At-grade freeway accesses

[NE2]

I-95 in Maine between Bangor and Houlton used to be a Super-2, widening out to 4 lanes divided at the interchanges, then back to 2 lanes.

Many BFE Interstates were originally like this: I-70 in Utah, I-29 in North Dakota: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=48.98954,-97.24647&z=15&t=T

[cpzilliacus]

The Western I 88 near DeKalb has one or two farm driveways connected to the freeway.

No, those are access points for the Tollway's vehicles.  They're usually gated off.

Those types of "official use only" access points along toll roads are somewhat common. 

I have seen them in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio and (I think) New Jersey.

[The High Plains Traveler]

I-95 in Maine between Bangor and Houlton used to be a Super-2, widening out to 4 lanes divided at the interchanges, then back to 2 lanes.

Many BFE Interstates were originally like this: I-70 in Utah, I-29 in North Dakota: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=48.98954,-97.24647&z=15&t=T

I-25 in New Mexico between T or C and Socorro also. It widened out to four lanes at interchanges, unlike I-15 north of Great Falls MT where the interchanges were built for the two-lane highway and the overpasses didn't include a span for a future roadway.

[sp_redelectric]

That reminds me: Montana has (had?) an undivided section of I-90, I remember reading in the m.t.r FAQ. Where was this and does it still exist?

IIRC it was between 2001 and 2002.  The first time I drove up there was in 2001 (actually, just after 9/11) between the Idaho border and MT 135 and there were the undivided parts.

Next time I drove it was in late 2002 (when I moved back to Oregon) and jersey barriers were installed.

[sp_redelectric]

plenty of ranch/forest accesses along many interstates.  a lot of them are tough to spot...just look for the dirt path with the gate.

I-84 in the Columbia Gorge and further east seems to have quite a few of them, mostly for the Union Pacific Railroad (maintenance-of-way access roads), but there are a couple of right-in-right-out road accesses for residential area or fishing areas/boat ramps.

Can't say I've seen any on I-5, but local access is usually handled by whatever US 99 used to be, or other local roads.  On U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway) there is one access used by TriMet for the west portal of the MAX tunnel (and Beaverton PD as a convenient speed trap location), and again at Roy/Mountaindale Roads, just east of the 26/6 split (and end of freeway).  Jackson School Road was an at-grade intersection until a number of years ago.

[Bickendan]

Not only that, but prior to the US 26 widening west of OR 8, there used to be a RIRO access into the neighborhood on the eastbound side complete with a bus stop between Skyline/Scholls Ferry and the Zoo.

[jeffandnicole]

The Western I 88 near DeKalb has one or two farm driveways connected to the freeway.

No, those are access points for the Tollway's vehicles.  They're usually gated off.

Those types of "official use only" access points along toll roads are somewhat common. 

I have seen them in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio and (I think) New Jersey.

Correct - the NJ Turnpike has a few of them. One of them near me was just a wide dual gate that was often left open, allowing cars to freely exit the Turnpike.  Occasionally a State Trooper would be there waiting for these people to do that.  The gate has since been upgraded in the past year or two so that either the fire department has access to open it, or it's controlled remotely from the Turnpike HQ.

The AC Expressway may have one or two of them also, although honestly I can't remember where.

[cpzilliacus]

Occasionally a State Trooper would be there waiting for these people to do that.  The gate has since been upgraded in the past year or two so that either the fire department has access to open it, or it's controlled remotely from the Turnpike HQ.

The AC Expressway may have one or two of them also, although honestly I can't remember where.

Even though Maryland's InterCounty Connector (Route 200) is relatively short, it has a set of "official use only" gated ramps at the Route 115 (Muncaster Mill Road) overpass.  I think they were put there so that Fire and Rescue responders can enter the road either way from Route 115.  For a relatively short and suburban highway, this bridge (with the ramps) is the halfway point in a pretty long segment between interchanges - over 6 miles.

There are a few on the section of I-95 in Maryland that is designated the JFK Highway; and I can think of three on I-895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway).

[Alps]

Occasionally a State Trooper would be there waiting for these people to do that.  The gate has since been upgraded in the past year or two so that either the fire department has access to open it, or it's controlled remotely from the Turnpike HQ.

The AC Expressway may have one or two of them also, although honestly I can't remember where.

Even though Maryland's InterCounty Connector (Route 200) is relatively short, it has a set of "official use only" gated ramps at the Route 115 (Muncaster Mill Road) overpass.  I think they were put there so that Fire and Rescue responders can enter the road either way from Route 115.  For a relatively short and suburban highway, this bridge (with the ramps) is the halfway point in a pretty long segment between interchanges - over 6 miles.

Well, heck, why not open these up to E-ZPass only ramps?

[ftballfan]

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.78646,-84.66743&z=14&t=T - Exits 90A/B on I-96 at Grand River Ave. The ramps here were realigned when I-69 came through. This map has to date to the 1970s as M-78 still exists in Lansing and Corunna Rd was M-56.

[JREwing78]

What? That was never an at-grade interchange!

[cpzilliacus]

Occasionally a State Trooper would be there waiting for these people to do that.  The gate has since been upgraded in the past year or two so that either the fire department has access to open it, or it's controlled remotely from the Turnpike HQ.

The AC Expressway may have one or two of them also, although honestly I can't remember where.

Even though Maryland's InterCounty Connector (Route 200) is relatively short, it has a set of "official use only" gated ramps at the Route 115 (Muncaster Mill Road) overpass.  I think they were put there so that Fire and Rescue responders can enter the road either way from Route 115.  For a relatively short and suburban highway, this bridge (with the ramps) is the halfway point in a pretty long segment between interchanges - over 6 miles.

Well, heck, why not open these up to E-ZPass only ramps?

Because they were not designed for that, though the ramp that leads to and from the eastbound side of Md. 200 does allow bikes and pedestrians access to the ICC bike trail from Md. 115.

More to the point, this is Montgomery County, Maryland, where local master plans seem to take precedence over everything, including the Bible and the U.S. Constitution.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission master plan document for this area is Upper Rock Creek, and the transportation section states explicitly that "Access to the ICC is via the interchange with the Mid-County Highway." Never mind that the segment of Mid-County Highway that would connect to Md. 200 is un-built as of today, and many of the same individuals and groups that were opposed to Md. 200 itself do not want Mid-County Highway connected to Md. 200.

The same planning groupies that worship the county's planning process and master plans usually dismiss any part of any plan that suggests new or improved highway capacity.

[agentsteel53]

I-95 in Maine between Bangor and Houlton used to be a Super-2, widening out to 4 lanes divided at the interchanges, then back to 2 lanes.

Many BFE Interstates were originally like this: I-70 in Utah, I-29 in North Dakota: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=48.98954,-97.24647&z=15&t=T

29, eh?  never knew that.

as another question: when was I-70 built across San Rafael Swell, and when was it four-laned?  I've heard it was built in 1986 and I do not know when four-laned...

[agentsteel53]

Those types of "official use only" access points along toll roads are somewhat common. 

I have seen them in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio and (I think) New Jersey.

there is one on the NY Thruway which features a yellow stop sign at its exit!

[roadman65]

FL 528 once had an at grade intersection with McCoy Road just east of the Orlando International Airport.  That was removed when the Goldenrod Road Interchange was constructed.  Also, back in the mid 90's and before there was a median break that allowed EB FL 528 to turn left onto McCoy and those exiting McCoy to cross over the WB lanes over to the EB side.

I-295 near Clarksboro, NJ once had a side street  on the NB lanes that led to a motel that was there up until 1986 when NJDOT widened this part of freeway from 4 to 6 lanes.  It was there cause this was a preexisting section of US 130 before the interstates.

[Alps]

More to the point, this is Montgomery County, Maryland, where local master plans seem to take precedence over everything, including the Bible

As should every county. Religion has no place in government. Period.

[Duke87]

Two words: Jersey freeway.

On a less smartass note, several of New York's parkways have at grade intersections. As does the Southern Tier Expressway (NY 17/future I-86) in Hale Eddy (formerly also elsewhere), though that'll be gone in the coming years.

[ATLRedSoxFan]

Just drove the A55 in Quebec yesterday. They have one "at-grade" intersection about 2 miles north of the border and its hilly terrain. I remember driving by thinking: Okaaaay...

[cpzilliacus]

More to the point, this is Montgomery County, Maryland, where local master plans seem to take precedence over everything, including the Bible

As should every county. Religion has no place in government. Period.

To far too many people in Montgomery County, planning and process related to planning is a religion!

[Bickendan]

Which reminds me, I should go play some Halo.

[english si]

As should every county. Religion has no place in government. Period.

That's your religious view (seriously, it is a religious view - that God/the Bible/etc has no place in Government is a theological statement)...

...and thus for you to not be a hypocrite, it has no place in Government

There's two sorts of secularism - one (eg the first amendment) says that the state is neutral and can neither compel or deny religious expression, the second is much more horrible (eg France or Iran) where the state imposes on free exercise, banishing certain religions from the public square.*

The latter has no place in a liberal democracy. This year the City of Paris decided to stop the problem of Friday prayers blocking streets outside Mosques, not by passing a by-law on blocking the highway (such that exists in England for centuries), but by banning praying in public.

*In France everything but those religions that believe the state, man or nothing is God, creating a (weak, but strengthening again) atheocracy. In Iran everything but a certain brand of Islam.

[NE2]

seriously, it is a religious view - that God/the Bible/etc has no place in Government is a theological statement

Nope - it's a political theory statement. Saying that the definition of pi has no place in our laws is not a mathematical statement.

[kphoger]

More to the point, this is Montgomery County, Maryland, where local master plans seem to take precedence over everything, including the Bible

As should every county. Religion has no place in government. Period.

Perhaps he was originally going to say 'take precedence over everything, including God and the Constitution', but then worried about a bolt of lightning from out of the sky and so changed it. 

banishing certain religions from the public square.*

*In Iran everything but a certain brand of Islam.

For the record, the Iranian government does not banish all religions other than Shi'a Islam.  According to its Constitution, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism are all official religions of Iran.  Of the 270 parliamentary seats, two are reserved for Armenian Christian representatives, two for Assyrian Christian representatives, one for a Jewish representative, and one for a Zoroastrian representative.

seriously, it is a religious view - that God/the Bible/etc has no place in Government is a theological statement

Nope - it's a political theory statement. Saying that the definition of pi has no place in our laws is not a mathematical statement.

Possibly, but I find the phrase 'has no place in government' much too strong to be used of our government's heritage.  Now, I am the first to admit that we modern-day Christians over-glorify our founding fathers' reliance on the Bible in their writings.  However, our now-fundamental ideas of government were rooted in the Christian faith; this is obvious upon reading the Declaration of Independence, which doesn't even make it past the first sentence without making reference to God:  our independence from the Crown was seen as conforming to laws of nature laid out by God; furthermore, that our rights (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness) are not simply innate, but rather are endowed to us by our Creator.  Fifteen of the U.S. states' Constitutions (plus Puerto Rico) make reference to God; my home state of Kansas thanks Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges in its preamble.

So, while I agree there is an argument to be made in favor of the separation of Church and State, I do not believe that such a division is–or should aim to be–a complete and comprehensive division.  Our government would not have taken its form if it weren't for the religion of its founders.  We owe the abolition of slavery and other significant movements in our nation's history to religious pressure (à la Second Great Awakening), and it would be foolish to try and squelch that kind of relationship.

Back on topic:

I recall seeing ranch access along I-40 in New Mexico, with signs saying 'Temporary'.  That was a good fifteen years ago, probably.  I'm curious to see if those driveways are still there, and if they still have signs saying 'Temporary'.  Does anyone know?

[agentsteel53]

For the record, the Iranian government does not banish all religions other than Shi'a Islam.  According to its Constitution, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism are all official religions of Iran.  Of the 270 parliamentary seats, two are reserved for Armenian Christian representatives, two for Assyrian Christian representatives, one for a Jewish representative, and one for a Zoroastrian representative.

while Iran may not be a de jure theocracy, the parliament has little power compared to the ayatollah, so therefore it is a de facto theocracy.

I recall seeing ranch access along I-40 in New Mexico, with signs saying 'Temporary'.  That was a good fifteen years ago, probably.  I'm curious to see if those driveways are still there, and if they still have signs saying 'Temporary'.  Does anyone know?

gone as of 2006 or so.

[silverback1065]

This place is for road discussion not religion