Loops That Are Too Big For Their City?

[HighwayStar]

Pretty sure this one has not been done yet, but what are examples of loops that are too big for their city?

My prototype example would be Amarillo Texas, on the map it has always seemed too far out to be an effective loop, except perhaps for two segments.
Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

[SkyPesos]

I-275 Cincinnati. Not an effective bypass for I-75 at all (and barely one for I-71 via the eastern side). It should've crossed the Ohio River near CVG airport as originally planned, instead of looping all the way west to Indiana.

[HighwayStar]

I-275 Cincinnati. Not an effective bypass for I-75 at all (and barely one for I-71 via the eastern side). It should've crossed the Ohio River near CVG airport as originally planned, instead of looping all the way west to Indiana.

Yep that is a good one.
I think the origin of many of these is going to involve canceled/altered designs, since competent engineers would not design a loop to be too far out. Alternatively, they may be "aspirational" in nature, based on development that may or may not be coming to fruition.

[SkyPesos]

I-275 Cincinnati. Not an effective bypass for I-75 at all (and barely one for I-71 via the eastern side). It should've crossed the Ohio River near CVG airport as originally planned, instead of looping all the way west to Indiana.

Yep that is a good one.
I think the origin of many of these is going to involve canceled/altered designs, since competent engineers would not design a loop to be too far out. Alternatively, they may be "aspirational" in nature, based on development that may or may not be coming to fruition.

Yes, I-275 was altered, because Lawrenceburg, IN wanted to be included on an interstate highway so badly.

[wriddle082]

I-840 in Nashville is a good example.  Though its original intent wasn't necessarily to bypass Nashville, but rather to connect Dickson (pop. 15,579), Franklin (pop. 83,454), Murfreesboro (pop. 152,769), and Lebanon (pop. 38,431).  TN 96 between Franklin to Murfreesboro had always been a particularly dangerous two lane road prior to the completion of 840.  It became much more subdued after 840 was fully opened between those two cities, and is now undergoing improvements that will probably eventually see it widened for its entire length.

Nowadays I-840 can, during certain rush hour conditions, be faster than I-40 to travel between Dickson and Lebanon.  They now have permanent travel time signs telling how long it takes to get to either of those cities via 40 or 840 as you approach the 840 interchanges eastbound from Dickson or westbound from Lebanon.  These are very similar to what Virginia posts in many places around the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas.

[MATraveler128]

I-435 around Kansas City loops too far north. I think it could have followed MO 152 rather than loop all the way to I-29.

[US 89]

I-840 is an awesome Nashville bypass if you're going from I-40 on the west side to I-24 on the east side. I used it to that effect last spring.

Another one might be I-269 around Memphis. Memphis is growing, but a lot of 269 is so far out I'm not sure if that growth is fast enough to catch up to where the route is. It is also completely useless if you're following I-55 or I-40 and want to bypass congested parts of the city.

[JayhawkCO]

Once upon a time people said it about Denver's 3/4 loop, but development is filling it in pretty quickly.

[Henry]

Definitely I-495 around Boston. Granted, it's the largest city in MA, but it will never spread beyond even the old 128 loop.

Once upon a time people said it about Denver's 3/4 loop, but development is filling it in pretty quickly.

The same is true of Orlando and its tolled 1/2 loop; it wasn't quite the same size 20 years ago as it is now.

[HighwayStar]

Once upon a time people said it about Denver's 3/4 loop, but development is filling it in pretty quickly.

I would still say that about Denver's loop in one sense.
While the development has filled it in and given it plenty of local traffic, its still really too far out to serve Denver itself well, its an awkward bypass, etc.
I would say it is roughly the equivalent of the beltway in DC. Its not that its not a useful loop, or has no development by it, but it is not of much use to DC itself. Denver really needed a closer loop but with the Rocky Mountain Arsenal that was always a bit tough.

[SkyPesos]

I-275 Cincinnati. Not an effective bypass for I-75 at all (and barely one for I-71 via the eastern side). It should've crossed the Ohio River near CVG airport as originally planned, instead of looping all the way west to Indiana.

Also for Cincinnati, this was only a proposal, but it's definitely way too large, considering that imo I-275 is too large on the west
https://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i875.html

[JayhawkCO]

Once upon a time people said it about Denver's 3/4 loop, but development is filling it in pretty quickly.

I would still say that about Denver's loop in one sense.
While the development has filled it in and given it plenty of local traffic, its still really too far out to serve Denver itself well, its an awkward bypass, etc.
I would say it is roughly the equivalent of the beltway in DC. Its not that its not a useful loop, or has no development by it, but it is not of much use to DC itself. Denver really needed a closer loop but with the Rocky Mountain Arsenal that was always a bit tough.

Given how bad I-25 traffic in Denver city limits is, I would argue it makes a decent (if not expensive) bypass heading north/south.  It's for sure a good bypass avoiding I-270 since that hellhole of a road is always congested. 

It's also a very helpful road to get to the airport more quickly from various parts of the city. 

I've read Aurora will likely add 500,000 people in the next 30 years, so likely a lot of that will be on the E-470 corridor.

[roadman65]

In Houston, no loop is too far away.  Even SH 99 which won’t be long before it’s fully developed. This when all done will not even be bedroom communities to Houston as it will feature all kinds of developments to be self contained with SH 99 to be a local commuter artery rather than a crossroad to work.

For Houston I-14 would be the best bypass for I-10 to circumvent Houston. Given that there is no rush this part of the century to get it done our grandchildren will be the ones to finally see it get built all the way across Texas.

[golden eagle]

I-840 is an awesome Nashville bypass if you're going from I-40 on the west side to I-24 on the east side. I used it to that effect last spring.

Another one might be I-269 around Memphis. Memphis is growing, but a lot of 269 is so far out I'm not sure if that growth is fast enough to catch up to where the route is. It is also completely useless if you're following I-55 or I-40 and want to bypass congested parts of the city.

I was just thinking about 269. It would only be useful if you're going from, say, Nashville to Jackson, MS or vice versa and want to avoid I-240 in Memphis. Desoto and eastern Shelby counties are growing, so it may be legit for it to be built.

[Rothman]

Definitely I-495 around Boston. Granted, it's the largest city in MA, but it will never spread beyond even the old 128 loop.

Wut.

I-495 provides a critical route to northern New England and Cape Cod from the Pike.  It's in a great spot and you're still in suburbia.

[1995hoo]

I've always thought I-287 goes way too far to the west, at least as to its southern portion.

Edited to add: Same as to I-485 around Charlotte.

[odditude]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

can you explain your reasoning on this one?

[epzik8]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

495 nicks the District on the Wilson Bridge.

[HighwayStar]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

495 nicks the District on the Wilson Bridge.

I am aware of that technicality.

[HighwayStar]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

can you explain your reasoning on this one?

Well for starters it never actually enters Washington save a few hundred feet of it over the river. Not that by itself means much, but realistically if you are in Washington and want to go anywhere within Washington I-495 does not really help you. You can use it to get around some of the suburbs of course, and it makes an okay bypass on one side.
DC was supposed to have an inner loop, which is a clue as to why I-495 is too far out. So perhaps more specifically it is not that it is too far out for a second loop, but that it is too far out for being a primary loop.

[JayhawkCO]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

can you explain your reasoning on this one?

Well for starters it never actually enters Washington save a few hundred feet of it over the river. Not that by itself means much, but realistically if you are in Washington and want to go anywhere within Washington I-495 does not really help you. You can use it to get around some of the suburbs of course, and it makes an okay bypass on one side.
DC was supposed to have an inner loop, which is a clue as to why I-495 is too far out. So perhaps more specifically it is not that it is too far out for a second loop, but that it is too far out for being a primary loop.

Many, if not most, of the beltways do not enter the city limits of the primary city.  They go, believe it or not, around it.

[HighwayStar]

Another example might be I-495 in Maryland and Virginia, as it is really a bit far out to be useful as a loop for Washington.

can you explain your reasoning on this one?

Well for starters it never actually enters Washington save a few hundred feet of it over the river. Not that by itself means much, but realistically if you are in Washington and want to go anywhere within Washington I-495 does not really help you. You can use it to get around some of the suburbs of course, and it makes an okay bypass on one side.
DC was supposed to have an inner loop, which is a clue as to why I-495 is too far out. So perhaps more specifically it is not that it is too far out for a second loop, but that it is too far out for being a primary loop.

Many, if not most, of the beltways do not enter the city limits of the primary city.  They go, believe it or not, around it.

That may well be the case, but city limits vary widely from one place to the next in terms of their extent, so like I said that is not really my criteria as to why I-495 seems to big.
I suppose there are various ways to have a loop/beltway that is too big for a city, but I think part of that determination involves which beltway it is. For being the sole beltway I-495 seems too far out, while as a second beltway it seems about right.

[roadman65]

I've always thought I-287 goes way too far to the west, at least as to its southern portion.

Edited to add: Same as to I-485 around Charlotte.

Yeah, but developing Piscataway, NJ from a rural farming community to a Corporate Office Mega Development expanded NYC Metro Area Big Time😳.

Then Bridgewater and the communities from there up to Parsippany-Troy Hills blew up big with corporate headquarters galore.  So I -287 ain't no more bypass to NYC like original plans.

[ibthebigd]

I-469 in Fort Wayne Indiana always seemed odd and out of the way.

SM-G996U

[webny99]

I've always thought I-287 goes way too far to the west, at least as to its southern portion.

I'd have to agree with this. It doesn't work very well as a bypass of I-95 as it is. It should either follow a more direct N/S route from Morristown to Edison, or meet up with I-95 at a point further south.