US routes effected by interstates nowheres near it

[roadman65]

One day years ago when I got to clinch US 301 in South Carolina between Santee and the Savanah River (along with US 301 in GA) I noticed all the abandoned business along the four lane highway south of Orangeburg.  This, of course, is from I-95 taking away all the traffic that once graced this highway.

Even though several miles away from it, I-95 still effected its traffic very significantly as US 301, though parting ways with I-95 for good at Exit 97 in SC, still ends up in the same place as I-95 does.  In addition FL A1A and I-295 & I-10 allow traffic back to US 301 once inside Florida.  As before all traffic that used I-95 now north of Santee that originally used US 301 pretty much stayed on US 301 at Santee all the way into Florida.  Those looking for Jacksonville, Miami, and the entire east coast of Florida would transfer to US 1 at Callahan, FL while those to Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa, and the Gulf Coast would remain on US 301 to the end or to distributor highways to their destination going.

Also US 19 in Florida and Georgia, though several miles from I-75 even got effected by it, as to now go from St. Pete to Atlanta is still better to use I-75 like those who used to follow US 41 from Tampa to points north until Chatanooga do now.

How many other US routes that are no wheres near an interstate have had their traffic reduced due to an interstate located within its region or in another that could provide a quicker or more direct route to wherever the US route head?

[TravelingBethelite]

U.S. 6 in northern Pennsylvania, which is at times over 45 miles from the highway that is robbing it, I-80, and now, I-86. That is currently a little over 20 miles north of it. The measuring point in Smethport, Pennsylvania.

[hotdogPi]

At first I thought the thread title was using a more obscure meaning of "effected". Then I realized it was just a typo.

[hbelkins]

I'd think I-64 between Lexington and Richmond, Va., took a significant amount of traffic off US 60.

And while it's not an interstate, Kentucky's Mountain Parkway no doubt siphoned traffic off US 460.

Conversely, when Corridor H is completed, I'd expect US 48 to divert much of I-68's through traffic.

[DandyDan]

I suspect the US 6/US 34 combo in central and SW Nebraska and Eastern Colorado had a dramatic falloff in traffic once I-80 and I-76 were built.  I would also guess US 65 in Iowa north of Des Moines had a dropoff in through traffic once I-35 was built.

[Mapmikey]

I'd think I-64 between Lexington and Richmond, Va., took a significant amount of traffic off US 60.

And while it's not an interstate, Kentucky's Mountain Parkway no doubt siphoned traffic off US 460.

Conversely, when Corridor H is completed, I'd expect US 48 to divert much of I-68's through traffic.

The last segment of I-64 between Lexington and Richmond opened in Dec 1972 (exit 99 to 107).  The earliest traffic log available on VDOT's website is 1975 which shows a grand total of 700 vpd on US 60 across the mountain between Buena Vista and Forks of Buffalo.

In 1980 the vpd for that part of US 60 dropped to 665.

It would be useful to know the 1970 data to answer definitively...

For comparison, in 2014 this number was still only 900.



Mike

[Bitmapped]

I-79 in West Virginia took away the through traffic from US 119 across much of the central part of the state, even though they're about 20 miles apart most of the way between Weston and Clendenin.

[GCrites]

I'd think I-64 between Lexington and Richmond, Va., took a significant amount of traffic off US 60.

And while it's not an interstate, Kentucky's Mountain Parkway no doubt siphoned traffic off US 460.

Conversely, when Corridor H is completed, I'd expect US 48 to divert much of I-68's through traffic.

The last segment of I-64 between Lexington and Richmond opened in Dec 1972 (exit 99 to 107).  The earliest traffic log available on VDOT's website is 1975 which shows a grand total of 700 vpd on US 60 across the mountain between Buena Vista and Forks of Buffalo.

In 1980 the vpd for that part of US 60 dropped to 665.

It would be useful to know the 1970 data to answer definitively...

For comparison, in 2014 this number was still only 900.



Mike

Wow, that's not much at all.

[cl94]

US 20 lost a lot of traffic to I-90, at least east of I-25, to the point where it was dieted in a decent portion of New York. US 9 is effectively doubled by I-87 and I-684 except between I-84 and the northern I-90 interchange, while I-90 doubles it in Rensselaer County. US 9W is closely paralleled by I-87 or the Palisades Parkway for its entire length. US 5 is rarely more than 5 miles from I-91.

[hotdogPi]

US 9 is effectively doubled by I-87 and I-684 except between I-84 and the northern I-90 interchange, while I-90 doubles it in Rensselaer County. US 9W is closely paralleled by I-87 or the Palisades Parkway for its entire length. US 5 is rarely more than 5 miles from I-91.

Those US routes are close to the Interstates you're mentioning, so they don't qualify.

[cl94]

US 9 is effectively doubled by I-87 and I-684 except between I-84 and the northern I-90 interchange, while I-90 doubles it in Rensselaer County. US 9W is closely paralleled by I-87 or the Palisades Parkway for its entire length. US 5 is rarely more than 5 miles from I-91.

Those US routes are close to the Interstates you're mentioning, so they don't qualify.

Duh. Stupid me.

[SD Mapman]

US 20 lost a lot of traffic to I-90, at least east of I-39, to the point where it was dieted in a decent portion of New York. US 9 is effectively doubled by I-87 and I-684 except between I-84 and the northern I-90 interchange, while I-90 doubles it in Rensselaer County. US 9W is closely paralleled by I-87 or the Palisades Parkway for its entire length. US 5 is rarely more than 5 miles from I-91.

FTFY

[hbelkins]

I-79 in West Virginia took away the through traffic from US 119 across much of the central part of the state, even though they're about 20 miles apart most of the way between Weston and Clendenin.

Wouldn't most of the through traffic have taken WV 4 instead of US 119?

[txstateends]

The only possible TX version of this that I can think of would be the US 90 (San Antonio-Van Horn) section being affected by I-10 (San Antonio-El Paso)'s later alignment ... many, many miles apart.

[dfwmapper]

I-10 between Van Horn and San Antonio was mostly an in-place upgrade of US 290 and US 87, with bypasses of SH 27 and a few towns along the way, so I can't imagine there was much of a shift since that traffic would have used the existing roads anyway.

[Bitmapped]

I-79 in West Virginia took away the through traffic from US 119 across much of the central part of the state, even though they're about 20 miles apart most of the way between Weston and Clendenin.

Wouldn't most of the through traffic have taken WV 4 instead of US 119?

I've asked older people about the favored route before I-79 and it seems to be a split between WV 4 and US 119. From a distance perspective, they're almost identical.

[hbelkins]

I've asked older people about the favored route before I-79 and it seems to be a split between WV 4 and US 119. From a distance perspective, they're almost identical.

That's one of those things that, on its face, just does not compute. It seems to me that 119 goes way out of the way to the north before turning to east for its concurrency with US 33. I guess the fact that 4 follows the twists and turns of the Elk River makes it seem longer than it really is.

Then again, to me the shortest and most logical way to get to Summersville from Charleston is US 60 and WV 39. But most routing services will recommend I-79 and US 19.

[Bitmapped]

I've asked older people about the favored route before I-79 and it seems to be a split between WV 4 and US 119. From a distance perspective, they're almost identical.

That's one of those things that, on its face, just does not compute. It seems to me that 119 goes way out of the way to the north before turning to east for its concurrency with US 33. I guess the fact that 4 follows the twists and turns of the Elk River makes it seem longer than it really is.

Then again, to me the shortest and most logical way to get to Summersville from Charleston is US 60 and WV 39. But most routing services will recommend I-79 and US 19.

I ran Google Maps from Clendenin to Buckhannon via US 119 and via WV 4/WV 20 through Rock Cave. US 119 and WV 4/WV 20 are both about 113 miles. I-79/US 33 is 94 miles.

Charleston to Summersville is shortest distance-wise via Gauley Bridge, and the guy I know who used to do that as a daily commute went that way. Going through all of the towns slows things down a lot, though. My guess is they're probably about the same time-wise in actuality.

[hbelkins]

Did you try running Clendenin to Weston via US 119 (through Spencer and Glenville) and then via WV 4/US 19 (through Sutton)?

When I drove from Summersville to Gauley Bridge, I remember seeing a sign after I turned onto US 60 that Charleston was 50-something miles away. That surprised me, as it always seemed much closer than that to me.

[Bitmapped]

Did you try running Clendenin to Weston via US 119 (through Spencer and Glenville) and then via WV 4/US 19 (through Sutton)?

When I drove from Summersville to Gauley Bridge, I remember seeing a sign after I turned onto US 60 that Charleston was 50-something miles away. That surprised me, as it always seemed much closer than that to me.

For Clendenin to Weston, 97 miles for US 119 versus 111 miles via WV 4/US 19. US 19 heads way east through Falls Mill and Walkersville.

[noelbotevera]

US 30/PA Turnpike. US 30 was the way to get from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, but when the year 1940 arrived, the PA Turnpike opened and people saw it was better than US 30. All the traffic got siphoned off of US 30 because of how twisty it was (I agree, US 30 is so twisty). US 30 is really slow going west of Chambersburg and in the town. Only then can you hit the gas east of there until Philadelphia, except for the York bottleneck at I-83.

[hbelkins]

US 30/PA Turnpike. US 30 was the way to get from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, but when the year 1940 arrived, the PA Turnpike opened and people saw it was better than US 30. All the traffic got siphoned off of US 30 because of how twisty it was (I agree, US 30 is so twisty). US 30 is really slow going west of Chambersburg and in the town. Only then can you hit the gas east of there until Philadelphia, except for the York bottleneck at I-83.

I would dispute the notion that US 30 is nowhere near the PA Turnpike. It parallels it and crosses it several times. Only east of Sideling Hill does US 30 vary an appreciable distance from the turnpike.

[Mr_Northside]

I would dispute the notion that US 30 is nowhere near the PA Turnpike. It parallels it and crosses it several times. Only east of Sideling Hill does US 30 vary an appreciable distance from the turnpike.

True..... and also west of the Irwin / Monroeville area, as US-30 heads on a generally more due E/W route, while the Turnpike continues NW/SE toward Youngstown, OH.

[roadman65]

US 30 is not effected east of Sideling Hill as you have plenty of local and regional traffic between Chambersburg and Philadelphia. In fact between York and Lancaster it has its own freeway as well as Coatesville and Dowingtown has a bypass to freeway grade because of heavy traffic.

In fact there is the age old dispute that a freeway needs to be built from Lancaster to Coatesville due to high traffic using the two lane US 30 there.  Apparently NIMBYs will not let it happen and have fought PennDOT on this one and believe me even back in the 80's it was pretty bad to drive on.  I can imagine now its really worse.

Back to topic, US 30 between Breezewood and Chambersburg, I am not too familiar with, but I would guess that its effected by the PA Turnpike several miles away as just east of Breezewood I did notice that it had very little use as I did drive 3 miles of it looking for Ray's Hill Tunnel on the abandoned PA Turnpike which I could not find from local roads.