Removing the Gap in Interstate 95

[Duke87]

Passed through there yesterday and it is a bit amazing to see visible progress actually (finally) occurring. Several vertical supports for the future I-95 SB ramp are in place.

One rather crazy thing I noted is that leading up to the bridge, the work zone speed limit drops to 35, and then to 15(!), neither of which was particularly heeded by anyone on the road. The reason for the drastic drop is that the former DRB toll barrier, while no longer in use, is still physically in place, so traffic still needs to slow down to pass through the old toll lanes (only two of them are clear for this purpose, one for each through lane).

[rickmastfan67]

Thread dedicated about the PA Turnpike I-95 interchange. https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11707.0

[The Nature Boy]

I always found it funny in a sad way that I-95 was not finished despite the incomplete section being in the BosWash Corridor.  After all, I-95 is only the #1 freeway for the East Coast!  Had I-70 been left with a gap in Utah, that would have been more understandable.

Rick

Well, they could've routed it over the Delaware River on I-295 and up all of the NJ Turnpike, but I can see why it didn't happen because the largest city between Washington and New York needed I-95, and it was for the best that it was routed that way.

I've always thought that this was the logical way to route I-95 anyway.

[EdM]

The "resistance to direct connections" dates back to old federal funding rules that didn't allow federal funds to be spent on projects directly connecting free Interstates to toll roads.

And yet, the PTC is still behind on it.  The Ohio Turnpike was connected directly to most of the interstates it crosses, even if belatedly.  It still lacks a direct connection to I-475.  The Indiana Toll Road was also connected to the interstates it crosses, when those interstates were built.  So, there really is no excuse for the PTC not to have made most of those connections by now.

Ditto the Mass. Pike. That highway was originally connected to Rte. 5 in Springfield, but when I-91 came through, they linked up ramps to the turnpike to make a direct connection. Ditto when 495 came through in Marlboro, Mass.

[longhorn]

I always found it funny in a sad way that I-95 was not finished despite the incomplete section being in the BosWash Corridor.  After all, I-95 is only the #1 freeway for the East Coast!  Had I-70 been left with a gap in Utah, that would have been more understandable.

Rick

Well, they could've routed it over the Delaware River on I-295 and up all of the NJ Turnpike, but I can see why it didn't happen because the largest city between Washington and New York needed I-95, and it was for the best that it was routed that way.

I've always thought that this was the logical way to route I-95 anyway.

That should have been the routing, where is it written that an interstate must go through downtown? Amazing that I-95 is technically not complete in 2016.

[froggie]

where is it written that an interstate must go through downtown?

Under "Interstate Route Numbering" (about 2/3 down):

The major route numbers (i.e. 1/2-digit routes) are routed through urban areas on the path of the major traffic stream. Generally, this major traffic stream will be the shortest and most direct line of travel. Connecting routes and full or partial circumferential beltways around and within urban areas carry a three-digit number.

While it doesn't specifically state that the Interstate must go through downtown, far more often than not the "path of the major traffic stream" goes through the city.

[longhorn]

where is it written that an interstate must go through downtown?

Under "Interstate Route Numbering" (about 2/3 down):

The major route numbers (i.e. 1/2-digit routes) are routed through urban areas on the path of the major traffic stream. Generally, this major traffic stream will be the shortest and most direct line of travel. Connecting routes and full or partial circumferential beltways around and within urban areas carry a three-digit number.

While it doesn't specifically state that the Interstate must go through downtown, far more often than not the "path of the major traffic stream" goes through the city.

Thanks for info.

I guess there are exceptions to this rule, like I -20 going to the south of the Metroplex,  and I-85 going around downtown Charlotte.

[Sykotyk]

For traffic, the Rochester, DFW (I-20), Columbia (I-77 & I-20), Pittsburgh (I-79 and to an extent you can argue I-76 and I-70), Cleveland (I-80), Erie (smaller city, but I-90 does goes well south of town), Buffalo (I-90 stays in the suburban areas and away from the downtown core), etc.

I-70 through St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus shoulc've been routed just above (I-270/370 in STL), and below (I-465 & I-270 in IND & CLB). But not just looping downand still having a 'straight through' but the east/west route of I-70 from IND and CLB should've probably have ran entirely below US40 and had a loop route up into downtown on each case. The extra miles of taking a bypass many times influences people's decisions not to take them. In addition to the travelers that suffer from 'route hypnosis). If they're going to be on I-70 west of a city and I-70 east of a city, then they can't comprehend how or why they would leave the road to get back on the same road (such as I-270 through STL).