Graceful, Elegant-Flowing Freeways

[architect77]

I got chills at this intersection today in Atlanta remembering its (then) brand-spanking new freeway system back in 1990. Absolute perfection, futuristic, they were your dream highways as if money were no object. Atlanta had just arrived as a bonafide big city as it completed the largest highway widening project of any city at the time. The entire metro area had these new, gorgeous, sensuously flowing freeways with 5 continuous  lanes in each direction, perfectly spaced cobra-head lighting following every hill and valley for 50 miles in every direction, and most vivid in my memory, the white, new concrete of which everything was constructed from: overpasses, center dividers, guardrails, retaining walls, and of course, Spaghetti junction.

These freeways were designed for speed first and foremost, which dictated the gentle curves, elegant flyovers, and ultimately resulted in very enjoyable, smooth and elegant driving experiences. Downtown had exits with double lanes that tapered gradual enough to handle 80 mph speeds. Before they carved out space for the HOV lane in 1995, the typical 5 continuous lanes in each direction were luxuriously wide and roomy.

Today, this aging concrete I-85 overpass reminded me of back then. It was as if a city existed there on the land, and its transportation needs met with a 100% complete, futuristic, and quintessential system that's superimposed onto the land without any regard to the topography. Its construction, supports, inclines and curves all dictated by one thing: Speed.

Notice the all-concrete components of the overpass including the girders and retaining wall whose tile shape is only one used in entire metro area. But most importantly, notice the roadway's decline not related to the adjacent topography, probably easing up some prior climatic incline. I've never seen another city whose freeways just do their own thing, utilizing retaining walls everywhere the topography doesn't cooperate. Please imagine all concrete white as white and new (it was gorgeous back then)


Look at this ridiculously long yet only slightly elevated section of I-85. Don't worry about how expensive elevated roadways are, the ride will be much smoother.

[formulanone]

My guess is that money became no object in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Summer Games.

They were still putting the finishing touches on widening I-75 just south of Atlanta in March of 1996, as I was on my way to North Carolina (taking a different tack). It is still wonderfully sleek and modern, between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

[1995hoo]

How about the rebuilt Springfield Interchange in Virginia? This used to be a massive bottleneck, especially for traffic heading south on I-95. Nowadays I-95 can still back up heading south over the long flyover the foreground (i.e., the second one from the bottom left corner; the first one is heading north), but the backup isn't caused by the interchange like it used to be.

I can understand why some people dislike seeing massive tangles of concrete and asphalt like this, but it seems to me that the air-polluting impact of all the stopped cars in the old interchange was probably worse.

Some people might consider this a "spaghetti junction," but I find the various flyovers and such to have an "elegance" to them.




The picture below is a "before" photo and an "after" rendering VDOT made up before the reconstruction began in the late 1990s.

[Mergingtraffic]

As with the Atlanta freeway widenings in time for the Olympic Games....how did they get it done in time?   In my state (CT) they wouldn't have the forethought first of all, and there would be delays with the EIS or funding or something.  How did they actually pull it off?

[architect77]

For the most part, Atlanta completed its massive widening project in 1989, well before any Olympic aspirations. Some sections of freeway on the southside and the east never were super-widened and remain somewhat dinky.

For the Olympics all they did was carve out space for an HOV lane at the expense of all the other lanes. If it were up to me, I'd get rid of the HOV lane altogether, and restore the generous 5 continuous lane configuration.

In the '80's, they undertook the massive widening dubbed "Freeing The Freeways", the largest highway project ever in the US. It included making the 63-mile I-285 loop 4 continuous lanes in each direction, supersizing I-85 and I-75 to 5 continuous lanes across most of metro area, and building Spaghetti Junction. Also many access and frontage roads were built alongside the now- huge freeways.

For years I witnessed the rebuilding of the mixing bowl (Springfield Interchange), and they did a great job. The statistics are mindblowing, something like 60-70 flyovers, 130 overhead signs, etc.. I loved how the Washington Post described in a detailed writeup of the new interchange, that despite navigating through 50 or more individual exits, that motorists would efficiently be "deposited" onto the specific local road they wanted. That still cracks me up...

[architect77]

I was bored one night and shot this of I-85/I-75, Atlanta's "Downtown Connector". If you enjoy driving, especially nice performance cars, Atlanta's smooth highways are hard to beat. A thousand times better than LA's bumpy slabs od concrete.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mud-onUaQvk&feature=related

[deathtopumpkins]

the largest highway project ever in the US

I think that honor falls to a certain project that began circa 1956......

[Riverside Frwy]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

[NE2]

the largest highway project ever in the US

I think that honor falls to a certain project that began circa 1956......

Boston's Central Artery?

[architect77]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

They are just about perfect, even the sleek toll booths are cool...

[realjd]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

I especially like the credit-card taking automated toll machines. I wish the rest of the country would adopt this. It makes life much easier for those of us from out of town.

[agentsteel53]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

the only problem with those roads is that they are in Orange County.

[OCGuy81]

I agree about Orange County toll roads.  The 73 is a beautifully maintained highway.

[DeaconG]

I-295 in Richmond (from I-95 north to I-95 south)...I was mightily impressed the first time I drove on it...the Varina-Enon bridge across the James River is the punctuation point for the entire stretch.

Unfortunately everyone on the eastern seaboard has discovered it too!

[Brandon]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

I especially like the credit-card taking automated toll machines. I wish the rest of the country would adopt this. It makes life much easier for those of us from out of town.

There should be one ETC standard, hence no CC machines needed.

[agentsteel53]

There should be one ETC standard, hence no CC machines needed.

what about for those who do not regularly use toll roads and see no reason to invest in a transponder?  I'd like the option to pay with a credit card.  Maybe just add "credit card machine" as an option along with transponder, exact cash machine, and human operator.

[realjd]

LOVE Orange County's toll roads. So amazing seeing these beautifully maintained tollways climb into the hills.

Wikipedia has the perfect image of what I'm talking about:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CA73.jpg

I especially like the credit-card taking automated toll machines. I wish the rest of the country would adopt this. It makes life much easier for those of us from out of town.

There should be one ETC standard, hence no CC machines needed.

It's much easier to expense a toll on my corporate card than on an ETC.

[roadfro]

^ I'm actually surprised more toll agencies don't have credit card machines. Probably has to do with transaction fees, i.e. does paying a per-transaction fee make sense if the toll is small in comparison (and would that offset the cost of an attendant's salary, etc.) But with newer technology, like the cards and readers where you don't have to swipe your card, it could really be convenient. Debit transactions would've been great too, but many ATM card companies are soon adopting fees for non-ATM use...

[OCGuy81]

I'd nominate the 5 Santa Ana Freeway from the Disneyland are south through Irvine as a nicely designed, well flowing freeway.  Maybe I'm bias as I drive it most everyday.

[Mergingtraffic]

In CT, we don't have much but we do have the I-84/I-291 and I-384 interchange.  It's wide open, two lane connections, soft curves, flyovers and unders to anywhere.  I-84 is up to 12 lanes here and I-384 is 8 lanes.  C/D roads from I-291 to I-384 without having to touch I-84.    The C/D roads that connect I-291 and I-384 are about a 1/2 mile to a mile long.  Clearly, CTDOT thought ahead to connect the two interstates.

http://www.google.com/maps?q=manchester,+ct&hl=en&ll=41.778097,-72.568645&spn=0.050629,0.111322&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.401733,113.994141&vpsrc=6&hnear=Central+Manchester,+Hartford,+Connecticut&t=h&z=14

[kurumi]

doofy's right about CT having a short list. The I-84/I-691 interchange would not be out of place in California. The partial stack at CT 8/15, and the semidirectional interchange at CT 15/25, are good examples of free-flowing construction that are nonetheless out of proportion to the rest of the Merritt Parkway.

[Mergingtraffic]

doofy's right about CT having a short list. The I-84/I-691 interchange would not be out of place in California. The partial stack at CT 8/15, and the semidirectional interchange at CT 15/25, are good examples of free-flowing construction that are nonetheless out of proportion to the rest of the Merritt Parkway.

and the I-91/CT-20 interchange with the 2 lane connections and flyovers.   Actually, both I-91 north of Hartford and I-84 east of Hartford are very well designed.  6 lanes plus aux and HOV lanes and long ramps.  I guess you could also add the Q-Bridge project when it is done too but we'll have to wait and see.

[vtk]

Columbus's Innerbelt, version 2.0 (except the west leg, which will need another lane each way).  I'm talking about the future here; the only portion already completed to 2.0 is I-670 from about OH 315 to US 23.

I guess I can also throw in the Outerbelt on the north and east sides, from I-71 to I-70.  Many of the interchanges are still in their original configuration, but that works.  In a few more years we can also include from Sawmill Rd eastward, when the OH 315 and US 23 interchanges are modified and braided.

[SignBridge]

That Springfield, Virginia interchange gets my vote as a most impressive complex for the 21st Century. Another very sharp interchange that no one has mentioned is in Los Angeles between the Harbor Fwy. (I-110) and the Century Fwy. (I-110) Its most notable feature is the very high separate ramps to/from the separate HOV roadways. And what about the Dallas High-Five?