Bypass Routes as Bad as or Worse Than What They Bypass

[seicer]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

Richmond, KY's US 25 bypass can be fast at night, slow during the day. The southern bypass is painfully slow: http://goo.gl/maps/BCHXV

[codyg1985]

US 231 and US 431 were rerouted to go around downtown Dothan, AL. Unfortunately, all of the traffic and businesses moved out to the bypass so it makes it quicker to go through the downtown now.

Dothan, AL is what inspired me to open this topic in the first place. What a mess that "bypass" became.

When I was staying overnight in Dothan, I found that when a local politician was running for office at the time back in 2010, his promise to the people of Dothan was to get the bypass built!  So naturally a freeway is proposed to go around it, with further study of it connecting to I-10 in Florida, but I do not know if that politician was to help out Florida though.

Nonetheless its a bypass of a good example of one that became worse than the original route as the Ross Clark Circle (the name of the Dothan Beltway) is lined with big box stores, malls, and modern day commercial development its 13 miles of length.

The I-10 connector has been on the radar for many years. I think there was a website at one time that advocated building it close to Dothan so that Dothan wouldn't lose out on all of the sales from people passing through town.

But a lot of Alabama's "bypasses" have turned into useless, traffic signal-ridden commercial strips. The more recent bypasses aren't as bad, but it could be because there hasn't been enough time for commercial development to creep into the picture.

[froggie]

But a lot of Alabama's "bypasses" have turned into useless, traffic signal-ridden commercial strips.   The more recent bypasses aren't as bad, but it could be because there hasn't been enough time for commercial development to creep into the picture.

That's because Alabama doesn't understand access control or access management.  Give those newer bypasses time, and they will become just as commercial-ridden as the older ones.

[roadman65]

I forgot one that is in my own backyard.  John Young Parkway, which was to be built as another route between Orlando and Kissimmee in Central Florida.  It was originally built as an expressway and being that nearby US 17/92/441 was starting to develop with the many subdivisions lining that stretch south of the Florida Mall to the Osceola County Line, it you can say was a bypass of the US routes at first. 

Now John Young Parkway is just as bad as the road it parallels.  It has just as many signals and Lynx, Central Florida's answer to a bus system, even added the 57 route along JYP to make matters worse.  Nothing like screwing up traffic when a bus has to stop in a travel lane to pick up or discharge passengers especially when it takes five minutes for the passenger to obtain the exact change to pay his fare.

[doorknob60]

On that note, is 205 worse during rush hour than 5?  Last time I was up there, 205 was a bottleneck from the airport onramp all the way down to the I-84 WB ramp.  Looked like it was still backed up heading south too.  Granted, this was around 4pm on a weekday...

In certain sections, maybe, but as a whole (as in, you're going from north of Vancouver to Wilsonville, etc.), I-205 is probably better in most cases.

[kkt]

Both routes are often terrible.  Listen to the traffic reports...

[lordsutch]

That's because Alabama doesn't understand access control or access management.  Give those newer bypasses time, and they will become just as commercial-ridden as the older ones.

They occasionally get it right (Corridor X, for example), but that's the exception that proves the rule, and probably only because MDOT shamed them into building it to freeway standards from the get-go. Although the new construction parts of Corridor V and a few other recent projects (like the Centreville bypass) seem to have had better access control than past ALDOT norms. Maybe they finally learned something from Mississippi and even Georgia.

[hbelkins]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

Richmond, KY's US 25 bypass can be fast at night, slow during the day. The southern bypass is painfully slow: http://goo.gl/maps/BCHXV

I've never been around Ring Road, but I was thinking of Richmond as a candidate for this thread. When I was a kid, we went through Richmond a lot and my dad always preferred going straight through downtown vs. taking KY 876. Of course I remember when 876 ended at US 25/421 and wasn't extended on over to KY 52.  There's been enough development around the new US 25, with accompanying traffic lights, to become frustrating.

[txstateends]

(I thought I posted on this one.....guess not  )

The closest thing I've seen to this would have to be US 69 in McAlester, OK.  I haven't had the pleasure of the original-now-BUS route, but the excuse of a bypass around downtown, for the most part, leaves me asking why.  I guess the reasons that would be given would be "not enough money" and/or "we don't want to lose or miss any business" but it's just jarring to come in from the north like things will be smooth and non-stop, then suddenly redyellowgreenNOW.  From the south, it's not quite as bad as you don't get too far from the BUS split when you're already having to stop after possibly getting your hopes up.

If I had a roads 'magic wand', this would be one spot where I'd wave it around.

[TheStranger]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

I'm surprised that at the south end of Bypass US 31W, the more direct route along the Western Kentucky Parkway across I-65 isn't used (instead of the short connector along KY 1336).

Looking at Google's satellite view, the newest section of KY 3005 (from US 62 south to the WK) looks to be a divided, access-controlled route.  Will any similar widening take place on the older portions?

[NE2]

Idabel, OK is the clear winner. Yes, the Goog is correct (except that there's no US 70 Biz).

[hbelkins]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

I'm surprised that at the south end of Bypass US 31W, the more direct route along the Western Kentucky Parkway across I-65 isn't used (instead of the short connector along KY 1336).

Unless something's changed Bypass 31W is indeed signed along the WK Parkway, although its official definition may extend to KY 1336.

[TheStranger]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

I'm surprised that at the south end of Bypass US 31W, the more direct route along the Western Kentucky Parkway across I-65 isn't used (instead of the short connector along KY 1336).

Unless something's changed Bypass 31W is indeed signed along the WK Parkway, although its official definition may extend to KY 1336.

Alright, might just be Google Maps acting tricky there.  OpenStreetMap and Bing Maps aren't particularly clear in that area either.

[Truvelo]

But a lot of Alabama's "bypasses" have turned into useless, traffic signal-ridden commercial strips.   The more recent bypasses aren't as bad, but it could be because there hasn't been enough time for commercial development to creep into the picture.

That's because Alabama doesn't understand access control or access management.  Give those newer bypasses time, and they will become just as commercial-ridden as the older ones.

Early bypasses in Britain built during the 1920s and 1930s were often lined with houses built by speculative developers soon after the road opened. This seriously compromised the function of the bypass so the Restriction of Ribbon Development Act of 1935 was imposed which placed controls on development along major roads. Perhaps the US should impose similar controls on frontage development.

[Brandon]

But a lot of Alabama's "bypasses" have turned into useless, traffic signal-ridden commercial strips.   The more recent bypasses aren't as bad, but it could be because there hasn't been enough time for commercial development to creep into the picture.

That's because Alabama doesn't understand access control or access management.  Give those newer bypasses time, and they will become just as commercial-ridden as the older ones.

Early bypasses in Britain built during the 1920s and 1930s were often lined with houses built by speculative developers soon after the road opened. This seriously compromised the function of the bypass so the Restriction of Ribbon Development Act of 1935 was imposed which placed controls on development along major roads. Perhaps the US should impose similar controls on frontage development.

There are, but the statutes can vary widely by state.

[NE2]

Elizabethtown, KY's Ring Road/KY 3005, which is pathetically slow for all of the traffic signals: http://goo.gl/maps/Ol4eq | Bypass US 31W, which is older, has only two signals and now several interchanges. It is access controlled, unlike most of Ring Road.

I'm surprised that at the south end of Bypass US 31W, the more direct route along the Western Kentucky Parkway across I-65 isn't used (instead of the short connector along KY 1336).

Unless something's changed Bypass 31W is indeed signed along the WK Parkway, although its official definition may extend to KY 1336.

Not when the Goog drove through there (July 2013). But the ramp from the southbound bip to the eastbound WK is signed as both US 31W *Truck* and to US 31W, so it's obviously intended as the through route. The truck route is also signed northbound at the beginning of the WK.

[I-39]

It's not an Interstate route, but U.S 51 in Illinois between Bloomington-Normal and Decatur is terrible, especially the Clinton "bypass". The corridor is an expressway with at-grade intersections and stop lights, plus an at-grade railroad crossing. It is literally hugging the town. The whole corridor should have been built to freeway/interstate-standards, but they built an expressway to save money, and now it has come back to bite them.

[hbelkins]

Took this in 2009 on KY 61 northbound as it approaches US 31W and the eastern end of the WK.



See that little sign just to the right of the 70 mph sign in the photo below?



This is it...

[NE2]

I bet it's also signed as beginning at KY 1136. So nerr.

(Also, the reassurance on the WK appears to be gone as of July 2013.)

[bing101]

Does Vasco road count? I know it was a rural road in Contra Costa County but became a county expressway that's used as a bypass to I-680. I know that some people mentioned its became the busiest county expressway at rush hour.

[roadman65]

In Houma, LA there is LA 3040 that is supposed to be a bypass of LA 24.  However the city's "New Downtown" meaning where all the modern age strip malls were later built, is now just as bad as LA 24.

[codyg1985]

That's because Alabama doesn't understand access control or access management.  Give those newer bypasses time, and they will become just as commercial-ridden as the older ones.

They occasionally get it right (Corridor X, for example), but that's the exception that proves the rule, and probably only because MDOT shamed them into building it to freeway standards from the get-go. Although the new construction parts of Corridor V and a few other recent projects (like the Centreville bypass) seem to have had better access control than past ALDOT norms. Maybe they finally learned something from Mississippi and even Georgia.

Corridor V from Moulton to Decatur has begun to have a lot of traffic lights added to it. I don't see any interchanges ever being built along it, either. It is an older section, though.

[kphoger]

Highway signs have touted the benefit of using MO-370 through St Charles, but I fail to see any real advantage.

[bing101]

I-405 in California and Washington were both built in already-developed areas on existing corridors.

Wasn't CA-170 supposed to make La Cinega Blvd a freeway and be an alternate to 405 in Los Angeles at one point. I know there's been a debate over the expressway portion of La Cinega for sometime if its a city road or CA-170?

[OCGuy81]

I-405 in California and Washington were both built in already-developed areas on existing corridors.

Wasn't CA-170 supposed to make La Cinega Blvd a freeway and be an alternate to 405 in Los Angeles at one point. I know there's been a debate over the expressway portion of La Cinega for sometime if its a city road or CA-170?

I've heard something to that effect, but never sure why it didn't happen.  My guess would be an array of NIMBY issues.