Roads/highways that you feel were ahead of their time?

[michravera]

In limited reference to CA highways, I-5 from Wheeler Ridge to Tracy comes to mind.  Prior to that facility being built, the DOH assiduously avoided new-terrain alignments in favor of "improve-in-place" approaches; the still-controversial (just ask Fresno boosters!) 1957 decision to realign I-5 over the "dotted-line-on-a-map" Westside freeway corridor instead of right down US 99 in order to enhance the metro-to-metro function of the state's Interstate network led to the first substantial "virgin" facility (even if you consider Santa Nella-Tracy simply a freeway upgrade to CA 33) undertaken by the state.  Taking advantage of the 90% Federal input provided a boost to the state's freeway and expressway program by allowing state funds to be spread out over the entire system rather than just toward the Interstate corridors like with other states.  But technically, the nature of the I-5 "beeline" proved a fertile proving ground for technical advances such as the huge paving machines deployed in the '60's; paving dozens of miles a week along the favorable Valley floor was considered a major achievement 55 years ago.  But regardless of how one views that I-5 segment in retrospect, both the sociopolitical aspects as well as the massive scale of the undertaking still resonate today in virtually every road project in or around the San Joaquin Valley.   

But, the gold medal, men on the moon, Ruth calls his shot, "you can't do that!"-"yes I can!" highway achievement award of the last hundred years has to go to CASR-1. Single structures will top its single structures. Treachery of conditions will top it in some other places. But, the reason that they built the Hoover Dam Bypass was that they were able to say "Well, it isn't really anything that the CaDoH didn't do 80 years ago." and the excuses stopped.

Only if California would stop making those excuses and new ones now.  We might have a CA 1 in the Lost Coast if that was the case.

I'm not sure about the particular case of an extension of CASR-1, but a lot of "Must not"s get raised by people who live in cities and are dependent upon roads for their livelihood and well-being about what rural roads can be built simply because they want the power to control things (many of which are beyond their control).

Yeah, there's undoubtedly some form of earthworm found on the Lost Coast whose habitat would be endangered or destroyed and whose narrowly defined species may go extinct, if such a road were built. But, a small earthquake could pretty much do of the same thing. The worm might fare better, if we built the damned thing and made sure that the ground around it was stable so that it wouldn't fall into the ocean.

[MillTheRoadgeek]

I-78 and I-80 in New Jersey have had that sort of setup for a long time as well, though I don't know for how long. I do think I-270's feels like a more "modern" version of that configuration, due in part to having a Jersey wall instead of what is essentially a glorified curb separating the lanes, but I have to agree that I-270 is less innovative than it might seem.

I agree with crispy93 about the New Jersey Turnpike being ahead of its time in all sorts of ways. It was also ahead of its time, at least compared to many other early controlled-access highways in the US, in eschewing left-side exits, and they've stuck to that principle even as the road has expanded.

While I was primarily speaking aesthetically, I will agree with the concept. Not the worst and most harrowing highway ever, but definitely flawed with too many exits between. In comparison the 495/95 setup in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge corridor is far smoother of a drive, even with it containing less lanes. The thru lanes on 270 happpen to be wider than the local lanes, making it a doozy for travelers.

Also, wonderful for the NJ Turnpike! Even if they're a stark contrast to other states, they still get things right.

[Henry]

Any freeway that has been expanded to at least 10 lanes or more, and there are quite a few examples here in North America:

Dan Ryan & Kennedy Expressways in Chicago
Atlanta's Downtown Connector
Katy Freeway in Houston
ON 401 through Toronto

[ilpt4u]

Any freeway that has been expanded to at least 10 lanes or more, and there are quite a few examples here in North America:

Dan Ryan & Kennedy Expressways in Chicago
Atlanta's Downtown Connector
Katy Freeway in Houston
ON 401 through Toronto

NJ Turnpike
Central section of the Tri-State Tollway is joining the list, pretty soon

Not sure any of these are really "ahead of their time"  tho

[sprjus4]

^

Then there's jurisdictions that refuse to expand freeways beyond even 6 lanes in some cases without tolling new capacity. Look at both Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.

[TXtoNJ]

Any freeway that has been expanded to at least 10 lanes or more, and there are quite a few examples here in North America:

Dan Ryan & Kennedy Expressways in Chicago
Atlanta's Downtown Connector
Katy Freeway in Houston
ON 401 through Toronto

NJ Turnpike
Central section of the Tri-State Tollway is joining the list, pretty soon

Not sure any of these are really "ahead of their time"  tho

Katy Freeway in particular is very much of its time, and poorly designed at that.

[TheOneKEA]

A better example for Maryland might be Pulaski Highway, US 40 between the Baltimore City line and the Delaware state line. It was built back in the 1940s as a divided arterial highway and has survived in that original form ever since, with minimal alignment changes and some widening in a few areas. It's almost as straight as Ritchie Highway, MD 2 between Glen Burnie and Arnold, and works very well as an alternative to I-95 to this day.

[MillTheRoadgeek]

I will certainly admit, the Spaghetti Junction in Atlanta definitely still looks pristine today. I'm surprised they were able to pull those angled flyovers off in the 80s.

[Ned Weasel]

Any freeway that has been expanded to at least 10 lanes or more, and there are quite a few examples here in North America:

Dan Ryan & Kennedy Expressways in Chicago
Atlanta's Downtown Connector
Katy Freeway in Houston
ON 401 through Toronto

NJ Turnpike
Central section of the Tri-State Tollway is joining the list, pretty soon

Not sure any of these are really "ahead of their time"  tho

Does expanding a freeway to 10 lanes unlock some sort of achievement?  Is that why Kansas City recently widened the 435 to 10 through lanes between State Line and the 49/470?

[skluth]

I'd say any highway that looked like a boondoggle at the time and instead proved to be immensely useful and popular is ahead of its time. In the Midwest (where I spent most of my life), I-39 between Rockford and Bloomington, Illinois makes a great outer bypass of Chicago for anyone going to/from Wisconsin. US 51 was busy, but I never thought it needed to be a freeway until after after the Lincoln Bridge was built and I saw all the new traffic using the highway. I'd probably include I-43 from Green Bay to Milwaukee; it really wasn't needed at the time because US 41 (its only name then) was a great four-lane expressway/ partial freeway between the cities, and both US 141 and WI 57 were mostly four lanes south of WI 23. I-43 did cut about 20 miles from the drive. I used both regularly when I lived in STL and visited my family in GB.

The corridor that completed the Avenue of the Saints between Waterloo and I-35 may be considered ahead of its time someday.

[skluth]

It's not really a major highway corridor, but I'll add the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's not really needed, but a huge tourist draw and a road I've vacationed along a few times. Quite possibly the most relaxing drive I've every had.

[STLmapboy]

364. The Page Avenue Extension opened in 2000 with five lanes--in each direction. To this day it still doesn't need them, but it may in the future.

[SkyPesos]

364. The Page Avenue Extension opened in 2000 with five lanes--in each direction. To this day it still doesn't need them, but it may in the future.

Sometimes, I wonder if 6 lanes, without an auxiliary exit lane, is enough for 364. Its AADT is lower than US 40/61 between I-70 and Route K, which is a 4 lane road, and with a lot more truck traffic. Though to be fair, the latter highway should've been 6 laned a long time ago.

[oscar]

Alaska's Dalton Highway (AK 11) was AFAIK a U.S. first for long highway stretches built atop permafrost, including deep gravel roadbeds and foam insulation to keep the permafrost from melting, which is a necessity to build any highways at all in most of the Arctic. However, Canada's Dempster Highway was built around the same time, and might have pioneered some techniques used for the Dalton. Both might have drawn from experience with Arctic highways in Russia and Scandinavia.

[hockeyjohn]

The Ideal Section of the Lincoln Highway in northwest Indiana.

https://www.in.gov/history/markers/181.htm

[cwf1701]

I-94 between Dearborn and Willow Run as well as US-12 near Willow Run. Build between 1942 and 1944 (as M-112 and US-112) to funnel traffic to the war factories. After the war, became one of the first freeways to serve the suburbs of Detroit.