Are there any interstates with one hilly lane and one flat lane?

[ftballfan]

M-121 (Chicago Dr) in Ottawa County is like that. Westbound is the original 1920s alignment, which is very bumpy and floods during heavy rain. Eastbound was built in the 1950s or 1960s and is at a higher elevation and at a higher grade.

[Beltway]

In a variation on that theme, I-95 between Petersburg, Va. and Emporia, Va. was built next to U.S. 301, which was a four-land divided arterial.  The southbound lanes of I-95 were once the northbound lanes of 301 (which is now a two-lane undivided highway running parallel to I-95 on its west side).  Because this part of Virginia is pretty flat, I don't know how much reconstruction of former U.S. 301 was needed to convert it to the southbound lanes of I-95. I think this might have been the last segment of I-95 in Virginia to be completed. 

I-95 in Southside Virginia -- the last 28 miles was built 1977-1982.  For 18 miles from VA-35 to just north of Jarratt, the existing 4-lane US-301 (4-laned in the late 1950s) was upgraded to Interstate standards.  (The remaining 10 miles of I-95 from just north of Jarratt to just north of Emporia was built on new location).  Since the US-301 median was only about 40 feet wide, a new I-95 northbound roadway was built, with service roads alongside much of it.

The US-301 northbound roadway (built in the late 1950s) was upgraded to Interstate standards, and then used for the southbound I-95 roadway.  The US-301 southbound roadway (built in the 1930s) was restriped for 2-way traffic, and essentially became a service road, and retained the US-301 designation.  Four interchanges were built, and two other overpasses, and these locations required relocating the US-301 service road.  All existing mainline roadway bridges were replaced, since they didn't meet Interstate standards.  A surprising amount of new right-of-way was needed on the easterly side of the highway.  Finally, there was about 1.5 miles of I-95 full relocation at Carson where there is a major curve on US-301, and two other places (1/2 mile and 1/3 mile) where the I-95 southbound roadway was relocated to reduce curves on existing US-301.

[JREwing78]

US422 between Warren and Parkman have stretches of this. WB is flat while EB is like a roller coaster.

It also possesses no shoulders, has approx. 6-8 feet of median, and is posted for 45. Not to mention, occasionally traveled by Amish buggies.

[Beeper1]

MA-146 freeway from exit 2 in Uxbridge to near exit 7 in Sutton.  Was originally built as a super-2 in the 50s, and then twinned in the early 80s.  The original road is now the NB lanes and follows the contour of the land with more hills, the newer SB roadway is much straighter and flatter.

[doorknob60]

I-5 near Lake Shasta, Turntable Bay specifically, has the north and southbound lanes separated quite far, and at different elevations.

I-84 near Bonneville Dam has the eastbound lanes going through a tunnel while the westbound lanes are outside and on a bridge instead, I guess that counts.

[allniter89]

US-80 wb between Montgomery, AL and Selma is pretty hilly tho they are small hills.
US-80 eb between Selma and Montgomery is leveler. IIRC there were no shoulders either.

[jwolfer]

US 301 between Bowling Green, VA and the Potomac River.  I remember noticing the difference when i was like 11 years old on trips between NJ and  FL

[Beltway]

US 301 between Bowling Green, VA and the Potomac River.  I remember noticing the difference when i was like 11 years old on trips between NJ and  FL

Not an Interstate highway.

[kkt]

Not a hilly vs. flat, but I-5 north of Marysville has a few places where the old US-99 bridge carries the lanes one direction with narrow or nonexistent shoulders while a new bridge carries the lanes the other direction with standard shoulders.

[mp_quadrillion]

 

Emphasis mine, since "Interstate" in the thread's title seems to have muddled matters:

There are plenty of what I call "Missouri Expressways," a 4 lane divided highway that was converted from a 2 lane.  The old lanes are often hilly while the new lanes are flat.  I've seen them on lots of expressways, but are there any actual freeways that are built like this?

Many of the Interstate examples mentioned are good (and I've been to all of the mentioned West Coast examples!).. but I'm not sure that's what the OP had in mind. What I picture is the freeway within only one right-of-way: about 50 feet for lanes in one direction, 50 feet for the median, 50 feet for the other lanes.

If that is right.. My first encounter with an active "Mo Expy" in its more-or-less "native environment" was in Oklahoma on US-70 jwo Ardmore: http://goo.gl/maps/BFiYc At night it gets kind of annoying because opposing traffic is always bobbing up and down in your line of sight!

Also in OK: If they hadn't built the I-44 turnpikes, I'm sure US-66 would have looked like that for a time. (Maybe even did?) I recall seeing the old, abandoned lanes paralleling the new ones, barely 50 feet away, in several places for miles.

The only instance like that in California that comes to mind is US-101 in its rural course between Santa Barbara and San Jose, specifically jso King City. When I first drove it 15 years ago, you could clearly tell that one direction's lanes were an addition. Since then, I think Caltrans may have smoothed it out somewhat in the course of repaving and upgrading: http://goo.gl/maps/uIYNS You can barely even tell anymore.

Then there's the opposite, too, in which US-66 near Cajon Summit was twinned then totally replaced by I-15. At some point, they closed half the lanes (usually the northbound side but not always!): http://goo.gl/maps/nVdpC

All in all, roads like this fascinate me because you're actively seeing what highway departments do to gradually re-engineer a route.

[bugo]

Also in OK: If they hadn't built the I-44 turnpikes, I'm sure US-66 would have looked like that for a time. (Maybe even did?) I recall seeing the old, abandoned lanes paralleling the new ones, barely 50 feet away, in several places for miles.

I've been on most of the interstates in Oklahoma, and about 2/3 of the turnpikes.  I hope to finish the system soon.  I'm missing I-44 south of US 62/277, the Bailey Turnpike and spur, the Cimarron spur, and the Chickasaw.  I could easily pick up the system in 1 day.

Both lanes of the Turner and Will Rogers Turnpikes are very hilly.  They're quite dangerous because of this.  The later turnpikes are flatter and not as straight (Look at the Turner Turnpike on an aerial photo...the road is perfectly straight for miles and miles, then there is a curve, and another long straight stretch.  It was obviously built to early '50s specs.

[roadman65]

I-80 in Pennsylvania between Scotrun and I-380 has the WB lanes higher than the EB lanes while climbing the hill.  That is to allow a better climb for trucks as going downhill trucks really do not need a more gradual grade.  The WB side is significantly higher than its eastbound counterpart as it climbs the Pocono Mountains.

[agentsteel53]

I-80 in Pennsylvania between Scotrun and I-380 has the WB lanes higher than the EB lanes while climbing the hill.  That is to allow a better climb for trucks as going downhill trucks really do not need a more gradual grade.  The WB side is significantly higher than its eastbound counterpart as it climbs the Pocono Mountains.

I-5 over the Grapevine is very similar, with a much less steep uphill grade heading north out of Castaic.

in order to make this happen, the southbound lanes are actually to the east of the northbound ones for a while - the opposite side of what is expected.

I-8 in Telegraph Pass, AZ has a similar crossover, but I don't recall one grade being particularly more ornery than the other.

[kphoger]

I think we're drifting away again from the idea of a Missouri Expressway.
I believe what the OP was referring to was highways where this type of undulation is seen only on one carriageway:
http://goo.gl/maps/J7TQc

[roadman65]

I think we're drifting away again from the idea of a Missouri Expressway.
I believe what the OP was referring to was highways where this type of undulation is seen only on one carriageway:
http://goo.gl/maps/J7TQc

The photo seems to appear that US 60 is NOT a freeway here.  If that is the case, then go hundreds of miles to the east US 60 does the same near Williamsburg, VA.  Heck, most Virginia divided highways are that way and so is US 278 near Cullman, AL and US 22 near Whitehouse, NJ. 

It appears that the near side of US 60 in the photo caption was originally a two lane non super two as there are utility poles along the side of it.  I have not seen a freeway with wooden poles along it except the TN 155 near the defunct Opryland themepark and the Garden State Parkway using wooden roadway lighting poles with the power supply  cable draping between each one.

[kphoger]

The photo seems to appear that US 60 is NOT a freeway here.

Exactly.  A Missouri Expressway, as defined in the OP, is not necessarily a freeway:

There are plenty of what I call "Missouri Expressways," a 4 lane divided highway...

It appears that the near side of US 60 in the photo caption was originally a two lane non super two as there are utility poles along the side of it.

That is precisely the case (though it may not have been an actual super two); most of US-60 in Missouri has been four-laned over the years.  I believe it's exactly the kind of highway the OP was thinking of:

...that was converted from a 2 lane.

there are utility poles along the side of it.  I have not seen a freeway with wooden poles along it except the TN 155 near the defunct Opryland themepark and the Garden State Parkway using wooden roadway lighting poles with the power supply  cable draping between each one.

Wooden utility poles is not what makes a highway a Missouri Expressway.  The question at hand from the OP is regarding a dual carriageway on which one side undulates with the hilly terrain, while the other side is noticeably more level–cutting through the hills instead of rising and falling with them:

The old lanes are often hilly while the new lanes are flat.  I've seen them on lots of expressways, but are there any actual freeways that are built like this?

[mgk920]

I also note that on US 41(I-xx) in the rural parts of Washington County, WI, the southbound side of the highway, which is the original late 1940s-era two lane US 41 highway on that routing, is slightly hillier than the newer mid-late 1950s-era northbound side.

Mike

[JREwing78]

Another example:

US-65 south of Marshall, MO
http://goo.gl/maps/rHxjq