AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: tolbs17 on February 23, 2021, 09:45:44 PM

Title: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: tolbs17 on February 23, 2021, 09:45:44 PM
US-64 from Plymouth NC to Columbia NC,

US-74 bypassing Bryson City,

And the proposed improvements to NC-11 that bypasses Ahoskie is getting a freeway design (they have reasons why they are doing that though as some intersections already have an interchange "expressway, not freeway, at least for right now".).


US-74 bypassing Bryson City isn't as odd as the proposed NC-11 freeway that bypasses Ahoskie, and US-64 from Plymouth to Columbia. It would have been fine if they thought of an expressway design and not freeway. AADT is low enough for just a 4 lane expressway in those areas.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: Max Rockatansky on February 23, 2021, 10:06:37 PM
CA 65 on the western outskirts of Porterville. 
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: Road Hog on February 23, 2021, 10:16:25 PM
Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: kernals12 on February 23, 2021, 10:29:07 PM
US 6 in Willimantic, CT.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: SkyPesos on February 23, 2021, 10:37:11 PM
These 2 past threads are pretty similar to this one

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12641.0

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25314.0
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: tolbs17 on February 23, 2021, 10:42:24 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on February 23, 2021, 10:16:25 PM
Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.
Isn't that the proposed I-57?
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: I-39 on February 23, 2021, 10:58:51 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on February 23, 2021, 10:42:24 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on February 23, 2021, 10:16:25 PM
Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.
Isn't that the proposed I-57?

Yes it is. It will be connected to the existing I-57 eventually.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: tolbs17 on February 23, 2021, 11:05:49 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on February 23, 2021, 10:37:11 PM
These 2 past threads are pretty similar to this one

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12641.0

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25314.0
I say the one from 2019 can be merged. The one from 2014 (and has inactive users) has not been replied since then so there's no need to merge that one too.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: roadman65 on February 24, 2021, 01:51:03 PM
I-75 in the UP of Michigan.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on February 24, 2021, 04:36:46 PM
I read the title of this thread differently to the others. Freeways that can be connected to the network, but run through nothing, like I-70 through the San Rafael Swell. The other threads ask for isolated freeways, i.e. not connected to the network.

In that vein, the ultimate example is the Chinese G7 expressway, officially the Beijing-Xinjiang expressway, but I call it the "Middle of Nowhere expressway". Thanks to its independent section once it breaks off G6 in Bayannur, and especially West of Ejin banner. Now that is desolate.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on February 24, 2021, 05:06:26 PM
MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: kphoger on February 24, 2021, 05:46:12 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 24, 2021, 05:06:26 PM
MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

When did that open, by the way?
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: vdeane on February 24, 2021, 08:51:33 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on February 24, 2021, 04:36:46 PM
In that vein, the ultimate example is the Chinese G7 expressway, officially the Beijing-Xinjiang expressway, but I call it the "Middle of Nowhere expressway". Thanks to its independent section once it breaks off G6 in Bayannur, and especially West of Ejin banner. Now that is desolate.
Really desolate.  I saw a 72 mile gap between exits at one spot.  In that gap, there's what looks like a couple U turn ramps, and two pairs of service plazas.  I thought that was impressive, and then, to the east, I found a gap that's over 82 miles long and another that's over 91!
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: andrepoiy on February 24, 2021, 09:23:50 PM
Lake Ontario State Parkway?
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: vdeane on February 24, 2021, 09:33:31 PM
Quote from: andrepoiy on February 24, 2021, 09:23:50 PM
Lake Ontario State Parkway?
Yeah, that works.  With the at-grade section, the Orleans County part is actually an example of both types of "freeways in the middle of nowhere" simultaneously.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: jp the roadgeek on February 24, 2021, 09:41:19 PM
CT 187/189.  Was supposed to be part of a longer CT 189 freeway that was supposed to connect to I-84 in Hartford. However, only a small segment about a mile in length exists at the very north end of Windsor near the Simsbury and East Granby town lines. 
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: froggie on February 24, 2021, 10:13:56 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 24, 2021, 05:46:12 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 24, 2021, 05:06:26 PM
MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

When did that open, by the way?

Summer of 2012
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: Avalanchez71 on February 25, 2021, 01:39:27 PM
TN SR 22 between Union City, TN and Martin, TN.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: bing101 on February 26, 2021, 12:16:59 AM
Central Luzon Link Expressway but that's because its under construction and the entire route is in a rural part of Luzon, Philippines.


https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/15/New-expressway-in-Central-Luzon-to-open-on-May-15.html
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: DJ Particle on February 26, 2021, 12:31:35 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 24, 2021, 05:06:26 PM
MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

MN-23 bypasses Wilmar as the only freeway for miles around as well, but I dunno how much that counts.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: thspfc on February 26, 2021, 07:33:06 AM
WI-11, WI-69, and WI-81 on the Monroe bypass
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: oscar on February 26, 2021, 08:14:36 AM
Alberta 63 in the remote but large northern city of Fort McMurray. Not exactly where you'd expect a ten-lane freeway -- or to get stuck in a rush-hour traffic jam anyway.

When I was there in 2015, AB 63 south of the city was still being twinned to four-lane divided, for the heavy equipment hauled up there for extracting oil from the oil sands.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: OCGuy81 on February 26, 2021, 08:39:49 AM
I-5 in the Central Valley 😂
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: kphoger on February 26, 2021, 12:57:33 PM
Quote from: DJ Particle on February 26, 2021, 12:31:35 AM

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 24, 2021, 05:06:26 PM
MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

MN-23 bypasses Wilmar as the only freeway for miles around as well, but I dunno how much that counts.

I think it's an edge case, because 23 is four lanes for quite a ways northeast of Wilmar (it doesn't narrow down to two lanes until 13 miles past the end of the freeway).
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: froggie on February 26, 2021, 02:02:10 PM
23/71 around Willmar meets the basic gist of the thread...it's an isolated freeway not connected to adjacent freeways.  That said, by the end of 2024 MnDOT will have completed 4-laning on both sides of Paynesville, completing a 4-lane link from Willmar to I-94.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: SkyPesos on February 26, 2021, 02:12:45 PM
Couple of isolated freeway examples in Ohio:
- OH 73 in Wilmington
- US 20 in Fremont and Norwalk

Debatable:
- US 22 between Bloomingdale and Steubenville counts in the context of the state only, but the freeway does connect to I-376 in PA.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: sturmde on February 26, 2021, 03:38:09 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on February 26, 2021, 02:12:45 PM
Couple of isolated freeway examples in Ohio:
- OH 73 in Wilmington
:

Before DHL's ambitious plan to fully compete with UPS and FedEx went bankrupt, that would have been extended westward and probably become an I-71 spur...
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: tolbs17 on March 04, 2021, 11:21:06 PM
I say "Freeways in the middle of nowhere" if it's in an odd location and AADT is lower than 10,000.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: DandyDan on March 05, 2021, 05:54:44 AM
The IA 5/92 bypass of Knoxville, Iowa. I have no idea why that even exists. IA 5 is an expressway northwest to the Des Moines area, but I believe the freeway bypass came first.
Title: Re: Freeways in the middle of nowhere
Post by: iowahighways on March 05, 2021, 04:21:28 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on March 05, 2021, 05:54:44 AM
The IA 5/92 bypass of Knoxville, Iowa. I have no idea why that even exists. IA 5 is an expressway northwest to the Des Moines area, but I believe the freeway bypass came first.

When the Iowa Highway Commission planned a freeway between Des Moines and Burlington in the 1970s, they wanted it to follow IA 5 and 92 to help with traffic going to Lake Red Rock and Rathbun Lake. The Knoxville bypass and the US 34 freeway through Burlington were the only parts of that freeway that got built. (The southern part of the Des Moines bypass was part of that plan as well but wasn’t completed until 2002.)

When this corridor was scaled down to an expressway in the 1990s, IA 163 was found to be getting more traffic than 5/92, so that corridor was upgraded instead.