Highways built after the 70s tend to bypass the cities/towns totally.

[tolbs17]

I try my best to find the smallest cities and mainline interstates. Except for I-95 in DC Boston

I-95 bypassing Wilson and Rocky Mount totally: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8229521,-77.8177195,44730m/data=!3m1!1e3

Freeways bypassing Greenville NC totally: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8229521,-77.8177195,44730m/data=!3m1!1e3

The Goldsboro Bypass: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4270014,-77.9485001,44952m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-95 not really bypassing Smithfield and Selma: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5059173,-78.3233692,44908m/data=!3m1!1e3

Same with Benson and Dunn: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3357937,-78.5525478,22502m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-95 and I-295 bypassing Fayetteville (not Fort Bragg) totally: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.044798,-78.8861162,31936m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-95 not really bypassing Lumberton: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6258916,-79.0255669,14299m/data=!3m1!1e3

US-74 (future I-74): not really bypassing Laurinburg: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7699634,-79.4713189,14274m/data=!3m1!1e3

But it REALLY bypasses Rockingham! : https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9087337,-79.7506847,16946m/data=!3m1!1e3

And Monroe... : https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0300439,-80.5231086,20122m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-85 kind of bypasses Kannapolis and Concord: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4665455,-80.6009905,20014m/data=!3m1!1e3

But not Salisbury... : https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6628164,-80.4682043,19965m/data=!3m1!1e3

But it does to Lexington, Thomasville, and High Point! : https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9077686,-80.0998597,28148m/data=!3m1!1e3

US-52 and US-421 does not bypass Winston-Salem AT ALL! But for I-40 which was rerouted south, kind of. : https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1054794,-80.2428386,23610m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-40 and I-77 don't really bypass Statesville: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8020062,-80.8829779,12555m/data=!3m1!1e3

But I-40 bypasses more of Hickory and Conover. : https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7092892,-81.2912917,10880m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-95 sorta bypasses Florence SC: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.2397701,-79.7935954,14365m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-85/I-40 (Former just I-85): does not bypass Burlington or Graham. : https://www.google.com/maps/@36.0674029,-79.4690152,13257m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-40 bypassing Durham and Chapel Hill almost totally: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9547791,-78.9366239,28956m/data=!3m1!1e3

And Raleigh somewhat: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7596639,-78.6390246,29027m/data=!3m1!1e3

I-95 does not bypass Richmond (although I-95 was supposed to be rerouted where I-295 is but those plans are scrapped) : https://www.google.com/maps/@37.5421525,-77.4046162,10322m/data=!3m1!1e3

Nor Wilmington DE: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7493837,-75.5523152,6305m/data=!3m1!1e3

[SkyPesos]

Which is not really a bad thing in my mind. Might be a hot take here, but IMO, interstates (especially ones carrying a lot of through traffic) shouldn't cut through downtowns at all.

[Max Rockatansky]

Sweet, and I was sitting here thinking the FWJ Buc-ee's post was going to be the worst road topic I saw today.  Nothing like whoring a bunch of Google Maps links to come up with the clutch victory.

[tolbs17]

Which is not really a bad thing in my mind. Might be a hot take here, but IMO, interstates (especially ones carrying a lot of through traffic) shouldn't cut through downtowns at all.

Yep, I-95 in Richmond and US-421 (former I-40) in Winston-Salem do that.

[kkt]

Yes, it became less acceptable to just ram through neighborhoods lowballing the fair market value of the properties in your way.

[HighwayStar]

Unfortunately this is the result of CAVE people getting their way. Instead of being built through a city/town where the road would actually be useful for local travel, it is put on some outlying area that is of no use to the original town.

Ironically, the same people that like to complain about "sprawl" are the same CAVE people that prevent the road from going through town in the first place.

The result? A pile of new development goes out to the new road and hurts the businesses that were effectively bypassed.

[tolbs17]

Although for the Kinston Bypass, the first alternatives which were the yellow ones, they were going to be used. Then they added a shallow bypass and favored that one. Given that Kinston is a struggling town, it's understandable of why they went with the more impactful one because they are trying to keep the economy strong. Bypasses this close to the town are rarely built but in a town like Kinston, it's kinda needed.

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/PDEA/Web/R-2553/july-2019-alternative-maps/R-2553_Alternatives_KeyMap.pdf

[SkyPesos]

Sweet, and I was sitting here thinking the FWJ Buc-ee's post was going to be the worst road topic I saw today.  Nothing like whoring a bunch of Google Maps links to come up with the clutch victory.

Best part is that all but 3 of the links are in North Carolina.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Sweet, and I was sitting here thinking the FWJ Buc-ee's post was going to be the worst road topic I saw today.  Nothing like whoring a bunch of Google Maps links to come up with the clutch victory.

Best part is that all but 3 of the links are in North Carolina.

The center of the universe. The rest of us just live on the fringes of known society.

[tolbs17]

I know the most about the east coast.

[SEWIGuy]

Unfortunately this is the result of CAVE people getting their way. Instead of being built through a city/town where the road would actually be useful for local travel, it is put on some outlying area that is of no use to the original town.

Ironically, the same people that like to complain about "sprawl" are the same CAVE people that prevent the road from going through town in the first place.

The result? A pile of new development goes out to the new road and hurts the businesses that were effectively bypassed.

There are plenty of examples of cities with thriving downtowns where an interstate hasn't been jammed through the center. 

[Henry]

Which is not really a bad thing in my mind. Might be a hot take here, but IMO, interstates (especially ones carrying a lot of through traffic) shouldn't cut through downtowns at all.

Yep, I-95 in Richmond and US-421 (former I-40) in Winston-Salem do that.

Just about every interstate that goes through a large city will inevitably go through downtown, like I-75/I-85 in Atlanta (and, to a point, I-20), I-90/I-94 in Chicago, all of the St. Louis 2di's (I-44, I-55, I-64 and I-70), and plenty of others. Smaller towns are most likely to be bypassed anyway, with their downtowns made up exclusively of surface streets and arterials.

[SEWIGuy]

Let me also say that I think it is a bit of a cop-out to say that cities with desolate downtowns but have somewhat thriving development by the highway, that it would have been better off had they run the freeway through the city.  25 years ago, I lived in Terre Haute, IN.  They were constantly complaining about how I-70 took businesses away from downtown.  And I bought into that too.  However now I would ask...so what's the alternative?  Putting the highway closer to downtown would have displaced a bunch of people from their homes...is that somehow better for economic activity?

But I think the better point is that Terre Haute's issues weren't about where the highway was placed.  It was because it was in a part of the state that was declining in population, jobs and economic activity.  In other words, their downtown would have been desolate regardless of the highway and where it was placed. 

I now live in Green Bay.  Like Terre Haute, the interstates weren't run through downtown but on the edge of the city.  Also like Terre Haute, retail development has occurred just off the freeway with the mall and the usual chain stores and restaurants popping up just off the exits.  But unlike Terre Haute, downtown Green Bay is thriving.  So what makes it different?  The economy here is going great.  The city and metropolitan areas are growing.  The local industries attract workers of all types. 

That's the difference between cities with thriving downtowns and those that aren't.  Not where the highway goes.

[tolbs17]

Which is not really a bad thing in my mind. Might be a hot take here, but IMO, interstates (especially ones carrying a lot of through traffic) shouldn't cut through downtowns at all.

Yep, I-95 in Richmond and US-421 (former I-40) in Winston-Salem do that.

Just about every interstate that goes through a large city will inevitably go through downtown, like I-75/I-85 in Atlanta (and, to a point, I-20), I-90/I-94 in Chicago, all of the St. Louis 2di's (I-44, I-55, I-64 and I-70), and plenty of others. Smaller towns are most likely to be bypassed anyway, with their downtowns made up exclusively of surface streets and arterials.

If a highway was built early in the game, the highway goes very close to the town. Small or not, you can see this happening: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1119443,-80.0706848,14.46z

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2584351,-79.9484505,12.5z

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.2089731,-77.4021338,13.92z

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.359778,-88.6973225,14.33z

[HighwayStar]

Unfortunately this is the result of CAVE people getting their way. Instead of being built through a city/town where the road would actually be useful for local travel, it is put on some outlying area that is of no use to the original town.

Ironically, the same people that like to complain about "sprawl" are the same CAVE people that prevent the road from going through town in the first place.

The result? A pile of new development goes out to the new road and hurts the businesses that were effectively bypassed.

There are plenty of examples of cities with thriving downtowns where an interstate hasn't been jammed through the center.

"thriving downtowns" yeah, a couple hipster coffee shops and a place selling old records really is a sign of economic might. Too bad you can't get there easily.

[HighwayStar]

Let me also say that I think it is a bit of a cop-out to say that cities with desolate downtowns but have somewhat thriving development by the highway, that it would have been better off had they run the freeway through the city.  25 years ago, I lived in Terre Haute, IN.  They were constantly complaining about how I-70 took businesses away from downtown.  And I bought into that too.  However now I would ask...so what's the alternative?  Putting the highway closer to downtown would have displaced a bunch of people from their homes...is that somehow better for economic activity?

But I think the better point is that Terre Haute's issues weren't about where the highway was placed.  It was because it was in a part of the state that was declining in population, jobs and economic activity.  In other words, their downtown would have been desolate regardless of the highway and where it was placed. 

I now live in Green Bay.  Like Terre Haute, the interstates weren't run through downtown but on the edge of the city.  Also like Terre Haute, retail development has occurred just off the freeway with the mall and the usual chain stores and restaurants popping up just off the exits.  But unlike Terre Haute, downtown Green Bay is thriving.  So what makes it different?  The economy here is going great.  The city and metropolitan areas are growing.  The local industries attract workers of all types. 

That's the difference between cities with thriving downtowns and those that aren't.  Not where the highway goes.

is that somehow better for economic activity?

Yes, generally speaking it is. While people might be displaced, they also have to construct new homes, which generates additional economic activity. They may relocate further out slightly, but since the highway remains in the center of the city the traffic remains close to downtown. And assuming they locate in a "dumbell" pattern, ie. on the new route but further down, they can take advantage of the higher speed travel to reach the same downtown area, possibly even faster than where they lived in the first place.

[SkyPesos]

"thriving downtowns" yeah, a couple hipster coffee shops

You have anything against local coffee shops? I would go to one over giving Starbucks more of my money.

[jmacswimmer]

Sweet, and I was sitting here thinking the FWJ Buc-ee's post was going to be the worst road topic I saw today.  Nothing like whoring a bunch of Google Maps links to come up with the clutch victory.

Best part is that all but 3 of the links are in North Carolina.

Now I'm curious: Is Wilmington DE the northernmost link we've seen from tolbs?  And Meridian MS (in a subsequent post) the southernmost & westernmost?  Branching out a bit I see

"thriving downtowns" yeah, a couple hipster coffee shops

You have anything against local coffee shops? I would go to one over giving Starbucks more of my money.

Yeah, personally when I travel I like trying out local coffee as opposed to going to Dunkin or Starbucks and ordering the same thing(s) I would order back home.

[SkyPesos]

Now I'm curious: Is Wilmington DE the northernmost link we've seen from tolbs?  And Meridian MS (in a subsequent post) the southernmost & westernmost?  Branching out a bit I see

He posted a few links of NJ a few times before. I think that may be the northernmost from him so far.

[tolbs17]

Now I'm curious: Is Wilmington DE the northernmost link we've seen from tolbs?  And Meridian MS (in a subsequent post) the southernmost & westernmost?  Branching out a bit I see

He posted a few links of NJ a few times before. I think that may be the northernmost from him so far.

I was born in New Jersey and lived there for 5 years. My dad still lives and works there though.

[SEWIGuy]

Unfortunately this is the result of CAVE people getting their way. Instead of being built through a city/town where the road would actually be useful for local travel, it is put on some outlying area that is of no use to the original town.

Ironically, the same people that like to complain about "sprawl" are the same CAVE people that prevent the road from going through town in the first place.

The result? A pile of new development goes out to the new road and hurts the businesses that were effectively bypassed.

There are plenty of examples of cities with thriving downtowns where an interstate hasn't been jammed through the center.

"thriving downtowns" yeah, a couple hipster coffee shops and a place selling old records really is a sign of economic might. Too bad you can't get there easily.

I guess where I live is more economically diverse than where you live because that isn't the experience that I have.

Troll away...

[Scott5114]

I know the most about the east coast.

Maybe you should actually take advance of the fact that this place is a tool for sharing ideas and learn more about places you don't know about, then? I know the most about Oklahoma but that's not the only thing I post about.

[Mapmikey]

For the older bypasses on the OP list (one was built in 1950!), most were not within the cities at that time - the cities have grown out to them.

And the same will happen to most of the modern ones on the list.