Freeways in the middle of nowhere

[tolbs17]

US-64 from Plymouth NC to Columbia NC,

US-74 bypassing Bryson City,

And the proposed improvements to NC-11 that bypasses Ahoskie is getting a freeway design (they have reasons why they are doing that though as some intersections already have an interchange "expressway, not freeway, at least for right now".).


US-74 bypassing Bryson City isn't as odd as the proposed NC-11 freeway that bypasses Ahoskie, and US-64 from Plymouth to Columbia. It would have been fine if they thought of an expressway design and not freeway. AADT is low enough for just a 4 lane expressway in those areas.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 65 on the western outskirts of Porterville. 

[Road Hog]

Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.

[kernals12]

US 6 in Willimantic, CT.

[SkyPesos]

These 2 past threads are pretty similar to this one

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12641.0

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25314.0

[tolbs17]

Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.

Isn't that the proposed I-57?

[I-39]

Right now, US 67 between Newport and Walnut Ridge.

Isn't that the proposed I-57?

Yes it is. It will be connected to the existing I-57 eventually.

[tolbs17]

These 2 past threads are pretty similar to this one

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12641.0

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25314.0

I say the one from 2019 can be merged. The one from 2014 (and has inactive users) has not been replied since then so there's no need to merge that one too.

[roadman65]

I-75 in the UP of Michigan.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I read the title of this thread differently to the others. Freeways that can be connected to the network, but run through nothing, like I-70 through the San Rafael Swell. The other threads ask for isolated freeways, i.e. not connected to the network.

In that vein, the ultimate example is the Chinese G7 expressway, officially the Beijing-Xinjiang expressway, but I call it the "Middle of Nowhere expressway". Thanks to its independent section once it breaks off G6 in Bayannur, and especially West of Ejin banner. Now that is desolate.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

[kphoger]

MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

When did that open, by the way?

[vdeane]

In that vein, the ultimate example is the Chinese G7 expressway, officially the Beijing-Xinjiang expressway, but I call it the "Middle of Nowhere expressway". Thanks to its independent section once it breaks off G6 in Bayannur, and especially West of Ejin banner. Now that is desolate.

Really desolate.  I saw a 72 mile gap between exits at one spot.  In that gap, there's what looks like a couple U turn ramps, and two pairs of service plazas.  I thought that was impressive, and then, to the east, I found a gap that's over 82 miles long and another that's over 91!

[andrepoiy]

Lake Ontario State Parkway?

[vdeane]

Lake Ontario State Parkway?

Yeah, that works.  With the at-grade section, the Orleans County part is actually an example of both types of "freeways in the middle of nowhere" simultaneously.

[jp the roadgeek]

CT 187/189.  Was supposed to be part of a longer CT 189 freeway that was supposed to connect to I-84 in Hartford. However, only a small segment about a mile in length exists at the very north end of Windsor near the Simsbury and East Granby town lines. 

[froggie]

MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

When did that open, by the way?

Summer of 2012

[Avalanchez71]

TN SR 22 between Union City, TN and Martin, TN.

[bing101]

Central Luzon Link Expressway but that's because its under construction and the entire route is in a rural part of Luzon, Philippines.


https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/15/New-expressway-in-Central-Luzon-to-open-on-May-15.html

[DJ Particle]

MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

MN-23 bypasses Wilmar as the only freeway for miles around as well, but I dunno how much that counts.

[thspfc]

WI-11, WI-69, and WI-81 on the Monroe bypass

[oscar]

Alberta 63 in the remote but large northern city of Fort McMurray. Not exactly where you'd expect a ten-lane freeway -- or to get stuck in a rush-hour traffic jam anyway.

When I was there in 2015, AB 63 south of the city was still being twinned to four-lane divided, for the heavy equipment hauled up there for extracting oil from the oil sands.

[OCGuy81]

I-5 in the Central Valley 😂

[kphoger]

MN 23 bypassing Paynesville, MN. Two-lane road on either end, as of now.

MN-23 bypasses Wilmar as the only freeway for miles around as well, but I dunno how much that counts.

I think it's an edge case, because 23 is four lanes for quite a ways northeast of Wilmar (it doesn't narrow down to two lanes until 13 miles past the end of the freeway).

[froggie]

23/71 around Willmar meets the basic gist of the thread...it's an isolated freeway not connected to adjacent freeways.  That said, by the end of 2024 MnDOT will have completed 4-laning on both sides of Paynesville, completing a 4-lane link from Willmar to I-94.