Different Route Ends With Different Character

[Roadsguy]

I mean something like a rural, two-lane, one-way-stop intersection in the middle of nowhere on one end, and a mega-two-lane-flyover interchange on the other, going up to an eight lane expressway with two-lane-each-direction local lanes.

Okay, maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea.

For example, PA 63 ends at a two-lane, signalized, turning lane intersection in Green Lane at its western end. On its eastern end, however, it's a heavily traveled (kinda obsolete) trumpet with I-95 in Northeast Philly, with two-lane ramps for some movements.

Any other examples?

[NE2]

I-95.

[Dr Frankenstein]

US 1 begins in a fairly rural and very cold area in mainland Maine and ends in the ocean in Florida's keys.

QC 117 begins in the middle of Montreal and ends at the Ontario border up North in quite the remote area.

[PurdueBill]

MA 128 has one end at a signalized intersection as a two-lane undivided road and its other at a junction of two interstate routes in a onetime-cloverleaf-now-trumpet interchange with one interstate traveling through ramps and the thru movements of the interchange involving changing route number as well as signed direction from north to south or vice versa, with a US route along for the ride as well, becoming involved in a wrong-way multiplex.  If you count MA 128 as ending in Canton anyway.

[The High Plains Traveler]

U.S. 84 begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado east of Pagosa Springs at an altitude of over 7000 feet, and ends in the coastal plain of Georgia very near the Atlantic Ocean. I think a lot of long-distance routes have similar contrasts. Even on a state level, consider the contrasts on routes that enter Texas from New Mexico on the west and exit to Louisiana on the east.

[Takumi]

US 60's east end is in an oceanfront area of a resort city and its west end is in the middle of nowhere.

[Sanctimoniously]

US 60's east end is in an oceanfront area of a resort city and its west end is in the middle of nowhere.

US 58's east end is in an oceanfront area of a resort city and its west end is in the mountains. . .one quarter-mile from being in the same state.

US 70's east end is in a tiny oceanfront town and its west end is in the desert.

[Scott5114]

OK 152's western end is as a two-lane highway at the Texas state line in the plains of western Oklahoma. Its eastern end is a six-lane freeway carrying airport traffic into the state's capital.

[DandyDan]

The only good contrast that I can think of in Nebraska is Nebraska Highway 50, which begins at the Kansas border in a rural area and ends in suburban west Omaha.

[Roadsguy]

My original point was more the road itself (i.e. size, lanes, etc.), but this works too.

[vdeane]

NY 56 starts at a very rural intersection with NY 3 (it's 10 miles away from, well, anything) and ends at the NY 37 divided highway just outside Massena.

[agentsteel53]

CA-94 starts as two blocks of city street in downtown San Diego before turning into a full freeway, and then peters out one third of the way through to continue for about 40 more miles as a rural two-laner, ending up at a ramp to I-8.

CA-39 has two segments, but assuming that N6 connects the two... one end is an urban arterial complete with strip malls and the like - and the other end is a mountain road that has been closed since 1976.

[Mr_Northside]

PA-65 has a meager Northern terminus in New Castle as a 2 lane road (it's very end has an extra lane at the signal for turning), but it ends as a 6-lane freeway on the "North Shore" of Pittsburgh @ I-279 & the Ft. Duquesne Bridge.

A mile away from there, PA-28 pretty much ends @ a massive conglomeration of I-279/I-579/9th St., as what will be a regional freeway (and currently mostly is); while it's northern end is as a 2-lane rd @ a traffic signal with US-219 in the quaint borough of Brockway.

And finally, I'll mention PA-66.  It also ends (Northern Terminus) as a 2-lane road (though with a brief third right turn lane) at a traffic signal @ US-6 in Kane (with railroad tracks passing thru it right before the signal).  It's south end (and this might be up for interpretation/debate) is as a short 6 lane freeway stretch that transitions into a toll road...  On paper, and because they're maintained by 2 different agencies, PA-66 & PA TPK (Toll)-66 are 2 different routes... But the "66" number has 14 final miles as a toll road.

[jdbx]

I-580 in Northern California.  Starts out in the very rural San Joaquin County, passes over the Altamont through suburbs, multiplexes with I-80 as one of the busiest freeways in Northern California, and finally ends at a wide and heavily traveled stretch of US-101.  A lot of contrast in only 75 miles.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Minnesota 65 used to have dramatic differences at its two ends, which are over 250 miles apart. It began as a freeway stub off I-35W in downtown Minneapolis that connected to a one-way street pair through the heart of downtown, then headed north out of the metropolitan area as a divided highway. At its far end, it was a dirt road through an Indian reservation that finally ended at U.S. 71 near International Falls. The comparison has been muddied a little by virtue of the state turning back the very south end to city control (the freeway stub is still part of the route, I think) and by paving the north end, but it's still a metropolitan to about as rural as you can get contrast.

[cpzilliacus]

The Capital and Baltimore Beltways, as circumferential highways, never end at all.

[MDOTFanFB]

I-75 starts out as a ten-lane suburban freeway just northwest of Miami and ends as a two-lane bridge into Canada in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

[roadman]

MA 128 has one end at a signalized intersection as a two-lane undivided road and its other at a junction of two interstate routes in a onetime-cloverleaf-now-trumpet interchange with one interstate traveling through ramps and the thru movements of the interchange involving changing route number as well as signed direction from north to south or vice versa, with a US route along for the ride as well, becoming involved in a wrong-way multiplex.  If you count MA 128 as ending in Canton anyway.

Even if you accept MA 128 ending as a primary highway in Peabody where it joins I-95, it still qualifies as having differing ends.  Two lane highway intersection in Gloucester to multi-lane semi-directional Interstate highway interchange in Peabody.

[Interstate Trav]

CA 118, starts out as a Street at CA 126 and ends at I-210 as a busy Freeway.

CA 14, starts out at I-5 with 5 lanes eachway plus a Carpool lane and a Truck Bypass as a heavily traveled commuter freeway, and ends at US 395 in Northern Kern County as a 2 lane eachway expressway with much loess traffic.

CA 60 starts in Los Angeles as a major freeway having atleast 4 lanes eachway sometimes 6 eachway, and ends in Beaumont at I-10 as a 2 lane eachway freeway after just being downgraded as an expressway with intersections.

[roadman65]

US 50 being a freeway in California and an arterial( Causeway)  in Maryland.

I-78 is a full freeway at one end and a surface (non interstate) street at the other.

NY is a full freeway at its west end and its east end (signed N-S) is full freeway as well, but it continues as NJ 17 where its true east terminus is on a city street in North Arlington, NJ.

I-10 has a tunnel at its western end in CA and has an interchange with I-95 at its east end in Florida.

[kj3400]

I-70 starts at a trumpet interchange in Utah and ends at a park and ride lot in Maryland.

US 1 comes out of DC into MD as a 4 lane urban divided highway, and leaves MD as a 2 lane rural road.

[xcellntbuy]

NY 27 starts at Interstate 278 in Brooklyn at the Prospect Expressway and ends in the east in a loop at Montauk Point on the southern fork of Long Island (and a gorgeous view).

[roadman65]

US 46 begins as a two lane road near a natural state boundary and ends as a two level 14 lane freeway directly over a natural state boundary.

[kphoger]

K-96 begins in the west at the Colorado state line as a two-laner in the middle of nowhere, 15 miles from Tribune; it ends in the east as a four-lane freeway in Wichita.

US-59 starts in the south as a five-lane urban arterial in Laredo (pop. 236 000, metro 636 000) at an interchange with a six-lane freeway; it ends in the north as a lonely two-laner in the north woods of Minnesota.

[PurdueBill]

MA 128 has one end at a signalized intersection as a two-lane undivided road and its other at a junction of two interstate routes in a onetime-cloverleaf-now-trumpet interchange with one interstate traveling through ramps and the thru movements of the interchange involving changing route number as well as signed direction from north to south or vice versa, with a US route along for the ride as well, becoming involved in a wrong-way multiplex.  If you count MA 128 as ending in Canton anyway.

Even if you accept MA 128 ending as a primary highway in Peabody where it joins I-95, it still qualifies as having differing ends.  Two lane highway intersection in Gloucester to multi-lane semi-directional Interstate highway interchange in Peabody.

Sure--I just thought I'd stoke the 128 fire while it's still hot.