a rest area. And a constant 25-30k daily traffic.
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike in western Pennsylvania is a major conduit.
From the west, you have traffic from major Great Lakes metropolitan areas like Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee on the Turnpike, and traffic from major lower Midwestern metropolitan areas like Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Louis on I-70. From the east, you have traffic from Philadelphia and the southern half of the New York metropolitan area on the Turnpike, and traffic from Washington DC and Baltimore on I-70.
All of this long-distance traffic is funneled onto an 86-mile concurrency just east of another major metropolitan area, Pittsburgh, which happens to be flanked by both highways. In spite of all that traffic, the Turnpike/I-70 concurrency has only three interchanges on it, plus the fourth-longest interchange gap on the entire Interstate system: 36 miles from Somerset (Exit 110) to Bedford (exit 146).
The sooner the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission replaces or eliminates the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, the better, since the Turnpike can then be expanded to six lanes along the entire concurrency with I-70.
Quote from: kphoger on January 21, 2021, 12:20:45 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on January 21, 2021, 09:07:23 AM
I 39 in Illinois. 30 years in still nothing on it. BOOOORRRRING
South of Rochelle, AADT stays in the 15k-21k range. That surprised me: I figured it would be lower.
I used to drive I-39 to I-74 a lot to visit family in Indiana when I lived in Wisconsin. I always got the impression a fair amount of the traffic on it was using that route for the same reason I was, to avoid having to drive through Chicago (something that's quite a bit harder for me to pull off now). Services along that stretch of I-39 were sparse enough that I'd usually try to time out meals for Bloomington-Normal or else somewhere along I-74.
Quote from: Bickendan on January 20, 2021, 08:00:59 PM
I-5 between Eugene and Albany... especially on Beavers or Ducks games.
Yes!! I think 3 lanes in each direction is sorely needed on I-5 all the way to Eugene. The stretch from south of Salem to Eugene is pretty busy with truck traffic at most times.
Quote from: Gnutella on February 09, 2021, 08:37:59 AM
The sooner the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission replaces or eliminates the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, the better, since the Turnpike can then be expanded to six lanes along the entire concurrency with I-70.
While it would be nice to see what is going to happen with the tunnel, if we're talking about 6 lanes along the ENTIRE concurrency with I-70, I imagine that's still a good 30-40 years away at least.
It appears they are doing new reconstruction with the 6-lane template, as was announced with the miles they are doing between the Laurel Hill Tunnel Bypass and near the Somerset interchange..... but all those miles in Westmoreland County between New Stanton and the Somerset County line (Laurel Hill bypass) were reconstructed already, before 6-laning became their standard S.O.P. I'd be beyond shocked if they 6-laned any of that sooner than 30-40 years from now.
Quote from: Gnutella on February 09, 2021, 08:37:59 AM
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2021, 12:43:31 AM
I-76 and I-80 across central PA are among the best you'll get in the east.
Nothing in northern New England gets enough traffic to qualify. Everything remotely desolate in NY is pretty dead.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike in western Pennsylvania is a major conduit.
From the west, you have traffic from major Great Lakes metropolitan areas like Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee on the Turnpike, and traffic from major lower Midwestern metropolitan areas like Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Louis on I-70. From the east, you have traffic from Philadelphia and the southern half of the New York metropolitan area on the Turnpike, and traffic from Washington DC and Baltimore on I-70.
All of this long-distance traffic is funneled onto an 86-mile concurrency just east of another major metropolitan area, Pittsburgh, which happens to be flanked by both highways. In spite of all that traffic, the Turnpike/I-70 concurrency has only three interchanges on it, plus the fourth-longest interchange gap on the entire Interstate system: 36 miles from Somerset (Exit 110) to Bedford (exit 146).
The sooner the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission replaces or eliminates the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, the better, since the Turnpike can then be expanded to six lanes along the entire concurrency with I-70.
I always use the PA 43/US 40/I-68 routing between California, PA and Hancock, MD instead of I-70. Not sure how many drivers uses this routing over the turnpike, considering that this is the default option on Google Maps when going between a city on I-70 in the Midwest and DC/Baltimore. Besides DC/Baltimore, I-70/I-76 is the best option from the Lower Midwest cities to Philadelphia, I-70/I-78 is the best option to NYC (I called I-78 a spur/continuation of I-70 traffic to NYC before, as it continues the subtle SW-NE trajectory of I-70 between St Louis and Breezewood really well). North of NYC, it's better to change from I-70 to I-71 at Columbus, then either I-80 or I-90.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on January 21, 2021, 01:45:25 PM
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on January 20, 2021, 11:52:21 AM
I-35 between San Antonio and DFW
Ummm.... I-35 between San Antonio and DFW goes through a town every 10-15 miles the entire stretch, where even the littlest town has 3 exits. Not to mention there is a metro area of 2.5 million people on that route you skipped over. That portion of interstate is basically a 290 mile urban corridor.
I'd argue I-45 between Houston and Dallas is more desolate.
I-10 between Fort Stockton and Ozona has a decent amount of traffic but the only exit is in Bakersfield (2 gas stations), a rest area, and a couple of back roads. no "GET GAS NOW" warnings either
Quote from: texaskdog on February 20, 2021, 07:50:17 PM
I-10 between Fort Stockton and Ozona has a decent amount of traffic but the only exit is in Bakersfield (2 gas stations), a rest area, and a couple of back roads. no "GET GAS NOW" warnings either
One of those gas stations was closed for the longest time, adding salt to the wound.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on February 22, 2021, 10:30:23 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on February 20, 2021, 07:50:17 PM
I-10 between Fort Stockton and Ozona has a decent amount of traffic but the only exit is in Bakersfield (2 gas stations), a rest area, and a couple of back roads. no "GET GAS NOW" warnings either
One of those gas stations was closed for the longest time, adding salt to the wound.
Also, the apparent (and surprising) lack of a gas station at the TX 349 exit, which is much closer to residents (and therefore employees) than the Bakersfield exit, which manages to support two gas stations despite the nearest places of residence being in Fort Stockton
Interstate 75 in the U.P. of Michigan. Busy only because of traffic between the bridges. But, nothing but trees & moose.
I-69 from essentially the KY/TN state-line to at least Madisonville, KY if not Henderson. This is one of those highways that has a lot of thru traffic, but going around towns less than 50,000 people. Even once the eventually TN portion is finished, you can drive 150 miles or more from Dyersburg to Henderson and really not go thru any large cities the entire route.
Pretty much the same for I-57 south of Chicago all the way to I-55 in AR. Lotta driving, traffic, only a few burgs to pass thru.
The future I-69E from Corpus Christi to the Brownsville area.
I-80 west of Salt Lake City out to NV.
Quote from: Ryctor2018 on February 24, 2021, 11:47:36 PM
Interstate 75 in the U.P. of Michigan. Busy only because of traffic between the bridges. But, nothing but trees & moose.
Surprisingly, about half that length is open area - either scrub or hayfields.
As for moose, they do exist in the eastern UP - I may have seen one once driving I-75, something was wading in the water but I didn't look fast enough. Moose are more prevalent in the western UP.