“Straight Line” Bypasses

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Let me give an example, so as not to be confusing.

South of Flint, Michigan, US 23 splits from I-75, with the former heading toward Ann Arbor and the latter heading toward Detroit. If you're traveling long range, it's more beneficial to travel along US 23, skip the entire metro Detroit area, and rejoin I-75 south of Toledo. US 23 is a freeway the entire way through and bypasses major points without traveling in a loop, much like your standard beltways.

Basically, you leave a freeway to enter another freeway, and eventually make your way back to the original freeway, while bypassing what could be major "choke points."  Do you have any other examples? Thank you in advance for your responses.

[GaryV]

I-475 at Macon, GA

And another example from MI (although it's not really "straight" but it is straighter):  If you're headed along I-96 from GR or Lansing headed to Detroit, it's shorter to get off 96 and take I-696 and M-10 to get downtown.

Would M-35 from Escanaba to Wisconsin count as a bypass rather than staying on US-41?

[nwi_navigator_1181]

I-475 at Macon, GA

And another example from MI, although it's not really "straight":  If you're headed along I-96 from GR or Lansing headed to Detroit, it's shorter to get off 96 and take I-696 and M-10 to get downtown.

Good call on I-475. The point is made known right away when the sign says "Bypass to I-75 South, Valdosta."

[sprjus4]

I-12 is a "straight line" that bypasses the U-shaped I-10 corridor that dips south to serve the New Orleans metropolitan area.

I-57 is a "straight line" that bypasses the U-shaped I-55 corridor that dips west to serve the St. Louis metropolitan area.

To some extent, I-664 is a "straight line" that bypasses the arc-shaped I-64 corridor that swings around the eastern and southern half of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, useful for people traveling from the Peninsula to the western part of the Southside.

[I-55]

I-270 around St Louis is straight while I-70 dips south into town for KC-Indy traffic.

[thspfc]

Not exactly a bypass, but I-670 in KC would sort of fit the bill.

[sprjus4]

While not one route, but rather a heavy movement, I-295 serves as a "straight line"  from I-64 east of Richmond to I-95 north of Richmond, and vice versa.

[ilpt4u]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

[jeffandnicole]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

[ilpt4u]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

Debatable as to how one defines "Bypass"

It is as much of a bypass as I-57 is. More straight route that stays away from the more urban areas.
I-80: stays out of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas
I-57: stays out of the St Louis area

The Chicago-NYC Turnpike route was THE route before I-80's construction. Heck, the PA Turnpike was I-80 at one point

[KCRoadFan]

Is I-470 near Wheeling, WV, an example? (Although looking at the map, it appears as though I-70 has roughly the same trajectory running parallel, so I'm not sure if this would count.)

[The Nature Boy]

Does leaving I-95 to take 295 across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to bypass Philly count here?

[ilpt4u]

Does leaving I-95 to take 295 across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to bypass Philly count here?

I would say more the NJ Turnpike, but 295 would also qualify

Following I-95 into Philadelphia is not the shortest route, and not (usually) the fastest route

[ozarkman417]

Is I-470 near Wheeling, WV, an example? (Although looking at the map, it appears as though I-70 has roughly the same trajectory running parallel, so I'm not sure if this would count.)

I suppose it would count, since it is avoiding a tunnel (which creates a short one-lane setting with a 45MPH speed limit)

[jp the roadgeek]

Does leaving I-95 to take 295 across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to bypass Philly count here?

I say taking I-495 to skip I-95 through downtown Wilmington would.

[jeffandnicole]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

Debatable as to how one defines "Bypass"

It is as much of a bypass as I-57 is. More straight route that stays away from the more urban areas.
I-80: stays out of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas
I-57: stays out of the St Louis area

The Chicago-NYC Turnpike route was THE route before I-80's construction. Heck, the PA Turnpike was I-80 at one point

The PA Turnpike was I-80S.

A 2 digit I-number is basically designed to connect major cities. But, they're also not designed to weave all over the place to connect every city.

[ari-s-drives]

I feel like it is kind of cheating because it connects a popular through-movement rather than a single designation, but CA-73 serves as a straight-line bypass of Irvine between two segments of the San Diego Fwy (I-405 at one end, I-5 at the other).

[ilpt4u]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

Debatable as to how one defines "Bypass"

It is as much of a bypass as I-57 is. More straight route that stays away from the more urban areas.
I-80: stays out of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas
I-57: stays out of the St Louis area

The Chicago-NYC Turnpike route was THE route before I-80's construction. Heck, the PA Turnpike was I-80 at one point

The PA Turnpike was I-80S.

Huh. Looks like "80"  to me...
Sourced from wikipedia commons. 1957 Interstate Highways plan

[DJ Particle]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

Debatable as to how one defines “Bypass”

It is as much of a bypass as I-57 is. More straight route that stays away from the more urban areas.
I-80: stays out of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas
I-57: stays out of the St Louis area

The Chicago-NYC Turnpike route was THE route before I-80’s construction. Heck, the PA Turnpike was I-80 at one point

The PA Turnpike was I-80S.

Huh. Looks like “80” to me...
Sourced from wikipedia commons. 1957 Interstate Highways plan

I don't think it was ever actually *signed* as I-80 though.  By the time the PA Pike got approved as an Interstate, I think the true I-80 was already being planned at the very least, hence the I-80S designation, which later made way for I-76.

Also on that map, what's marked as "82" would later be signed as I-80N, and still later I-84.  I-82 would be used later for a freeway not on that map.

[ilpt4u]

Difference there, is the PA Turnpike already was built when this map was published, and it was identified on this map as I-80

So, at one point, the PA Turnpike was I-80, even if it was never signed as such

[theline]

Another Michigan example is for those traveling from western Michigan to downtown Detroit on I-94. Detour north of Ann Arbor on M-14. Near Plymouth, continue straight on I-96 to downtown Detroit. You recross I-94 near downtown. It's the recommended Google route and the one I always follow to Comerica Park or Ford Field.

[jeffandnicole]

The Keystone Shortway/I-80 thru PA and NJ, as the straight-line bypass of the PA/NJ Turnpikes to/from NYC and Ohio

That's not a bypass.

Debatable as to how one defines "Bypass"

It is as much of a bypass as I-57 is. More straight route that stays away from the more urban areas.
I-80: stays out of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas
I-57: stays out of the St Louis area

The Chicago-NYC Turnpike route was THE route before I-80's construction. Heck, the PA Turnpike was I-80 at one point

The PA Turnpike was I-80S.

Huh. Looks like "80"  to me...
Sourced from wikipedia commons. 1957 Interstate Highways plan

I don't think it was ever actually *signed* as I-80 though.  By the time the PA Pike got approved as an Interstate, I think the true I-80 was already being planned at the very least, hence the I-80S designation, which later made way for I-76...

Indeed. If we are to use Wikipedia as our info source here, while the map shown above details I-80 to be the PA Turnpike, within a year it was decided differently. The PA Tpk never received the I-80 destination.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike

In August 1957, the Bureau of Public Roads added the roadway to the Interstate Highway System upon the recommendations of various state highway departments to include toll roads in the system.[212] I-80 was planned to run along the turnpike from the Ohio border to Harrisburg while I-80S would continue eastward toward Philadelphia. I-70 was also planned to follow the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Breezewood.[213] At a meeting of the Route Numbering Subcommittee on the U.S. Numbered System on June 26, 1958, it was decided to move the I-80 designation to an alignment further north while the highway between the Ohio border and the Philadelphia area would become I-80S. I-70 was still designated on the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Breezewood...

Difference there, is the PA Turnpike already was built when this map was published, and it was identified on this map as I-80

So, at one point, the PA Turnpike was I-80, even if it was never signed as such

This was a *plan* of highway numbering. Interstate plans sometimes changed quickly, and this map shows interstate highways that weren't even built for decades.

In that case, I-195 was the designation of I-295 from the PA Tpk looping around Trenton, even thoigh it was never signed, because we can find maps showing that too.

[epzik8]

The Hickory Bypass (US 1) in Maryland is straight, while US 1 Business, the road it bypasses, is curvy.

[skluth]

I-270 around St Louis is straight while I-70 dips south into town for KC-Indy traffic.

While not exactly a straight line, it is definitely faster to use I-255 SE of St Louis than use the PSB through downtown. It's about the same distance, but the JB Bridge is probably the easiest Mississippi River crossing while the PSB is definitely the busiest and most prone to backups.

[ilpt4u]

I-270 around St Louis is straight while I-70 dips south into town for KC-Indy traffic.

While not exactly a straight line, it is definitely faster to use I-255 SE of St Louis than use the PSB through downtown. It's about the same distance, but the JB Bridge is probably the easiest Mississippi River crossing while the PSB is definitely the busiest and most prone to backups.

Normally is faster. Right now, not so much. IDOT has I-255 completely closed between I-64 and IL 15 for Reconstruction work

Once it is back open later this year, yes I-255 is faster for I-55 and I-44 Chicago/Indianapolis/Louisville<->Memphis/Tulsa bound traffic