Top 10 most important roads in your state

[tdindy88]

I'd agree on the vitalness of US 41, but traffic wise from my experience, US 30 is a busier highway. US 41/SR 63 is desolate much of the way from Terre Haute to St. John and from Kentland northward it's running parallel to I-65. South of Terre Haute the highway serves a purpose similar to US 30 up north but with I-69 being built some of that will go away.

[hobsini2]

Wisconsin:

1 I-90
2 I-94
3 I-894/US 45/US 41/Future I-41 (Mitchell Interchange to Green Bay)
4 I-43
5 US 151
6 I-39/US 51
7 Wis 29
8 US 10
9 US 12
10 US 53

Honorable mentions in no order for Wis 11, Wis 21, Wis 23, Wis 26, Wis 30, Wis 33, Wis 50, Wis 100, Wis 119, US 2, US 8, US 18, US 61, I-535, I-794

[hobsini2]

I'd agree on the vitalness of US 41, but traffic wise from my experience, US 30 is a busier highway. US 41/SR 63 is desolate much of the way from Terre Haute to St. John and from Kentland northward it's running parallel to I-65. South of Terre Haute the highway serves a purpose similar to US 30 up north but with I-69 being built some of that will go away.

That emptiness of a 4 lane divided highway is what makes 41 beautiful as an alternate from Chicago to Nashville. I have taken several ways (I-65, I-57 to I-24, US 41 to the Pennyrile) but that is the best by far.

[US 41]

IMO US 41/ SR 63 is more important than the Hoosierland / Fort to Port because it connects Hopkinsville, Evansville, Vincennes, and Terre Haute to Chcago. My opinion is probably biased since I live in Terre Haute. US 24 / SR 25 however will connect Ft. Wayne, LAfayette, and Toledo. They are probably equally important.

[spooky]

I leave it up to you whether you want to use traffic numbers, how you interpret "most important," whether you allow unnumbered roads and highways, etc. Instead of disagreeing with people's lists, you can use your own criteria to create a second list!


RI:
1. I-95
2. US 6
3. US 1
4. I-195
5. I-295
6. RI 138
7. RI 4
8. RI 146
9. RI 24
10. US 44

I have an irrational desire to put RI 4 much higher on this list, likely because I grew up within spitting distance of it and used it for any trip towards Providence or beyond. If I think more rationally, I can't say it's more important than the interstates or than RI 138, which is the main conduit to URI and to Newport.

I might switch US 1 and US 6 though.

[kurumi]

Long ago I tried something similar for primary Interstate highways: http://www.kurumi.com/roads/rank2di.html

Disadvantage: flawed/biased assumptions
Advantage: automated analysis based on above

[wriddle082]

SC, in my opinion:

• I-26
• I-85
• I-95
• I-77
• US-17
• I-20
• US-501
• US-76
• SC-9
• US-176

I put I-26 at the top because it connects three of the state's four largest economic areas (Charleston, Columbia, Greenville-Spartanburg). I put I-85 at No. 2 because of its role as a connector between Charlotte & the Northeast and Atlanta & the Southeast, as well as its regional importance in Greenville and Spartanburg. I put I-95 at No. 3 because I-95. I-77 is at No. 4 because it connects Columbia and Charlotte. US-17 connects Charleston and the beaches, so I put it at No. 5. I-20 connects Florence, Columbia, Augusta, and Atlanta, so I put it at No. 6. US-501 is at No. 7 because it is the primary access to Myrtle Beach. The rest are fairly important cross-state connectors.

I think I mostly agree with this list, except that I would have US 25 ranked at #10 instead of US 176.  It connects Augusta to Greenwood to Greenville to I-26 in NC.

And I really think US 1 and US 321 would be more important if they got more attention from SCDOT, as each of these could be viable interstate alternatives if upgraded in some fashion heading northeast or south from Columbia, respectively.

NC:
1. I-40
2. I-85
3. I-95
4. I-77
5. US 70
6. US 64
7. US 74
8. Blue Ridge Parkway
9. I-26
10. US 17

I'd almost have I-40 and I-85 tied for #1, as both are extremely important corridors, especially their 8-lane duplex section.

I would rank US 74 as #5 since it's basically important at connecting the extreme southwest corner of the state with the extreme southeast corner.

And I think I disagree with Froggie's assessment of US 1 replacing the BRP, as the BRP is an important tourism corridor, and US 1 would be more important if SC would upgrade their portion to the Columbia area.

Also of honorable mention here should be the following (no particular order):

* US 421/NC 87 corridor connecting Boone, the Triad, Sanford, Fayetteville, and Wilmington
* US 321 connecting Gastonia, Hickory, and Boone
* US 220/future I-73
* US 29/future I-785
* US 52 freeway portions only, plus I-74 connection to I-77

[Alps]

I leave it up to you whether you want to use traffic numbers, how you interpret "most important," whether you allow unnumbered roads and highways, etc. Instead of disagreeing with people's lists, you can use your own criteria to create a second list!


RI:
1. I-95
2. US 6
3. US 1
4. I-195
5. I-295
6. RI 138
7. RI 4
8. RI 146
9. RI 24
10. US 44

I have an irrational desire to put RI 4 much higher on this list, likely because I grew up within spitting distance of it and used it for any trip towards Providence or beyond. If I think more rationally, I can't say it's more important than the interstates or than RI 138, which is the main conduit to URI and to Newport.

I might switch US 1 and US 6 though.

US 6 is that high because of I-84 never being built.

[realjd]

FL:
I95
I75
I10
I4
Turnpike
US1
SR-A1A
US98
I275
World Drive, Disney World

[NE2]

I275
World Drive, Disney World

Essentially my list except these two. I suppose a non-snarky compromise would use I-275 and US 27.

[iowahighways]

Iowa:

1. I-80
2. I-35
3. I-29
4: IA-27/I-380/Avenue of the Saints
5. I-680
6. US-20
7. US-61
8. IA-163/US-34
9. IA-330/US-65
10. US-30

I took this to mean important cross-state routes, so that's why I left out urban freeways like I-235, I-74, and IA-5/US 65 bypass.

My list would be similar, but instead of I-680, I'd go with the US 75/IA 60 corridor from Sioux City to Minnesota.

US 151 and US 63 (especially north of Waterloo) would also merit consideration.

[realjd]

I275
World Drive, Disney World

Essentially my list except these two. I suppose a non-snarky compromise would use I-275 and US 27.

I figured I275 is the only truly critical beltway in the state. The alternate routes to Clearwater St Petersburg are poor.

I'd say US19 or US92 over US27 though. If US27 went away, intercity traffic would be largely unaffected outside of small rural towns.

[Alps]

I275
World Drive, Disney World

Essentially my list except these two. I suppose a non-snarky compromise would use I-275 and US 27.

I figured I275 is the only truly critical beltway in the state. The alternate routes to Clearwater are poor.

I'd say US19 or US92 over US27 though. If US27 went away, intercity traffic would be largely unaffected outside of small rural towns.

Depends if you count FL 826 as a beltway, but if you count I-275 as one then you have to count 826. (275 is the opposite of a beltway...) That's a pretty damn important one.

[realjd]

I275
World Drive, Disney World

Essentially my list except these two. I suppose a non-snarky compromise would use I-275 and US 27.

I figured I275 is the only truly critical beltway in the state. The alternate routes to Clearwater are poor.

I'd say US19 or US92 over US27 though. If US27 went away, intercity traffic would be largely unaffected outside of small rural towns.

Depends if you count FL 826 as a beltway, but if you count I-275 as one then you have to count 826. (275 is the opposite of a beltway...) That's a pretty damn important one.

I was counting it. Miami could get by without the 826. It wouldn't be ideal, but unlike Clearwater St Petersburg there are plenty of alternate routes to places like Hialeah and Kendall.

[NE2]

The only part of I-275 that's 'necessary' for reaching Clearwater is between I-4 and SR 60.

[realjd]

The only part of I-275 that's 'necessary' for reaching Clearwater is between I-4 and SR 60.

I meant St Petersburg. Yeah, Scientology-land is right along 60.

St Petersburg can be accessed from US-92 and SR-60 but closing the 275 bridge would have a huge impact.

[Dr Frankenstein]

My take on Québec.

• A-20
• A-15
• A-40
• A-10
• R-132
• R-138
• R-117
• A-73/R-175
• A-85/R-185
• A-50

[NWI_Irish96]

One for Indiana, not necessarily in order, but somewhat in order.

1) I-65
2) I-70
3) I-69 (including future Indy to B-Town stretch)
4) I-74
5) Indiana Toll Road (I-80/I-90)
6) I-94 (includes overlap with I-80 on Borman)
7) I-64
8) I-465
9) US 31
10) US 30

Honorable Mention (if this could be a Top-12): US 24, US 41/SR 63

I suppose "most important" is a vague criteria.  One one hand, you could say that the Toll Road is the most important road in Indiana because of the income it has generated for the state, which in turn has financed many other road projects.  However, solely as a travel route, it is not nearly the most important route.

I would agree with I-65 as #1 and I-70 as #2.  I might bump up I-465 to #3 just because it handles so much traffic.  I would put I-69 at #4, the Toll Road at #5, and I-74 at #6.  US 31 is #7, I-94 #8, US 30 #9, and US 24/SR 25 #10.  I don't find I-64 to be all that important--even less so with I-69 getting finished, and that's coming from somebody who lives 6 miles from the road.

[Bitmapped]

For Ohio, I'd go with:
1. I-71
2. I-75
3. I-71

Which one's the typo?

#3 should have said I-70.

[TheStranger]

If I had to pick ten for California...

US 101
Route 99
I-5
I-80
I-10
I-15
I-405
Route 58
I-880
US 50

[thenetwork]

COLORADO -- And I define "Most Important" as "If there is a major road closure, are there reasonable alternative routes to use?" since here in Colorado, there may or may not be nearby parallel routes at one's disposal:

1) I-70 (By far!)
2) I-270/US-36 corridor (Denver to Boulder in particular)   
3) Pena Blvd. (Freeway leading from I-70 to Denver International Airport)
4) US-550/US 50 Corridor (A vital link between Durango/SW Colorado and the I-70 corridor..It has been closed now for almost a month due to a rash of rock slides south of Ouray, which means an almost 100 mile detour via Telluride and the Mesa Verde area).
5) CO-82 (Your only way into & out of Aspen during Ski Season -- with designated HOV lanes on almost half of the route!)
6) I-25
7) C-470
8) I-225
9) I-76
10) US-24 (Recent fires and floods in Manitou/Colorado Springs area have proven how vital a road this route is.

[US 41]

If I had to pick ten for California...

US 101
Route 99
I-5
I-80
I-10
I-15
I-405
Route 58
I-880
US 50

I think I-8 should be in that list somewhere.

[mjb2002]

Here is my list:

1. SC Route 121
2. Interstate 26
3. Interstate 20
4. US Route 301
5. US Route 21
6. Interstate 95
7. Interstate 520
8. US Route 1
9. Interstate 77
10. Interstate 85

SC Route 121 goes through three states and many smaller cities  – including Augusta and Rock Hill. That is why I put it above I-26.

[mrsman]

If I had to pick ten for California...

US 101
Route 99
I-5
I-80
I-10
I-15
I-405
Route 58
I-880
US 50

I think I-8 should be in that list somewhere.

And don't forget I-238.  It may not be just a short connector in the East Bay, but without it, we'd have so little to talk about as roadgeeks.

But more seriously, for statewide considerations, I'd do the following:

I-5
US 101
I-10
I-80
I-15
Route 99
I-405
Route 58
I-8
US 395

[golden eagle]

In Mississippi (not necessarily in this order)

I-55
I-20
I-220 (I-55 & 20 in Jackson would be much more crowded without it)
I-59
I-10
US 90
US 49 (connects three of the state's largest urban areas)
US 61 (due to cultural history)
US 78/future I-22
MS 25 (Jackson to Starkville/Mississippi State University area)