Busy freeways that you saw built and cannot believe that they did not once exist

[SignBridge]

Roadman wrote in his original post about US-46. I remember the grueling ride on that road between the G.W. Bridge and the G.S. Parkway in the early 1960's. When I-80/95 opened circa 1965, it was like science fiction. A ten lane freeway with separate express and local lanes that got you from the Bridge to the Parkway in 10 minutes at 60mph. A dream come true in that era.

[mgk920]

I still remember the western (north-south) part of the Madison, WI beltline as a rural two-lane surface highway.

I also can't imagine modern-day six lane US(I)-41 in the Appleton/Oshkosh,WI area as it was before the late 1960s, when it was mostly a four-lane surface expressway with lots of sideroad intersections, scattered interchanges, several at-grade railroad crossings, a two-lane drawbridge and an older substandard freeway section with no median barrier, only a narrow raised hump, in its Neenah bypass section.

Mike

[doorknob60]

A bit before my time (although if I lived in Bend as a kid, I would've been old enough to see it being built), but my Dad has told me plenty about it. Apparently, traffic would get backed up for a mile or more during the summer at the 3rd st (former US-97, now its business loop) underpass under the railroad, where it dropped to two lanes.

I cannot imagine how painful it would be to get from the SW part of bend where I live, to the north end (which we do often, and takes about 15 minutes) without the parkway. Even without the extra traffic, it would take an extra 5-10 minutes, and with the extra traffic, it would be a nightmare. Not to mention that the fact that the population of Bend has about doubled since they finished building it.

And all this, even though the parkway isn't all that busy (except the two signalized intersections on the north end, those suck), with only 4 lanes of traffic, and always moving pretty smoothly, and isn't a full freeway (it has RIROs, an (ignored) 45 mph speed limit, and traffic lights at the north and south ends).

[cpzilliacus]

My dad told me that he used US 130 down to the old Pennsville- New Castle Ferry to go from Newark, NJ to Wilmington, DE instead of using US 1.

My Dad told me the traffic queues for that ferry (between Penns Grove, N.J. and New Castle, Delaware) were absolutely epic (he did some of his Army service at Fort Dix, N.J.).

The opening of the first span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge was a massive improvement, even though there were sometimes backups to pay the toll (2-way tolling in those days).

[US81]

I was nowhere near driving - but still a baby road geek - when US 75, US 77 and US 81 were being upgraded to I-45 and I-35. There were several dangerous transitions from freeway to expressway with at grade cross-overs or even surface street and I remember seeing some awful wrecks happen in the days before all the construction was complete.

Conversely, I also remember when I-20 was being constructed around the south side of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Formerly, trips that were country lanes over to US 67 - a surface street - and Loop 12  - another surface street - to US 77 - finally becoming a freeway right near downtown Dallas. The huge freeway with what seemed like enormous right-of-way being constructed in what appeared to be rural nowhere - this seemed to be misguided to my small child self. Of course, by the time I was driving, any trips were thru urban areas and usually involved heavy traffic.

[mgk920]

Another that just came to my mind for here in Wisconsin is US(I)-41 between Ashland Ave and Lombardi Ave, along with connecting WI 172, in Ashwaubenon (suburban Green Bay) - opened in about 1974.  Before then, all of that through traffic on US 41, now being upgraded to six and eight lanes, went north on Ashland and then took a 90 degree intersection turn to continue west on Lombardi, right past Lambeau Field, before returning to its current routing.



Mike

[PHLBOS]

While the Blue Route (I-476) was already mentioned; I would like to add the eastern extension of the Vine Expressway (I-676) in Philly and the Exton Bypass (US 30) between Downingtown and Frazer to the list.

Prior to the Vine Expressway being fully opened in 1991, traffic along the Ben Franklin Bridge was less than its Walt Whitman Bridge counterpart; once the expressway finally opened, the BFB started receiving more traffic than the WWB.

Before the Exon Bypass became reality in the late 1990s; the parallel Lincoln Highway (old US 30/current Business US 30) in that area was very crowded.  It would've been a lot worse had the newer various business & shopping center developments that are there now existed back then. 

Opening of that bypass extension certainly diverted a lot of Downingtown-bound traffic from points south away from US 322 (West Chester Bypass between US 202 & Downingtown Pike/Bus US 322) to a point that, IMHO, PennDOT ought to replace replace Downingtown with E. Bradford from the US 322 West BGS and add Downingtown to its current Exton listing for the PA 100 TO US 30 West BGS because most are already using PA 100 North to US 30 West as a means to getting to Downingtown from West Chester.

US 322 West exit BGS from US 202 North (change Downingtown to the suggested-E. Bradford)

PA 100 North TO US 30 West Exton exit BGS from US 202 North (add Downingtown with the Exton listing)
Yes, I'm aware that such alteration would require a whole new BGS panel(s) for this interchange.

[Ned Weasel]

I-64 in Missouri.  I put myself through the torture of driving through the traffic signals on the western segment of that before it was completed.  These days, the freeway seems like such a natural fit that the untrained eye could probably mistake it for having been around as long as I-270.

I can't say the same for MO 370, though, which has been around so long that I can't remember it being built.  But I don't think I've ever seen more than about three other cars going in the same direction as me, at any given time on it.

[triplemultiplex]

Best example for me is probably the expansions and relocations of US 10 & 45 in Winnebago County.  That was always our family's route between the Northwoods and Milwaukee and watching WI 110 transform from a low-grade state highway to a full freeway for US 45 was super cool.  Everything from the first minor tweak of WI 110 at Winchester (moving it west of town to meet WI 150) to the completion of the flyover in Oshkosh just over a year ago.

I occasionally take the old alignment of WI 110 through Zittau to score some cheese and it makes me glad to have that nice, safe freeway to use; especially when it's snowy.  Without all the traffic, it's a pleasant country drive, especially when all the waterfowl are migrating.

[m2tbone]

I-64 in Missouri.  I put myself through the torture of driving through the traffic signals on the western segment of that before it was completed.  These days, the freeway seems like such a natural fit that the untrained eye could probably mistake it for having been around as long as I-270.

I live in St. Charles County where I-64 now runs.  I saw it transform over the last decade.  It is MUCH improved compared to when there were traffic signals.  It's so busy now that it already needs to be widened by at least another lane in each direction from Hwy K in O'Fallon west to I-70 in Wentzville.  The new eastbound span of the Daniel Boone Bridge that is curretly under construction over the Missouri River will probably bring even more traffic to I-64 when it opens in the next year or so.  In less than a year, MO 364 (a new freeway) will connect to this stretch of I-64, too, making yet another connection to I-270, so that may relieve some of the increased traffic heading toward St. Louis.

[Roadsguy]

Though it's not as "busy" as some of the other examples, I saw the US 222 freeway being finished from the PA Turnpike to Reading in bits and pieces over the span of many trips to my grandparents' house. It gets a lot of traffic now, and it's surprising that all that was squeezed onto the old road, or other alternate routes.

[hm insulators]

I watched the 210 being built between SR-57 and I-215. Parts of old State 30 went through open land and wasn't that busy a two lane road. Now that same area is filled with houses, a very busy freeway, and doesn't even seem the same at all.

I remember watching the 210 being built between La Canada Flintridge (where I grew up) and the 57 in the 1970s.

[sdmichael]

I watched the 210 being built between SR-57 and I-215. Parts of old State 30 went through open land and wasn't that busy a two lane road. Now that same area is filled with houses, a very busy freeway, and doesn't even seem the same at all.

I remember watching the 210 being built between La Canada Flintridge (where I grew up) and the 57 in the 1970s.

I remember the gap on the 210 between the 118 and Sunland as well. Same for the 118 in fact. My grandparents lived in Northridge and we had to take Rinaldi St while the 118 was being built. I still remember the grading machines and a much busier Rinaldi St.

[cwf1701]

I watched I-696 in Metro Detroit being built in the 1970s (in Macomb County). Until the middle section opened in 1989, a lot of the crosstown traffic would be on 8 Mile road (M-102) to the Lodge (M-10) to the open section of I-696 to I-96.

[Henry]

I remember seeing the construction on what is now I-355, but sadly, graduated from high school one year before its completion (1988). I also remember when I-105 in L.A. was built.

[Doctor Whom]

I remember the completion of the Fort McHenry Tunnel.  Before then, there was a sign for Interstate Blank going into downtown Baltimore from the south.

[SignBridge]

I remember seeing the I-105 being built on a trip to L.A. in 1987.

And I can't imagine what it must have been like to get thru Baltimore on I-95 before the Fort McHenry Tunnel. The Harbor Tunnel is only 2-lanes each way, unlike the new tunnel with 4-lanes in each direction. I first went thru it when it was new in 1987, and the toll was $1.00, same as the JFK Highway and the Delaware Turnpike at that time. Before that, I'd never been thru the Baltimore area.

[kkt]

The new Dumbarton Bridge.  The old Dumbarton Bridge on S.F. Bay was just two lanes, each only 10' wide, with an overhead truss and drawbridge section.  How did we cope?

I-280 completion in San Jose.

The US-101 bypass from south San Jose to Gilroy.  The boulevard that was its former route was a blood alley, a 4-lane expressway with traffic lights every 1/2 mile or so and fruit stands all along it, but despite all those distractions lots of traffic would still try to go 65.

The Caldecott Tunnel before the third bore.  (And now there are four!)

I-238 when it was humble CA-238, missing the westbound 238 to southbound 17 movement and the eastbound 238 to northbound 580 movement.  And had some cross streets, what a pain in the neck it was.

Okay, something from my adopted home state:  The West Seattle high level bridge. 

Something that's way overdue:  I-5 bridge over the Columbia that's not a drawbridge and might not fall down in the next earthquake.

[mgk920]

Not a freeway, but I also cannot imagine what traffic would be like here in the Appleton, WI area today had the WI 15 Northland Ave extension (it runs west from US(I)-41 at interchange 139) not been built, opening in 1998.  Before then, the area of US(I)-41/Wisconsin Ave (then US 10, now WI 96) had some of the worst congestion in NE Wisconsin with two major commuter highways converging at the north entrance to a major mall parking lot, located just west of the US(I)-41 interchange (interchange 138, a very narrow diamond).  I was pushing hard for something like that from the mid-1980s until WisDOT announced that project in the early 1990s.

http://goo.gl/maps/7eZ7m

BTW, when it was first built in the late 1930s, the original two-lane US 41 Appleton bypass took a broad north-south to east-west curve at what is now interchange 139 to follow Northland Ave across what is now Appleton's north side.  The grade of that original curve is still visible in the aerial image.

Mike

[SquonkHunter]

I was nowhere near driving - but still a baby road geek - when US 75, US 77 and US 81 were being upgraded to I-45 and I-35. There were several dangerous transitions from freeway to expressway with at grade cross-overs or even surface street and I remember seeing some awful wrecks happen in the days before all the construction was complete.

Conversely, I also remember when I-20 was being constructed around the south side of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Formerly, trips that were country lanes over to US 67 - a surface street - and Loop 12  - another surface street - to US 77 - finally becoming a freeway right near downtown Dallas. The huge freeway with what seemed like enormous right-of-way being constructed in what appeared to be rural nowhere - this seemed to be misguided to my small child self. Of course, by the time I was driving, any trips were thru urban areas and usually involved heavy traffic.

I watched each of those highways being built. US 81 just south of Ft. Worth was extremely dangerous with the high traffic volume, high speeds and at-grade crossings. The stretch of I-20 thru Grand Prairie was our local midnight dragstrip before it was opened to the public in 1975. Spent many nights on top of the hill in the median going up to Duncanville also. The view from up there could not be beat. Mostly fond memories there.

[MarkF]

I watched I-15 being built in San Diego and Riverside counties, replacing mostly 2 lane US 395 and CA 71.  I recall what a pain it was to make the left onto 395 north from Reche Rd in Fallbrook, and long backups behind trucks going up Shearer's grade, near where the W Lilac bridge is now.

[keithvh]

I watched I-696 in Metro Detroit being built in the 1970s (in Macomb County). Until the middle section opened in 1989, a lot of the crosstown traffic would be on 8 Mile road (M-102) to the Lodge (M-10) to the open section of I-696 to I-96.

Yes, the "middle section" of I-696 is the one that's simply impossible to imagine not existing today, even though I experienced the time where it didn't exist. 

It made east-to-west-side travel exponentially easier, while also economically helping some suburbs like Ferndale & Royal Oak grow (both their downtowns and more attractive to live).

[mrsman]

I remember when the gap on the 101 was closed in Santa Barbara, CA in the early 90's.  The 101 was a 6-lane freeway to the north and a 4-lane freeway to the south of Downtown SB.  Through Downtown SB, there was a series of four traffic lights that caused miles-long backups on the 101.  The lights heavily favored the 101 though, to such an extent that they had signs on the side street advising drivers to turn off their engines due to the long red lights.

Eventually, they built a tunnel to route State Street below grade and the 101 became traffic-light free between L.A. and SF.

It's amazing to me that they took as long as they did to close this gap.

[cpzilliacus]

And I can't imagine what it must have been like to get thru Baltimore on I-95 before the Fort McHenry Tunnel. The Harbor Tunnel is only 2-lanes each way, unlike the new tunnel with 4-lanes in each direction. I first went thru it when it was new in 1987, and the toll was $1.00, same as the JFK Highway and the Delaware Turnpike at that time. Before that, I'd never been thru the Baltimore area.

The backups could be epic, though the earliest days of (what is now) I-895 were a huge improvement over Baltimore City streets in 1957 when it opened as a link between U.S. 1 on the south and U.S. 40 to the north. 

For many years, the best bypass route was I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) over the "top" of Baltimore.  In 1977, the tolled Outer Harbor Crossing (F.S. Key Bridge) opened (making the Beltway a "complete" loop, though the approaches to the FSK were to remain Super-2 highways for many years), but that was another bypass.

[cpzilliacus]

How about the idea that US 1 was the main highway linking Boston to DC through NY, Philly, and Baltimore?

Though there were (and remain) U.S. highway alternate routes along parts of U.S. 1, such as U.S. 202, U.S. 40, U.S. 130