Good evening.
Thanks largely (entirely?) to the Interstate System, there are a lot of roads (US and State) that have been supplanted by the freeways. However, these roads still serve a very useful purpose, and they are appreciated.
One example that gave me the idea to write this thread is Indiana State Road 2. Largely supplanted by a multitude of routes, including the Toll Road, US 30, and I-65, it still has a lot of usefulness. Starting from the St. Joseph Valley Parkway outside of South Bend, anyone with time to spend and looking to avoid a large portion of the potential chaos of highway traffic could use this route to go to Laporte, Valparaiso, and ultimately, Kankakee (the road continues as Illinois 17).
By no means is there a definitive answer. I just want to hear what routes you think are still of good use, even if there are faster alternatives available. Enjoy, and thank you in advance for your responses.
US 66
US Route 99
County 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors. If you're going to points north and willing to drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the shore, why skip the first 20 miles? How much time are you saving?
In Michigan, old US-27 in the northern part of the state and old US-16 especially west of Lansing. I'll often get off the Interstate and drive parts of these roads instead.
In southern Florida, I actually liked driving the US-41 Tamiami Trail versus I-75 Alligator Alley.
US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike. However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.
US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.
US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.
By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 03, 2021, 01:54:10 PM
US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike. However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.
Plus, US 27 is free. Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?
Quote from: OCGuy81 on May 03, 2021, 01:59:43 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 03, 2021, 01:54:10 PM
US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike. However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.
Plus, US 27 is free. Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?
If I was a long distance traveler, no way would I subject myself to those conditions. For a one or two time trip, I'd pay the toll to drive 70+ mph the whole way. Daily commuter? Depends.
In California, I'd often take CA-99 through the Central Valley. It added time, but there were better places to stop and it's not *quite* as boring as I-5 through the same stretch (one of the most boring stretches in the entire interstate system, I'd argue)
Quote from: OCGuy81 on May 03, 2021, 01:59:43 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 03, 2021, 01:54:10 PM
US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike. However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.
Plus, US 27 is free. Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?
I took it from Lake Worth to Orlando last week. Didn't mind the tolls at all because I wanted to hurry up and get to Orlando and the car I had had SunPass in it so that was nice. Coming back I was annoyed by the $4 tolls every time on the West Virginia Turnpike but that's another state.
Quote from: sprjus4 on May 03, 2021, 01:57:17 PM
US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.
US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.
By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.
Depending where you live, 460 might be
faster to get to Hampton Roads from the 95 corridor. It is for me, because 460 is much closer to where I live than 64.
Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15.
Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.
AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.
Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo.
Southern Illinois:
Old Route 13, a.k.a. Main Street – Even west of town, it's a great back way to many industries and a decent alternate route between Marion and Route 148.
Old Highway 51 – It's still how you get to Cobden, and it's a beautiful drive.
Quote from: Takumi on May 03, 2021, 02:28:32 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on May 03, 2021, 01:57:17 PM
US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.
US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.
By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.
Depending where you live, 460 might be faster to get to Hampton Roads from the 95 corridor. It is for me, because 460 is much closer to where I live than 64.
That is definitely true for areas south of Richmond, such as southern Chesterfield County and down to Petersburg, and the same could be said for Suffolk on the Hampton Roads side.
But for Downtown Richmond or areas north of roughly VA-895 to Downtown Norfolk or areas east of I-664, I-64 would obviously be the faster option (assuming no traffic - I'll easily take US-460 if I'm going to be hitting the tunnels at afternoon rush hour heading south, or if I-64 between Williamsburg and Bottoms Bridge is traffic cluttered during a peak weekend - though the widening between I-295 and VA-249 finished two years ago has certainly alleviated the most notorious spot for congestion)
When I was a kid growing up in Madison, WI, we regularly took US-18 to visit family in Waukesha instead of I-94.
When I have time now, I love to take WI-57 from Milwaukee to Green Bay.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 03, 2021, 02:43:08 PM
Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15.
Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.
AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.
Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo.
I agree with using CR 905/CR 905A and Card Sound Road over US 1/SR 5. This is the one time I will pay a toll over a non-toll.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on May 03, 2021, 04:03:37 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 03, 2021, 02:43:08 PM
Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15.
Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.
AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.
Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo.
I agree with using CR 905/CR 905A and Card Sound Road over US 1/SR 5. This is the one time I will pay a toll over a non-toll.
Even easier now that you can use SunPass.
MA 9 is still heavily used for everyone who wants to go shopping around here, even though the Mass Pike replaced it for long-distance travel.
Dixie Highway between Flint and Saginaw. Some of it is now M-54 but it's old US-10 and US-23 and an alternate route between Flint and Saginaw.
Followed by Saginaw Road through Genesee County (Old US-10). Dixie Highway in northern Oakland County (Old US-10) before turning into US-24.
Woodward Avenue (now M-1, old US-10).
Carson City has done a very nice job with the South Carson Street portion of former US 50/US 395 (relocated to the I-580 bypass in 2017). They gave it the road diet treatment but not a severe one: reducing it from 6 lanes to 4, putting in a pedestrian/bicycle path with that extra space and dropping the speed limit from 45 to 35. The businesses along there appear to be doing very well in spite of the big reduction in traffic.
The North Carson Street portion of former US 395 is quite the opposite. It's still 6* lanes, high speed and feels desolate in the business sense, lowlighted by a shopping center formerly anchored by a Kmart that has been in a state of near-total abandonment for many years.
*OK, checking it on GSV it's actually 4 lanes but it sure feels wide enough to be 6. I'm rarely in that part of town.
If you consider US 90 supplanting I-10 in West Texas (IIRC, 10 runs along what was US 80's old alignment mostly?) then I'd add that one.
The drive west of San Antonio is pretty cool.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 03, 2021, 04:48:02 PM
MA 9 is still heavily used for everyone who wants to go shopping around here, even though the Mass Pike replaced it for long-distance travel.
Wut.
VA 156 was supplanted practically by I-295, but I grew up along that road so I can't stop appreciating it. :)
Quote from: texaskdog on May 03, 2021, 12:39:07 AM
County 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors. If you're going to points north and willing to drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the shore, why skip the first 20 miles? How much time are you saving?
During the off-season, definitely.
On summer and early fall weekends (really, an all 7 days of the week issue during summer these days), staying on MN 61 and bypassing all the bikes and tourists clogging County 61 can also save your sanity.
The original US 22 divided highway between Harrisburg and Allentown was upgraded directly into I-78 in Berks County, but in Dauphin and Lebanon Counties, I-78 and I-81 were built on new alignments, leaving the original four-lane road between Colonial Park and the Lebanon/Berks county line unchanged. While it certainly can't be considered an at-grade expressway due to not being a limited-access right-of-way (with tons of direct driveway access to properties), and the westernmost sections closer to Harrisburg are pretty much just a four-lane suburban arterial due to all the development, it's still a very nice alternate to I-81 and I-78, especially with PennDOT reconstructing most of it to more modern standards (a jersey barrier, left turn lanes at intersections, etc.) over the past 15 years. It even has grade-separated interchanges (albeit still pretty substandard) with PA 934 and PA 72. Traffic counts are also very low east of PA 39, which means you'll rarely need to turn off cruise control for anything other than a red light, with traffic regularly going 70+ mph despite the 55 mph speed limit.
In fact, an accident closed I-81 SB a few weeks ago just before the PA 934 exit, with all of the I-81 SB and I-78 WB traffic detoured onto US 22. It still flowed as smoothly as it normally does on I-81 aside from a few chokepoints. Seeing that many trucks on 22 was definitely a weird experience.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 03, 2021, 08:27:58 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 03, 2021, 12:39:07 AM
County 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors. If you're going to points north and willing to drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the shore, why skip the first 20 miles? How much time are you saving?
During the off-season, definitely.
On summer and early fall weekends (really, an all 7 days of the week issue during summer these days), staying on MN 61 and bypassing all the bikes and tourists clogging County 61 can also save your sanity.
But you'd miss Russ Kendall's
Quote from: texaskdog on May 03, 2021, 11:06:56 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 03, 2021, 08:27:58 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on May 03, 2021, 12:39:07 AM
County 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors. If you're going to points north and willing to drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the shore, why skip the first 20 miles? How much time are you saving?
During the off-season, definitely.
On summer and early fall weekends (really, an all 7 days of the week issue during summer these days), staying on MN 61 and bypassing all the bikes and tourists clogging County 61 can also save your sanity.
But you'd miss Russ Kendall's
Heh, funny enough I'm more partial to the Great Lakes Candy Kitchen at the opposite end of Knife River from Russ's.
Some spots of US 1 in NoVA by I-95 are pretty scenic. I really like this curvy section in Stafford: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4391767,-77.4046615,3a,35.5y,150.09h,92.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfCPqfBi4xthJL7h-jpCwYg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
US 1 in Massachusetts south of Dedham is also well used.
Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 03, 2021, 04:03:00 PM
When I was a kid growing up in Madison, WI, we regularly took US-18 to visit family in Waukesha instead of I-94.
When I have time now, I love to take WI-57 from Milwaukee to Green Bay.
The old US 141 - CTH R, CTH CR, Sauk Trail, and a few other roads - are also pretty cool as is CTH LS along the shore (hence the initials) between Manty and Sheboygan. I've also taken the east shore route along Lake Winnebago - US 151, WI 55, CTH M - between GB and Madison.
Quote from: kphoger on May 03, 2021, 03:06:57 PM
Southern Illinois:
Old Route 13, a.k.a. Main Street – Even west of town, it's a great back way to many industries and a decent alternate route between Marion and Route 148.
And part of Old 13 is at the bottom of Crab Orchard Lake! Kinda fun looking at the Sat view imagery and seeing the remnants of Old 13 at the lake - Foreville Rd, Campground Rd, and the Marinas/boat ramps on both the Carbondale and Carterville sides of the Lake where Old 13 quits being on dry land
Fun fact: an early concept for the I-90 floating bridges in Seattle included keeping the old (now eastbound) bridge for "local traffic" on US 10 and having both directions (sans express lanes) on the new span.
Also there would have been a large interchange for the disastrous Thomson Expressway where the Sam Smith Park lid stands today.
(https://i.imgur.com/Bamr7yY.png)
Former US 91 on Las Vegas Blvd through Las Vegas (including fairly long stretches north and south of the city).
Quote from: Bruce on May 04, 2021, 11:24:32 PM
Fun fact: an early concept for the I-90 floating bridges in Seattle included keeping the old (now eastbound) bridge for "local traffic" on US 10 and having both directions (sans express lanes) on the new span.
Also there would have been a large interchange for the disastrous Thomson Expressway where the Sam Smith Park lid stands today.
(https://i.imgur.com/Bamr7yY.png)
And Seattle traffic would STILL be awful. Ha ha ha.
Although a latter-day unsuffixed US 99 had been signed over the R. H Baldock Freeway from Salem to Portland (OR) in the '50's -- that eventually became I-5 -- the former main route between those cities, US 99E/current OR 99E, remains a nice alternative to the present freeway, passing through several historic towns in the lower Willamette Valley.
Quote from: index on May 04, 2021, 02:29:34 AM
Some spots of US 1 in NoVA by I-95 are pretty scenic. I really like this curvy section in Stafford: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4391767,-77.4046615,3a,35.5y,150.09h,92.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfCPqfBi4xthJL7h-jpCwYg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
It's that widened median that does it. Triangle and Dumfries are fun for the same reason.
US 40 between Baltimore and Wilmington is still a through route for certain types of vehicles, and still an important route through each town it serves. There are also a lot of motels from the pre-Interstate days.
For me it's Hwy ES was the former WI-15 until it was moved onto the freeway which is now I-43.
Quote from: epzik8 on May 06, 2021, 09:41:20 AM
US 40 between Baltimore and Wilmington is still a through route for certain types of vehicles, and still an important route through each town it serves. There are also a lot of motels from the pre-Interstate days.
Oh, yes. That's also one of the reasons I'm such a fan of US 301 from Bowling Green to Bowie. Hell, even US 301 in southern Virginia's pre-interstate motels make it an interesting drive, some of which you can actually see
from I-95.
I'm still fascinated with US 17 in Ridgeland SC, and old US 17 from Ridgeland to Point South.
Actually -- and in reference to I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley -- for better or worse, a substantial amount of folks looking for affordable housing, and the developers of such, seem to have a profound appreciation for the northern reaches of parallel CA 33, since such facilities are being deployed around the south end of Tracy, at Patterson, and at both Gustine and Los Banos (now that's one helluva commute!). It probably won't be long before the weekend real estate pages of Bay Area newspapers start referring to the "33 corridor" -- although most folks not using CA 152 will end up using I-5 (and 580) to actually get there!
Quote from: sparker on May 23, 2021, 03:37:27 PM
Actually -- and in reference to I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley -- for better or worse, a substantial amount of folks looking for affordable housing, and the developers of such, seem to have a profound appreciation for the northern reaches of parallel CA 33, since such facilities are being deployed around the south end of Tracy, at Patterson, and at both Gustine and Los Banos (now that's one helluva commute!). It probably won't be long before the weekend real estate pages of Bay Area newspapers start referring to the "33 corridor" -- although most folks not using CA 152 will end up using I-5 (and 580) to actually get there!
Drove 25 and 33 back from Monterey before picking up the 5 at the southern end of the valley last weekend. Both were great drives. Very little traffic and both were scenic in their own ways.
Quote from: Occidental Tourist on May 24, 2021, 12:54:13 AM
Quote from: sparker on May 23, 2021, 03:37:27 PM
Actually -- and in reference to I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley -- for better or worse, a substantial amount of folks looking for affordable housing, and the developers of such, seem to have a profound appreciation for the northern reaches of parallel CA 33, since such facilities are being deployed around the south end of Tracy, at Patterson, and at both Gustine and Los Banos (now that's one helluva commute!). It probably won't be long before the weekend real estate pages of Bay Area newspapers start referring to the "33 corridor" -- although most folks not using CA 152 will end up using I-5 (and 580) to actually get there!
Drove 25 and 33 back from Monterey before picking up the 5 at the southern end of the valley last weekend. Both were great drives. Very little traffic and both were scenic in their own ways.
You would have been well south of the northern portion of CA 33 that is hosting numerous new housing tracts; that portion includes the CA 152 multiplex through Los Banos as well as the segment of 33 north from there to its terminus SE of Tracy proper. But if you cut over to I-5 south of Bakersfield, you missed the most scenic portion of 33: over the hill from CA 166 south to Ojai and later US 101 at Ventura.
Avenue of the Giants through the Redwoods!
Quote from: texaskdog on May 24, 2021, 07:28:47 AM
Avenue of the Giants through the Redwoods!
Doesn't get much older than that either given the corridor of the Redwood Highway on the South Fork River was built during the 1910s.