I've realized I'm a big fan of non-Interstate freeways. LOL

[A.J. Bertin]

This is something I've kinda realized over the past 17+ years of me driving, but I've finally started to acknowledge it. I love all sorts of highways, but there's something about freeways (especially outside of my home state of Michigan) that are not Interstates that intrigues me.

I guess my logic is that it's a given that, 99.99999 percent of the time, we know that every Interstate is a freeway. Nothing terribly exciting with that. I guess it's the fact that U.S., state, and county highways can be any type of road - including freeways. I guess I just like freeways in general and want to drive on every non-Interstate freeway in the U.S. I'm particularly intrigued by Kentucky's network of limited-access "parkways".

What got me thinking about this was the fact that I got to drive on some freeway sections of U.S. 35 and U.S. 52 in Ohio on my way to the Ashland KY road meet a few weeks ago. They were pretty fun.

[Brandon]

Non-interstate freeways/tollways and non-interstate freeway/tollway networks are interesting.  Some states seem to have freeway=interstate for the most part (Nebraska and the Dakotas come to mind) while others have built extensive non-interstate freeway networks (California, Michigan).  Some states built non-interstate freeways and tollways and renumbered them to interstates (yes, that'd be Illinois).  Ones in the latter category I can think of off-hand include:

I-39 - built as US-51
I-72 west of Springfield - built as US-36
I-172 - built as IL-336
I-88 - built as the East-West Tollway, then became IL-190 and then IL-5
I-155 - started as IL-121
I-355 (Army Trail Rd to I-290) - built as IL-53

[Henry]

Then again, any road can be interesting. I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

[roadman65]

Yeah like I-99!  I really did not think that needed to be an interstate as it was fine as a US route from the beginning, not so much the Bud Schuster thing with the number being out of place and written into law.  I always like the fact that Pennsylvania like to build a network of freeways that were not part of or attached to the interstate system.  This was part of that as well as US 219 further to the west.

[A.J. Bertin]

I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

Amen! I'm still annoyed by the concept that a freeway MUST be an Interstate. I wish Wisconsin would leave U.S. 41 alone and not waste money converting it to an Interstate.

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

[agentsteel53]

California's got plenty of non-interstate freeways for your enjoyment.  we've even got a few unnumbered ones!

[NE2]

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Because maps suck. LOL
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.504902,-81.340027&spn=2.201136,4.22699&gl=us&t=m&z=9

[roadman65]

I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

Amen! I'm still annoyed by the concept that a freeway MUST be an Interstate. I wish Wisconsin would leave U.S. 41 alone and not waste money converting it to an Interstate.

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Or better yet, does NY 17 really need to be I-86?  It was fine for years, as plain ole Route 17 even with a few at grade intersections.  Although the latter I can see, as you cannot have any speed limits higher than 55 mph on non freeways in NYS as well as most states east of the Mississippi.

[Big John]

^^ More to encourage visitors, as you know with an interstate shield it will be up to freeway and other standards.  Locals will know what other highways are up to those standards so those are meant to the visitors to the area.

[Brandon]

I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

Amen! I'm still annoyed by the concept that a freeway MUST be an Interstate. I wish Wisconsin would leave U.S. 41 alone and not waste money converting it to an Interstate.

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Neither do I.  There was nothing wrong with IL-5 or US-51, or even US-220 for that matter.  Freeway does not have to equal interstate.  M-14 is just as fine as I-80 for a freeway.

[1995hoo]

I wish more states would accept that just because a freeway is not an Interstate does not automatically mean it must have a lower speed limit than the state allows on Interstates. I can think of any number of non-Interstate freeways that are better roads than many Interstates I've driven and that can easily take a higher speed.

[hm insulators]

I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

Amen! I'm still annoyed by the concept that a freeway MUST be an Interstate. I wish Wisconsin would leave U.S. 41 alone and not waste money converting it to an Interstate.

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Neither do I.  There was nothing wrong with IL-5 or US-51, or even US-220 for that matter.  Freeway does not have to equal interstate.  M-14 is just as fine as I-80 for a freeway.

Or look at the freeways in the Phoenix area that aren't interstates, such as US 60, Arizona 51, and the Loop routes (101, 202 and the under-construction 303). All beautiful stretches of freeway in better condition than most of the freeways in Los Angeles, whether interstate or not.

[AsphaltPlanet]

Or look at the freeways in the Phoenix area that aren't interstates, such as US 60, Arizona 51, and the Loop routes (101, 202 and the under-construction 303). All beautiful stretches of freeway in better condition than most of the freeways in Los Angeles, whether interstate or not.

Let's be honest, there are roads in Moldova that are in better condition than some Los Angeles area interstates.

[hm insulators]

You're probably right. California really has let their freeway system go to pot.

[InterstateNG]

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Because maps suck. LOL
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.504902,-81.340027&spn=2.201136,4.22699&gl=us&t=m&z=9

L@FF

[Big John]

I, for one, am glad that someone appreciates the fact that not every freeway needs an Interstate shield attached to it.

Amen! I'm still annoyed by the concept that a freeway MUST be an Interstate. I wish Wisconsin would leave U.S. 41 alone and not waste money converting it to an Interstate.

I still don't understand why an Interstate freeway is superior to a non-Interstate freeway.

Neither do I.  There was nothing wrong with IL-5 or US-51, or even US-220 for that matter.  Freeway does not have to equal interstate.  M-14 is just as fine as I-80 for a freeway.

At that time (1987-1995), only rural interstates were allowed to be 65 MPH, thus states pushing for interstate designations at that time

[agentsteel53]

beautiful stretches of freeway

that might be stretching it.  no matter which Phoenix-area freeway you take, you're still gonna be in Phoenix - a city that is effectively an overgrown suburb of itself, complete with subdivision after subdivision and no real urban character, resulting in a concrete blight in the middle of spectacular desert scenery.

the only positive thing about Phoenix is that it isn't Tucson, which is basically the same except with more 1070 nutters.

[kphoger]

^^ More to encourage visitors, as you know with an interstate shield it will be up to freeway and other standards.  Locals will know what other highways are up to those standards so those are meant to the visitors to the area.

Not buying it.  Let's play out the scenario in our heads, imagining a young couple from Kansas.

– I get off early next Friday, and I was thinking we could take a little trip somewhere.

– Oh, that sounds great!  I could use a mini vacation right about now.

– One of my coworkers was talking about the Hard Rock casino in Tulsa.  You wanna check that out?  We haven't been to that one, and Tulsa's only a few hours away.  I've never been to Tulsa before, have you?

– I don't know, hon.  I'm looking at the map and it looks like, once you get off I-35, it's not an Interstate.  "Cimarron Turnpike" doesn't sound like the kind of road I want to drive on.  And what kind of number is 412, anyway?  Sounds shady.

– Oh, yeah, you're right.  I didn't notice that.  Oh, well, let's just go to Kansas City instead.

– That sounds better.  Screw Oklahoma!

Yeah, I'm thinking that doesn't really happen.

[spmkam]

Isn't it more about federal funding than anything else?

[Brandon]

Isn't it more about federal funding than anything else?

Not always.  If it were, that doesn't explain I-355 in Illinois which was toll from day one.

[spmkam]

That might attract more people to the road. There's a reason why the NJ Turnpike makes it seem like it is I-95 even though it technically isn't. It doesn't mark where I-95 leaves the road for that reason.

[3467]

Illinois went wild Interstating because the speed limits were first raised only on interstates and the Toll Authority didn't want to lose out on traffic because of that
There is still US 34 Illinois tried for 174. It had to try several times for 72
There is Illinois 255 the Alton by pass.
Everything else is pretty much a stub or a sort section of a by-pass

US 51 Decatur
US 67 Jacksonville bypass
IL 6 North Peoria bypass
IL 92 Rock Island
US 20 Rockford and Elgin and Freeport bypass
Illinois 53 north
Amstutz
IL 56 Parts of IL 83 171 and IL 394 Chicago area
and the Elgin -Ohare
Currently planned are the IL 53 extension and Elgin Ohare extension. And maybe the Algonquin by pass qualifies
Post Merge: April 23, 2013, 07:39:52 PM
Oh and LSD

[mukade]

Illinois went wild Interstating because the speed limits were first raised only on interstates and the Toll Authority didn't want to lose out on traffic because of that
There is still US 34 Illinois tried for 174. It had to try several times for 72
There is Illinois 255 the Alton by pass.
Everything else is pretty much a stub or a sort section of a by-pass

US 51 Decatur
US 67 Jacksonville bypass
IL 6 North Peoria bypass
IL 92 Rock Island
US 20 Rockford and Elgin and Freeport bypass
Illinois 53 north
Amstutz
IL 56 Parts of IL 83 171 and IL 394 Chicago area
and the Elgin -Ohare
Currently planned are the IL 53 extension and Elgin Ohare extension. And maybe the Algonquin by pass qualifies

Other stubs are US 50 and Illinois 394.

[3467]

Missed those Can you list IN? the 50 stub crosses the boarder.
Non Interstate Freeways that are....Interstate!

There can be more design variation on non interstates. Il 92 has a very short median that would never pass interstate muster.

[Brandon]

Missed those Can you list IN? the 50 stub crosses the boarder.
Non Interstate Freeways that are....Interstate!

There can be more design variation on non interstates. Il 92 has a very short median that would never pass interstate muster.

Sam Jones Expy, US-31 and US-20 St Joseph Valley Pkwy, IN-912 Cline Ave, IN-265 (to become I-265).

New ones being built: US-31 Kokomo Bypass, US-31 South Bend to Plymouth

I-469 started as IN-469.