Freeways that never got built

[NE2]

From that map, it looks like I-490 was to follow parts of 2 alignments of unbuilt freeways:  the aforementioned I-290 Clark Freeway alignment and part of the Bedford Freeway alignment.

Both were also part of the original plan for I-80N: http://www.roadfan.com/clevmap.html

[froggie]

CP:  correction:  I-70S branching off I-95/Northeast Freeway was labeled the North Central Freeway.  The "Northwest Freeway" was dead by the mid-60s, prompting the I-70S move to the North Central Freeway and a Beltway duplex.  And, of course, the freeway fight in Takoma Park.

[Desert Man]

Viewing the maps of "what would have been" freeways in the LA-Orange County metro area, it comes to mind the needs of construction of freeways changes randomly and cancels out some freeways if they aren't approved for construction.

The CA state route 2 freeway ("Beverly Hills Freeway") could made road commutes smoother, but the neighborhoods affected by the freeway will find more noise and pollution unwelcomed and resulting in real estate depreciation of the Westside's renowned upper-class home tracts.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, two freeway proposals to extend CA state route 57 along the Santa Ana River to meet the I-405/CA 73 junction near the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa...and the CA state route 22 from the 55 to the 241 Eastern Transporation Corridor. Not much was reported from the two projects, except I suspect they hadn't been approved.

Now the transportation officials discuss a proposed 10-mile partial tunnel project from the 241 in Orange county to I-15 in Corona. The high seismic risk of the Santiago mountains is likely going to kill the project.

And here we go again with the I-710 extension in east L.A./South Pasadena. Last year, the LA times reported a tunnel plan for the freeway to be built invisible to the eyes of the neighborhood.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/pasadena-angry-over-710-freeway-tunnel-proposal.html

[Interstatefan78]

Ditto on the unbuilt New Jersey freeways.  NJ has enough problems with traffic as the current road system is so outdated that it cannot handle the increased cars, trucks, and buses that developed.  It is sad as the proposals were so nice, it would have helped plenty, but we all know what makes the world go around.  Unfortunately, New Jersey does not have enough to go around to make the ideal road system for the times we are in.

Also to add, is the unbuilt NJ 24 west of I-287 along with its spur to NJ 10.  It would have terminated at current CR 510 somewhere west of Morristown as NJ 24 once did continue west to Hackettstown and even at one time to Phillipsburg.

Then the NJ 31 freeways in Mercer and Hunterdon Counties, especially the latter which would by-pass Flemington that was proposed in the 1980's after local business owners disapproved of widening existing NJ 31 within Flemington.

Even that NJ-24 Morristown-Hackettstown fwy was built successfully it would have relieved I-287 I-80 US-46 for Hackettstown to Morristown traffic also the Phillipsburg extension of the NJ-24 fwy should be NJ-57 fwy because NJ-57 is the main Phillipsburg Hackettstown road via Washington

[TEG24601]

Seattle had two freeways struck down in 1972: the R.H. Thomson Expressway and the Bay Freeway. (Source)

They were part of a whole system of freeways planned for Seattle, but were mostly canceled. (Map)

Don't forget I-605, which was a loop to run east of I-405, likely about where SR 18 runs now, then connecting in Everett near US-2 or SR-530.

There is the missing stretch of I-275 between I-96/696 and I-75 near Detroit.

The missing I-70 into Baltimore.

The Prescott Freeway in Portland, OR.

The mythical 3rd bridge across Lake Washington near Seattle.

SR-167 from SR-512 to I-5.

I-82/US-12/SR-410 Freeway from Yakima to Tacoma, WA over either White Pass or around Mt. Rainier.

I-290 in Spokane (current SR-290, a surface street).

SR-7 Freeway in Tacoma.

M-8 East of I-75 in Detroit, to I-696, and beyond.

I-69 through Indianapolis.

US-2 Freeway around Monroe, WA, Startup, Sultan, and Gold Bar, and over Steven's Pass.

[NE2]

I-290 in Spokane (current SR-290, a surface street).

[citation needed]

[US71]

Has anyone mentioned the abandoned part of I-40 through Memphis?

[Avalanchez71]

There was talk in the late 90s and/or early 00s about building a connector between Brentwood/Franklin @ I-65 and Smyrna @ I-24.  Nothing has ever come of it.

First, too many expensive homes have gone up in the proposed route.

Second, it would be less than 10 miles north of TN 840.

That would some expensive right of way acquisition.  There would be too much political capital to pull to get something like that done.  The people that would take advantage of the highway come from the lower property value areas into a high property value area.  I can't see this one working out.

[kkt]

The mythical 3rd bridge across Lake Washington near Seattle.

When was that a proposal?  I've seen proposals for alternative routes to the Evergreen Point Bridge that was ultimately built, but I didn't think there were proposals for a third bridge.

[ChoralScholar]

I-49 Between Texarkana and Fort Smith might has well go down as a 'never built'.  I'm beginning to think I won't see it in my lifetime.

US 67/167 going Northeast out of Little Rock was supposed to be added to the Interstate system.  I've even got an old Little Rock map from the 60s that show it as I-30, so apparently someone was talking about that way back then.

I-440 Loop around the NW corner of the LR/NLR metroplex probably won't ever be completed due to NIMBYs.

[bugo]

I think I-440 will be finished (as I-430) and that US 67 will one day be I-30.  And I-49 will be built, but none of us will live to see it completed.

[TEG24601]

The mythical 3rd bridge across Lake Washington near Seattle.

When was that a proposal?  I've seen proposals for alternative routes to the Evergreen Point Bridge that was ultimately built, but I didn't think there were proposals for a third bridge.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960405&slug=2322606

As for Washington SR-290, it was to be the North Cooridor.

[ChoralScholar]

I think I-440 will be finished (as I-430) and that US 67 will one day be I-30.  And I-49 will be built, but none of us will live to see it completed.

I-30 or possibly I-57.  Although both break the numbering scheme to some degree.  (30 north of 40, or 57 west of 55)

[NE2]

As for Washington SR-290, it was to be the North Cooridor.

What's your source for it being I-290? The number 290 comes from US 395 being 29 in the grid (hence 291 and 292).

[kkt]

The mythical 3rd bridge across Lake Washington near Seattle.

When was that a proposal?  I've seen proposals for alternative routes to the Evergreen Point Bridge that was ultimately built, but I didn't think there were proposals for a third bridge.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960405&slug=2322606

All right, but that's just some corporate CEOs chatting who happened to get their chat written about in the paper.  It's not any more serious a proposal than what we see in fictional highways.

[cpzilliacus]

CP:  correction:  I-70S branching off I-95/Northeast Freeway was labeled the North Central Freeway.  The "Northwest Freeway" was dead by the mid-60s, prompting the I-70S move to the North Central Freeway and a Beltway duplex.  And, of course, the freeway fight in Takoma Park.

Sorry for being slow to respond.

This is as I remember it.

The Northwest Expressway (U.S. 240) was moved from west of Rock Creek Park to east of the park by 1962 (maybe earlier), as I understand it because people west of the park (then and now) had influence with Congress (who directly ruled the  District of Columbia prior to 1975 there was no elected leadership at all) and a federal law was passed mandating that the Bureau of Public Roads (which was to become FHWA) use the route east of Rock Creek Park.  Nobody worried about environmental justice in those days.

You are correct about the North Central Freeway (I-70S) branching off from I-95 just north of Catholic University and following the CSX Metropolitan Sub out to I-495 near the Mormon Temple.  That was the section that got the late Sammy Abbott (later to be Mayor of the  City of Takoma Park) so upset (but I understand that Abbott made an entire career out of looking for things to get angry about).   In recent years, some have asserted that Abbott was upset about the various alignments of the Northeast Freeway (I-95), though none of those would have had any direct impact on Takoma Park.

[cpzilliacus]

Now the transportation officials discuss a proposed 10-mile partial tunnel project from the 241 in Orange county to I-15 in Corona. The high seismic risk of the Santiago mountains is likely going to kill the project.

I have heard of this proposal more than once.  Isn't most of California (at least its populated areas) considered "high seismic risk?"  Why is this project more risky than others?

Has not stopped projects like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transbay Tube (and much of the rest of the BART system), and assortment of transportation projects in Southern California, including long sections of elevated light rail along the Green Line and the Judge Pregerson Interchange.

[mapman1071]

AZ 50 Paradise Parkway

I was living in Phoenix in the mid-90s, around the time ADOT finally gave up on the Paradise Pkwy, selling off all the land they had acquired for its construction. Community oppositon and a shortfall of funding.

Is the Paradise Parkway the reason that there is no direct connection between AZ 51 and Camelback Rd? 

Yes
Both Highland Avenue (Exit 4A NB) and Coulter Street (Exit 4A SB) Were built (City of Phoenix) for the Paradise Freeway (would have been Exit 4B) trumpet interchange. (Camelback Road would have been routed thru the center of the interchange.

[jfs1988]

CA-125 extension into northern San Diego County & into Riverside County. I think the problem is in northern San Diego County & southern Riverside County, which has very mountainous terrain.

I-105 connection to I-5

[bugo]

I think I-440 will be finished (as I-430) and that US 67 will one day be I-30.  And I-49 will be built, but none of us will live to see it completed.

I-30 or possibly I-57.  Although both break the numbering scheme to some degree.  (30 north of 40, or 57 west of 55)

AHTD refers to the corridor as future I-30 and has for many years.  I don't think we'll ever see I-57 in Arkansas.

[Quillz]

CA-64
Decker Freeway

[sdmichael]

Now the transportation officials discuss a proposed 10-mile partial tunnel project from the 241 in Orange county to I-15 in Corona. The high seismic risk of the Santiago mountains is likely going to kill the project.

I have heard of this proposal more than once.  Isn't most of California (at least its populated areas) considered "high seismic risk?"  Why is this project more risky than others?

Has not stopped projects like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transbay Tube (and much of the rest of the BART system), and assortment of transportation projects in Southern California, including long sections of elevated light rail along the Green Line and the Judge Pregerson Interchange.

This is a higher risk as none of those projects are a long tunnel through a mountain range bounded by major fault lines. The other projects mentioned are vastly different and are poor comparisons.

[kkt]

Now the transportation officials discuss a proposed 10-mile partial tunnel project from the 241 in Orange county to I-15 in Corona. The high seismic risk of the Santiago mountains is likely going to kill the project.

I have heard of this proposal more than once.  Isn't most of California (at least its populated areas) considered "high seismic risk?"  Why is this project more risky than others?

Has not stopped projects like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transbay Tube (and much of the rest of the BART system), and assortment of transportation projects in Southern California, including long sections of elevated light rail along the Green Line and the Judge Pregerson Interchange.

This is a higher risk as none of those projects are a long tunnel through a mountain range bounded by major fault lines. The other projects mentioned are vastly different and are poor comparisons.

The Caldecott tunnels, now 4 bores for motor vehicles and one for BART.  The Hayward Fault goes right through them.

[sdmichael]

Different geology... the Hayward also does not go through the Caldecott Tunnels. It is close, but not quite. The tunnel length is also much longer for the proposed Santa Ana Mountains tunnel.

[cpzilliacus]

This is a higher risk as none of those projects are a long tunnel through a mountain range bounded by major fault lines. The other projects mentioned are vastly different and are poor comparisons.

I am not a geologist and not a seismic engineer either.  But it would seem to me that any elevated or subsurface infrastructure in much of California would carry at least some risk.