Most useless US Hwys

[texaskdog]

WI-29 is 4 lanes across Wisconsin.  Is there any need for US 8, that is almost exclusively in one state, to be a US highway anymore?

[OCGuy81]

Really no point in changing it at this point.  It's probably more local traffic than anything.

I think one could make the argument that MOST (not all, relax people) US Highways, especially those east of the Mississippi) are fairly useless having been supplemented by Interstates over the years.

Out west, there are still many areas where a US highway is it (i.e. Nevada)

[cpzilliacus]

Really no point in changing it at this point.  It's probably more local traffic than anything.

I think one could make the argument that MOST (not all, relax people) US Highways, especially those east of the Mississippi) are fairly useless having been supplemented by Interstates over the years.

Out west, there are still many areas where a US highway is it (i.e. Nevada)

Several of Maryland's most-important highways are on the U.S. federal system, including (roughly in order):

U.S. 50
U.S. 301
U.S. 40 (much of it is multiplexed with (and superseded by) I-70 and I-68, but it is an important road through Baltimore City)
U.S. 1 (much of it is superseded by I-95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, but it remains an important connector to the District of Columbia, and to Pennsylvania north(east) of I-695
U.S. 113
U.S. 13
U.S. 29
U.S. 15
U.S. 522 (very short in Maryland, but does include a connection to West Virginia across the Potomac River with no nearby alternative)
U.S. 220 (also pretty short, but the main N-S highway in Allegany County)
U.S. 219 (longer than 220, but the main N-S highway in Garrett County)

[oscar]

Even out West, some of the shorter 3diUS routes could be downgraded to (bi-)state routes.  US 197, US 730, maybe US 199 come to mind.

[corco]

US 730 I think has merit- I have naturally ended up on that route on many occasions to get from the 12 corridor down to western Oregon. I think a good chunk of 730 traffic is interregional travel, which would make it a worthwhile part of the system.

Others in the west- US 138 for sure, and we could probably live without US 310.

[Doctor Whom]

46.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

US 266 always struck me as superfluous outside of serving as an I-40 detour if necessary, and in any case it is a violation of the AASHTO rules (though to be fair it was essentially grandfathered in).

Most of US 11 in MS is a fairly underutilized road, outside maybe the Hattiesburg and Laurel areas. I imagine it is similar in other states where it is closely paralleled by interstates. It seems like virtually all of US 11 nationally could be dropped and the traveling public would be none the wiser.

I am generally in favor of dropping US routes where interstates run closely parallel or functionally bypassed the old road. US routes should be used for intercity connections that Interstates do not serve. The bypassed US routes should remain state maintained as alternate/detour routes. My thought is that they could be supplementally signed as "Detour" or "Alternate" I-xx at necessary locations. Louisiana already does this with I-10 between Lafayette and BR, signing both US 190 and LA 76 as "Alternate I-10." These could be signed with a special interstate shield similar to how "green" Business Interstate routes are signed. Perhaps red? This would not preclude the use of "Historic US xx" banners on these routes if desired, either.

[hbelkins]

US 641. Not a major corridor and doesn't meet its parent, and way back when it did meet its parent it required a long concurrency with another US route to do so.

US 211. Very short single-state route.

US 311.

US 158.

US 25W.

US 223.

[dgolub]

46.

Agreed.  Especially useless is extending it, unsigned, with I-95/US 1/US 9 to the New York line halfway across the George Washington Bridge.  If there's going to be a US 46, it should end at US 1/US 9.  To make things easier for people, the exit sign on I-95 coming off the bridge could still say US 1/US 9 TO US 46.  Honestly, though, I'm not sure why they don't just change it back to NJ 6.

[texaskdog]

Sweet. this actually got me to 1000 posts and therefore earning my 2nd star!

[texaskdog]

US 266 always struck me as superfluous outside of serving as an I-40 detour if necessary, and in any case it is a violation of the AASHTO rules (though to be fair it was essentially grandfathered in).

Most of US 11 in MS is a fairly underutilized road, outside maybe the Hattiesburg and Laurel areas. I imagine it is similar in other states where it is closely paralleled by interstates. It seems like virtually all of US 11 nationally could be dropped and the traveling public would be none the wiser.

I am generally in favor of dropping US routes where interstates run closely parallel or functionally bypassed the old road. US routes should be used for intercity connections that Interstates do not serve. The bypassed US routes should remain state maintained as alternate/detour routes. My thought is that they could be supplementally signed as "Detour" or "Alternate" I-xx at necessary locations. Louisiana already does this with I-10 between Lafayette and BR, signing both US 190 and LA 76 as "Alternate I-10." These could be signed with a special interstate shield similar to how "green" Business Interstate routes are signed. Perhaps red? This would not preclude the use of "Historic US xx" banners on these routes if desired, either.

If you were setting up the whole grid from scratch you'd never make the road next to the interstate a US highway yes that means you Oklahoma!

And I came from  Minnesota, land of the "turnback" although that is mainly state roads they are really hanging on to some of those US roads.

[bugo]

If you were setting up the whole grid from scratch you'd never make the road next to the interstate a US highway yes that means you Oklahoma!

Huh?

[hotdogPi]

Some of US 202 is not needed (largely multiplexed with other routes).

[texaskdog]

If you were setting up the whole grid from scratch you'd never make the road next to the interstate a US highway yes that means you Oklahoma!

Huh?

They required 35 to be built within a few miles of 77 and didn't decomission

[Molandfreak]

These could be signed with a special interstate shield similar to how "green" Business Interstate routes are signed. Perhaps red? This would not preclude the use of "Historic US xx" banners on these routes if desired, either.

Yeah, inverse colors. That'd be cool

[vtk]

• US 25 north of Cincinnati
• US 66
• US 27 between Fort Wayne and Lansing
• US 99 – wait, what?

Apparently these were considered the most useless US routes by the highway officials from the states involved.

[Takumi]

US 211 isn't what it used to be.
US 311 should be part of US 360.
US 264, 522 and 701 are all just kind of there. The latter two kind of go places but 264 is really just an incredibly long US 64A.

[DandyDan]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned US 159 yet.  I really don't know who would think it's an important road unless you are going to/from Falls City, NE to I-29 in Missouri.  NDOR was at least nice enough to build a new bridge for it at Rulo.  But a good chunk of it is a multiplex with US 73 and the part south of US 73 is basically a winding country road.  Essentially, in the overall scheme of things, it amounts to little more than a US 59A.  OTOH, in one of my parallel universe versions of US 159, it takes over K-4 between US 59 and I-70 in Topeka, and that is an important road.

[formulanone]

See, I kind of like the "redundant" US highways as a backup system to the Interstates when they're traffic-jammed. There's a confidence that it will generally parallel the stricken Interstate path for some distance until you can get return to it, if one chooses, with a certain level of quality and services expected from the motorist.

I'm not a big turnback person, I suppose, except for useless overlaps at end points.

[ap70621]

46.

Agreed.  Especially useless is extending it, unsigned, with I-95/US 1/US 9 to the New York line halfway across the George Washington Bridge.  If there's going to be a US 46, it should end at US 1/US 9.  To make things easier for people, the exit sign on I-95 coming off the bridge could still say US 1/US 9 TO US 46.  Honestly, though, I'm not sure why they don't just change it back to NJ 6.

I feel like if US 46 was reverted to NJ 6 it would just confuse people. I always thought it should be dropped from the US Highway System and become NJ 46. I feel that way, most non-roadgeeks wouldn't even notice. As for the most useless US Highway, my vote goes to US 202.

[sandiaman]

We  are the fifth largest state in size, yet  we  only have three interstate routes (10, 25,40).  Some US routes in New Mexico are as important  to us as the Interstates in getting around.  US 285 carries the bulk of north - south traffic  in the eastern  side of the state.  US 70,  US 54, US 550, US  87  are all vital  in connecting our cities  where  there  are no interstates.

[roadman65]

46.

Agreed.  Especially useless is extending it, unsigned, with I-95/US 1/US 9 to the New York line halfway across the George Washington Bridge.  If there's going to be a US 46, it should end at US 1/US 9.  To make things easier for people, the exit sign on I-95 coming off the bridge could still say US 1/US 9 TO US 46.  Honestly, though, I'm not sure why they don't just change it back to NJ 6.

I feel like if US 46 was reverted to NJ 6 it would just confuse people. I always thought it should be dropped from the US Highway System and become NJ 46. I feel that way, most non-roadgeeks wouldn't even notice. As for the most useless US Highway, my vote goes to US 202.

Does anybody know it even exists, that is US 202, in Passaic and Bergen Counties?  Also NJ 46 is fine as many in New Jersey refer to it as ROUTE 46 as even interstates are called ROUTE as well.  So changing its designation, would not confuse anyone, especially non road geeks.

[ap70621]

US 202 does exist in Passaic and Bergen, but is mostly county maintained except for the short segment where it is combined with NJ 23. Lots of very old shields along the route with what I believe is series A font.

[Pete from Boston]

US 202 is a personal favorite of mine -- it's the "back hallway" of the Northeast, running through many cool areas at or just beyond the edge of the big metropolises.  I muse periodically about driving it end to end in one trip.

[dgolub]

46.

Agreed.  Especially useless is extending it, unsigned, with I-95/US 1/US 9 to the New York line halfway across the George Washington Bridge.  If there's going to be a US 46, it should end at US 1/US 9.  To make things easier for people, the exit sign on I-95 coming off the bridge could still say US 1/US 9 TO US 46.  Honestly, though, I'm not sure why they don't just change it back to NJ 6.

I feel like if US 46 was reverted to NJ 6 it would just confuse people. I always thought it should be dropped from the US Highway System and become NJ 46. I feel that way, most non-roadgeeks wouldn't even notice. As for the most useless US Highway, my vote goes to US 202.

Valid point.  Since the number's been changed already and it was done a long time ago, there's probably more harm than good to be done at this point by changing it back.