Least Favorite Interstate Segment in Your State.

[sparker]

Another thread asks posters to identify their most favorite stretch of Interstate highway in their state.  Here, I'm going the other way -- to identify the least favorite segment within their state.  Only one condition -- the reason for the disfavor needs to be something other than traffic/congestion!!!.  But any other aspect of the experience on that road qualifies -- scenery or lack thereof, road condition (hopefully at time of travel), poor design, etc...........doesn't matter whether it's rural, suburban, or urban -- if you think the particular Interstate stretch or the driving experience over it sucks, let us know!

For me, it's a specific stretch of I-8 in the Imperial Valley (otherwise I really like this highway) -- near Seeley, west of El Centro, at or near the New River crossing.  Done it a couple dozen times, and usually I have to (a) roll up the windows if the AC isn't on because of the rather pungent stench coming from the river bottom, and (b) avert my eyes from the "river" as I cross it -- the water (or whatever chemical formula it actually is) is usually some unattractive blend of olive green/khaki and what my GF describes as "baby shit brown".  From what I understand that river -- which is the lowest point on any Interstate anywhere, at about 230 feet below sea level, functions as the drain for many of the Imperial Valley's fields, so it's literally full of both shit and other fertilizer compounds.    But even the topology is unattractive right there -- the river's in a gully lined with tall greenish brush, and the road actually takes a dip down to near the river crossing (a relatively short cookie-cutter Caltrans set of dual freeway bridges).  Let's just say that it makes the rest of the valley attractive by comparison -- even the edge of the valley where the farmland gives way to the desert.  BTW, the stench from the river isn't exclusive to that location in the region; I've experienced it on CA 86 in the area around the west CA 78 junction late at night on several occasions (but then that same field runoff gets into the Salton Sea as well). 

That's it for me.  Next? 

[SeriesE]

For me it's a tossup between the two segments of I-5:
Kern County segment of West Side Freeway. Right lane is too rough to be a cruising lane, so frequent lane changes are necessary.
East LA Interchange to Orange County line. Outdated design for the traffic loads, rough pavement, and bad interchange design. Luckily half of this segment is being fixed in an ongoing project.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN: I-90, really from MN 76 westward to South Dakota, but the most dishonorable is west of Albert Lea. MnDOT has invested a lot of money in recent years into this road but it was in horrific shape. I'm trying to remember the specific segment, I believe it was between MN 109 and MN 22 where a yellow warning sign warned all traffic to use the left lane because the road was in such pitiful shape. Not that the left lane was a fun drive through that stretch.

Oh, and scenery? What scenery? This is the driest part of Minnesota. There aren't any lakes or lake towns like you get on 94.

[GaryV]

I-75 from Bay City to Grayling, or maybe to Gaylord. There's nothing to see, and you just want to get to your destination. Why'd they have to put Up North so far north?

[JayhawkCO]

I-270.  Its entirety.  Rolling right through the refineries in Commerce City, always potholed from truck traffic, not wide enough.  At least it's not very long.

Chris

[Flint1979]

I-75 from Bay City to Grayling, or maybe to Gaylord. There's nothing to see, and you just want to get to your destination. Why'd they have to put Up North so far north?

This is about mine too I think. Although I would go Bay City to exit 202. North of that it starts getting better.

[NWI_Irish96]

Any stretch of I-65 that is still only 4 lanes.

[Roadgeekteen]

I-95 south of I-93 doesn't have much going for it. All other segments have some interesting stuff to look at.

[Henry]

For WA, that would be I-82. I get that everybody uses it as a shortcut from Seattle to Salt Lake City, but it's really not that interesting, especially when compared to the other 2di's in the state.

[hbelkins]

Probably I-64 between Frankfort and Shelbyville. Wide, wooded medians that are perfect for deer to hide in. It never fails when I drive that route that the shoulders are littered with deer carcasses. Plus, it seems to go on forever despite only being about 20 miles.

[SoDakInterstateEnthusiast]

I-29 between the Aberdeen/Milbank exit and Sioux Falls. BORING, boring straight road. You maybe turn to go diagonally for a bit 3 times in that stretch.

For me, it's a specific stretch of I-8 in the Imperial Valley (otherwise I really like this highway) -- near Seeley, west of El Centro, at or near the New River crossing.  Done it a couple dozen times, and usually I have to (a) roll up the windows if the AC isn't on because of the rather pungent stench coming from the river bottom, and (b) avert my eyes from the "river" as I cross it -- the water (or whatever chemical formula it actually is) is usually some unattractive blend of olive green/khaki and what my GF describes as "baby shit brown".

Blech, that is a disgusting color. However, that is also the best Google StreetView cam footage from 2008 I've ever seen.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7737821,-115.6941212,3a,75y,169.83h,75.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9AoXU3qaPs1_rN1V595r4Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[STLmapboy]

Probably the infamous Kansas City alphabet loop (although the exit numbers are pretty unique--2Y anyone?). There's also a narrow 4-lane I-70 section through Columbia that's a pain in the ass for Mizzou kids.

[sprjus4]

I-564 in Norfolk, VA – are they ever going to repave it? Otherwise, I don't have any personal least favorites.

[zzcarp]

Currently in Colorado, it's the stretch of I-25 from Castle Rock to Monument. It is under construction, but the potholes and ground lane lines just pull your car (not to mention the traffic which I know is not the primary factor to consider in this post), and there's just obnoxious lane shifts that add to the danger (fun).

In the normal times, I'd say I-70 from east of Denver to Kansas. It's flat, devoid of scenery, and just a slog to western Kansas (and another few hours in Kansas before there's anything interesting whatsoever).

[kphoger]

In the normal times, I'd say I-70 from east of Denver to Kansas. It's flat, devoid of scenery, and just a slog to western Kansas (and another few hours in Kansas before there's anything interesting whatsoever).

Did Kansas ever fix the roller coaster pavement west of Goodland?  I remember it from years ago.

[Ketchup99]

In Pennsylvania, I hate the bit of I-99 from Exit 81 to the northern terminus at I-80. The pavement is crap and any faster than 55 makes your car feel like it's about to jump off the road. And at the end, as your reward for surviving the four miles of carnage on your car, you get dumped in the middle of a four-lane at-grade boulevard which hits I-80 at an interchange with at-grade lefts, stop signs, bad signage that makes it look like a little side road is the ramp to I-80 East, and 25mph curves. The roadway itself, while still freeway, has a weird paving scheme where the entire right lane is basically a rumble strip from when the limit was 55 (it's 65 now), encouraging everyone to ride the left, so if someone's going 55 you're stuck behind them. Cops do not tolerate passing on the right, either. Near the end the limit drops to 55 and then 45 (why? idk) and at the other (southern) end there's a tight curve which if you're not careful you slide off of, right into an oncoming two lanes of 65mph traffic before going down an embankment.

It's a mess.

[jp the roadgeek]

I-95 from the NY line to CT 8.  Always a white knuckle affair with crazy Tri-State drivers. 

[vdeane]

A couple candidates for me with NY:
-I-87 between Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls - very boring.  I'd describe it as being a lot like I-95 in the Carolinas, on a smaller scale.  The only thing it has going for it is that you're only on the really boring section for 15 miles or so.
-I-86 west of I-390.  Little traffic, and not bad for scenery, but it goes on and on through what is basically the middle of nowhere.

[SoDakInterstateEnthusiast]

The roadway itself, while still freeway, has a weird paving scheme where the entire right lane is basically a rumble strip from when the limit was 55 (it's 65 now), encouraging everyone to ride the left, so if someone's going 55 you're stuck behind them. Cops do not tolerate passing on the right, either.

Is this what you mean?

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9308858,-77.7369888,3a,58y,26.12h,68.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5JWs6Jw_k12IoZRTu71M2Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[OCGuy81]

I-5 through Portland is garbage!

[sparker]

In Pennsylvania, I hate the bit of I-99 from Exit 81 to the northern terminus at I-80. The pavement is crap and any faster than 55 makes your car feel like it's about to jump off the road. And at the end, as your reward for surviving the four miles of carnage on your car, you get dumped in the middle of a four-lane at-grade boulevard which hits I-80 at an interchange with at-grade lefts, stop signs, bad signage that makes it look like a little side road is the ramp to I-80 East, and 25mph curves. The roadway itself, while still freeway, has a weird paving scheme where the entire right lane is basically a rumble strip from when the limit was 55 (it's 65 now), encouraging everyone to ride the left, so if someone's going 55 you're stuck behind them. Cops do not tolerate passing on the right, either. Near the end the limit drops to 55 and then 45 (why? idk) and at the other (southern) end there's a tight curve which if you're not careful you slide off of, right into an oncoming two lanes of 65mph traffic before going down an embankment.

It's a mess.

Unless delayed by the COVID mess, isn't that section of I-99, including the I-80 interchange, slated for full Interstate-grade completion in the very near term? 

[interstate73]

I-80 in NJ from Exit 4 to the state line for me (and extending into PA until Exit 293, the I-380 split). The scenery is good along the Delaware River, the problem is you're looking at it forever because the two lanes each way with narrow shoulders and tight curves is far below the necessary capacity and they jam up easy from Pocono traffic, especially with frequent accidents due to the narrowness and curves. Also dislike I-80 from Exits 47 to 53 (I-280 to NJ-23) because it goes through the Great Piece Meadows and it's just 

[SectorZ]

I-93 as the Southeast Expy stretch (also US 1/MA 3 signed, MA 1A/MA 3A unsigned- because Massachusetts).

It is, outside of current events, jammed pack from 5 AM to 9 PM daily, even on weekends.

[sbeaver44]

Pennsylvania, pretty much all ancient, poor design:
-70 Washington-New Stanton... although slowly getting better!
-80 Stroudsburg due to the poor design and 50 mph limit
-83 between Exit 43 and Exit 50...but also slowly getting better

[Jmiles32]

Probably I-64 between Frankfort and Shelbyville. Wide, wooded medians that are perfect for deer to hide in. It never fails when I drive that route that the shoulders are littered with deer carcasses. Plus, it seems to go on forever despite only being about 20 miles.

For me, it would be the most boring stretches of interstate in Virginia which IMO would be the long tree medians that accompany most of I-85 and long sections of I-64 in between Charlottesville and Richmond and Richmond and Williamsburg. Agree that they are perfect for Deer or other wildlife to hide in and frequently have seen both alive and dead animals in the wooded median before. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all in favor of clearing all of these medians, just in favor of more breaks in the trees, something I think we are gradually seeing more of in particular on I-85. I-95 between Fredricksburg and Richmond gets this mix right. Its amazing IMO how compared to I-66's crossing through the beautiful Piedmont region of Virginia, I-64's is so much less scenic (with the exception of its crossing of Afton Mountain).