Loops That Are Too Big For Their City?

[wriddle082]

I-840 wasn't completed back when I made a regular yearly visit to a farm in Coffee County. But I would cut across through Franklin and Leiper's Fork on 2-lane roads anyway, and greatly enjoyed the side trip.

I used to do the same thing back when I used to live in Murfreesboro and my folks lived in Dickson County.  Now I live in South Carolina and they have moved back into Nashville proper.

[golden eagle]

Here's a bypass that might be considered "too big" for its city:  Interstate 57 as a bypass of St. Louis 

On the other hand, a just right bypass of Chicago is I-74 and I-39.

Don't forget I-43 as part of that Chicago Bypass group, for trips like St Louis-Milwaukee!

I-12 is a New Orleans bypass.

[US20IL64]

I-15 is a by-pass of Los Angles County. 

[jlam]

I-81 is a bypass of the East Coast. Now, back to loops:

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

[US 89]

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

Someone hasn't been stuck in huge traffic jams on Beltway 8 or US 290 at non-rush hour times...

[adventurernumber1]

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

Definitely not all directions of the metro have sprawled out equally, partially due to geographic constraints (such as the bay). But much of TX 99 already goes through some pretty thick suburban development. Of course the portion where it is currently being built east of I-69 is predominantly rural, but that seems to be changing fast as a glance at Google Maps satellite reveals a ton of what looks like future neighborhoods and/or possibly a huge planned community nearby. It's amazing how fast some metros in the country are sprawling out, it's hard to keep up. 

Considering the size of the metro area now, another "outer beltway" for DFW would be almost unfathomably large. But then again if/when fully completed in a circle, TX 99 wouldn't be much smaller. Both of these metros, the 4th and 5th largest in the nation, and growing insanely fast, will definitely be testing the boundaries for what can be done with outer beltways. TX 99 may be headed on its way to become the largest (full) beltway in the country, but it's still badly needed.



I-275 in Cincinnati is the quintessential example that pops into my head when seeing this thread. The routing tends to be awkward and way too far out of the way, especially since it even enters Indiana. Going so far to the west is probably the only reason it has a concurrency with I-74 as well.

[Road Hog]

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

Dallas has a net total of 2 loops already, a full one and two half-loops: LBJ / TX 360 / I-20 that makes a full loop, then there's the Bush and the Sam Rayburn that make half-loops to the north. The south is finally starting to fill in and the contract for Loop 9 was just let. There are more loops and loopy thoroughfares in the works, including the US 380 upgrade and the Collin County Outer Loop.

Not aware of any broader loop that takes in DFW writ large, but no doubt it's coming. Just not this half-century.

[Henry]

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

Dallas has a net total of 2 loops already, a full one and two half-loops: LBJ / TX 360 / I-20 that makes a full loop, then there's the Bush and the Sam Rayburn that make half-loops to the north. The south is finally starting to fill in and the contract for Loop 9 was just let. There are more loops and loopy thoroughfares in the works, including the US 380 upgrade and the Collin County Outer Loop.

Not aware of any broader loop that takes in DFW writ large, but no doubt it's coming. Just not this half-century.

Phoenix already has three loops: 101, 202 and 303 (although 202 goes to the east and the other two to the north). It's rather amazing how it's grown from a small town to a big metropolis in 40 years!

[HighwayStar]

Houston probably doesn't need three loops. They only need two. Now, if Houston drastically expands, then I can see a case for TX 99.

Dallas has a net total of 2 loops already, a full one and two half-loops: LBJ / TX 360 / I-20 that makes a full loop, then there's the Bush and the Sam Rayburn that make half-loops to the north. The south is finally starting to fill in and the contract for Loop 9 was just let. There are more loops and loopy thoroughfares in the works, including the US 380 upgrade and the Collin County Outer Loop.

Not aware of any broader loop that takes in DFW writ large, but no doubt it's coming. Just not this half-century.

Phoenix already has three loops: 101, 202 and 303 (although 202 goes to the east and the other two to the north). It's rather amazing how it's grown from a small town to a big metropolis in 40 years!

The timescale is closer to 80 years, it started growing after the Second World War thanks to the rise of the air conditioner and the promise of good jobs in the various cold war defense industries. Then the retirement wave added on top of that.