Random facts about interstates and US routes

[SEWIGuy]

I would say you can cut that list down. "physically impossible" is never a real reason, it is always a lame excuse for covering up another reason.

I stand up next to a mountain, chopped it down with the side of my hand.

I would just do a coin with two sides (too broke, too many CAVE people complained)

Of course you'd use a coin. Everything is textbook simple and everyone plays by the rules and gets a turn for the same goal. Or sometimes it's because Senator Dogbreath promised his ex-mistress that he won't build it through their elderberry farmland, in exchange for not getting shamed by the press.

Jebus, have a little fun with this hobby for once. It's not the 1950s and it's not SimCIty anymore...those days are history.

Those days are only history here it seems. China has no issue outbuilding us in infrastructure at every turn. Though fortunately history can and does repeat itself...

China will also disappear you if your opposition to an infrastructure project becomes too inconvenient.

And if you happen to be working one of said Chinese infrastructure projects, you're probably getting abused and paid a tiny fraction of what your labor is worth. Not to mention the lack of any sort of environmental regulations over there.

Again, it really does not matter at the end of the day. The fact that they can get things done, and we can't is a serious problem. The fact that we don't approve of their methods of doing business does not really make a difference in the end.

What advantage do they have by "getting things done" in China that we won't allow here?

[HighwayStar]

I would say you can cut that list down. "physically impossible" is never a real reason, it is always a lame excuse for covering up another reason.

I stand up next to a mountain, chopped it down with the side of my hand.

I would just do a coin with two sides (too broke, too many CAVE people complained)

Of course you'd use a coin. Everything is textbook simple and everyone plays by the rules and gets a turn for the same goal. Or sometimes it's because Senator Dogbreath promised his ex-mistress that he won't build it through their elderberry farmland, in exchange for not getting shamed by the press.

Jebus, have a little fun with this hobby for once. It's not the 1950s and it's not SimCIty anymore...those days are history.

Those days are only history here it seems. China has no issue outbuilding us in infrastructure at every turn. Though fortunately history can and does repeat itself...

China will also disappear you if your opposition to an infrastructure project becomes too inconvenient.

And if you happen to be working one of said Chinese infrastructure projects, you're probably getting abused and paid a tiny fraction of what your labor is worth. Not to mention the lack of any sort of environmental regulations over there.

Again, it really does not matter at the end of the day. The fact that they can get things done, and we can't is a serious problem. The fact that we don't approve of their methods of doing business does not really make a difference in the end.

What advantage do they have by "getting things done" in China that we won't allow here?

While our infrastructure crumbles away China has built trillions of dollars worth in just the last 4 decades. Between 1986 and 2013 China went from the world's 8 largest to world's largest economy. Meanwhile it takes decades for us to replace a bridge or get anything new built.

[formulanone]

Only on AARoads.

(Or possibly CANRoads.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Only on AARoads.

(Or possibly CANRoads.)

Or any road related page/site, especially on Facebook.

[hbelkins]

The only east-west US highway to connect Mexico and Canada is US 62.

It's not consistently signed E-W. I know New York signs it N-S, and am not sure about Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania does sign it north south. This happens once it crosses over from Ohio.

The only *predominantly east-west US highway to connect Mexico and Canada is US 62.

Better?

Has anyone ever done an analysis of US 62 to determine if it's more E-W or N-S? I've seen some people comment on other diagonal routes, such as I-71 (signed N-S), US 42 (E-W in Kentucky, N-S on Ohio), I-26 (E-W), and other routes. There's some type of formula that can determine if a route is more N-S than E-W, but I don't know what it is or how to apply it.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I would say you can cut that list down. "physically impossible" is never a real reason, it is always a lame excuse for covering up another reason.

I stand up next to a mountain, chopped it down with the side of my hand.

I would just do a coin with two sides (too broke, too many CAVE people complained)

Of course you'd use a coin. Everything is textbook simple and everyone plays by the rules and gets a turn for the same goal. Or sometimes it's because Senator Dogbreath promised his ex-mistress that he won't build it through their elderberry farmland, in exchange for not getting shamed by the press.

Jebus, have a little fun with this hobby for once. It's not the 1950s and it's not SimCIty anymore...those days are history.

Those days are only history here it seems. China has no issue outbuilding us in infrastructure at every turn. Though fortunately history can and does repeat itself...

China will also disappear you if your opposition to an infrastructure project becomes too inconvenient.

And if you happen to be working one of said Chinese infrastructure projects, you're probably getting abused and paid a tiny fraction of what your labor is worth. Not to mention the lack of any sort of environmental regulations over there.

Again, it really does not matter at the end of the day. The fact that they can get things done, and we can't is a serious problem. The fact that we don't approve of their methods of doing business does not really make a difference in the end.

What advantage do they have by "getting things done" in China that we won't allow here?

Basically because he wants people in the path of a freeway to be told they can go get fucked, your house is coming down next week whether you're still inside it or not.

[HighwayStar]

The only east-west US highway to connect Mexico and Canada is US 62.

It's not consistently signed E-W. I know New York signs it N-S, and am not sure about Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania does sign it north south. This happens once it crosses over from Ohio.

The only *predominantly east-west US highway to connect Mexico and Canada is US 62.

Better?

Has anyone ever done an analysis of US 62 to determine if it's more E-W or N-S? I've seen some people comment on other diagonal routes, such as I-71 (signed N-S), US 42 (E-W in Kentucky, N-S on Ohio), I-26 (E-W), and other routes. There's some type of formula that can determine if a route is more N-S than E-W, but I don't know what it is or how to apply it.

A simplistic approach would look at the delta in longitude versus the delta in latitude.

[SkyPesos]

A simplistic approach would look at the delta in longitude versus the delta in latitude.

I'm pretty sure that was used for I-4, and the E-W distance beat out the N-S distance by a small margin, which is why it's an E-W highway.

[hotdogPi]

US 62 is E-W by about a 2:1 ratio.

[US 89]

A simplistic approach would look at the delta in longitude versus the delta in latitude.

Potential problem: the size of a degree of longitude increases the closer you get to the equator.

[paulthemapguy]

A simplistic approach would look at the delta in longitude versus the delta in latitude.

Potential problem: the size of a degree of longitude increases the closer you get to the equator.

I'd say the potential is very very low.

[SkyPesos]

US 40 lines up with the same numbered 40th parallel pretty well, passing through some of the metro areas on or near it like SLC, Denver, Indianapolis, Columbus and Philadelphia/Wilmington.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

However, when it extended all the way to California, it dipped considerably South after Winnemucca. It should have passed through Redding.

[SkyPesos]

However, when it extended all the way to California, it dipped considerably South after Winnemucca. It should have passed through Redding.

SF to Sacramento is probably the most noticeable dip in US 40 as a whole. Sacramento is about the same latitude as St Louis (both at 38.6), which US 40 also dips to the south to serve.

[Max Rockatansky]

However, when it extended all the way to California, it dipped considerably South after Winnemucca. It should have passed through Redding.

SF to Sacramento is probably the most noticeable dip in US 40 as a whole. Sacramento is about the same latitude as St Louis (both at 38.6), which US 40 also dips to the south to serve.

US 40A through the Feather River Highway crossed the Sierra Nevada Range at a much northern latitude and then took a sudden southward jog upon reaching Sacramento Valley.

[ethanhopkin14]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

[Mapmikey]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

A couple more with 3...

I-80:  Colorado, Michigan, New York
I-49:  Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

[ethanhopkin14]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

A couple more with 3...

I-80:  Colorado, Michigan, New York
I-49:  Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

Not more but I-44 has Kansas and Illinois. 

[SkyPesos]

I-69 (when finished): Missouri, Illinois, Ohio

[skluth]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

A couple more with 3...

I-80:  Colorado, Michigan, New York
I-49:  Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

Will this be true when I-49 is complete? Currently, the Texarkana bypass section truncates at US 71 on the state line. The ramps go into Texas according to Google Maps, but I don't know the accuracy of the state line shown. In any case, it does look like I-49 will eventually go through a tiny bit of Texas.

[Sapphuby]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

A couple more with 3...

I-80:  Colorado, Michigan, New York
I-49:  Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

Will this be true when I-49 is complete? Currently, the Texarkana bypass section truncates at US 71 on the state line. The ramps go into Texas according to Google Maps, but I don't know the accuracy of the state line shown. In any case, it does look like I-49 will eventually go through a tiny bit of Texas.

It's in the highway plans to have I-49 go through a small bit of Texas, but the project isn't on the bucket list for now as the bridge(s) would be very expensive.

[MATraveler128]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

The northern I-87 misses New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

[ethanhopkin14]

I am going to take a stab and say I-29 holds the record of almost entering the most states but not entering them at 3 (Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota).  Can another do better?

The northern I-87 misses New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

I haven't gotten too much into it because when I first said I-29, I said "almost entering the most states but not entering them" but didn't define what "almost entering a state" really means.  That's my fault. 

I-29 hugs the banks of the Missouri River in Council Bluffs and in Sioux City (like literally right on the bank!) which is the state line between Iowa and Nebraska and hugs the banks of The Red River of the North right before it enters Canada and is a mere 1,000 feet from the state line between North Dakota and Minnesota at that point.  Basically it occupies the most extreme edge of physical land in the state it is in without leaving the state.  The only give me in the bunch is Kansas, where it terminates 1.6 miles from the state line in Kansas City. 

I-87 comes the closest to New Jersey, so I will give you that.  Connecticut and Vermont are both a stretch (it comes 3,746 feet from the banks of Lake Champlain, but its a long way into the lake before you get to the state line, and Connecticut, the best I-87 can do for it is 6.67 miles away).  It is 26 miles from Massachusetts which is way too far.

Again, I know I didn't give parameters, but I was looking for something along those lines.  I didn't even consider I-10 even though its 1,180 feet from Mexico at one point, all because there are another 2 roads between it and the border.  To me that was way too far for this definition.  I was looking for roads that pretty much touch the border but don't enter the state. 

[SkyPesos]

3 longest interstates without a 3di for each first digit. Interstates with a former 3di of that first digit are included here, but are not counted towards the 3 in the list.

1xx:
- I-20
- I-25
- I-64 and I-81 both formerly had one (now I-69 and I-26 respectively)
- I-44

2xx:
- I-81
- I-84 (both)
- I-49

3xx:
- I-40
- I-20
- I-5

4xx:
- I-20
- I-15 formerly had one (now I-215 UT)
- I-25
- I-55

5xx:
- I-70
- I-94 formerly had one (now I-190 IL)
- I-25
- I-84 (both)

6xx:
- I-20
- I-15
- I-25

7xx:
- I-40
- I-70
- I-75

8xx:
- I-10
- I-70
- I-75

9xx:
- I-40
- I-70
- I-95

[CNGL-Leudimin]

FYI there's an unsigned I-305 in Sacramento. Only existing per FHWA, I believe Caltrans doesn't recognize it.