Texas style expressways

[bugo]

Where are there Texas style expressways? A Texas style expressway is an expressway that is made up of the future frontage roads to a freeway that will be built in the middle. The infamous US 71 in Kansas City is the only one outside Texas I can think of.

[NE2]

Conduit Boulevard in Queens.

[dfwmapper]

I find fault with your definition of a Texas style expressway. A more accurate depiction would be a 4 lane highway with grade separations at major crossroads but at-grade intersections for driveways and other low volume roads. Usually divided, but sometimes "Arkansas superhighway" style with a center turn lane, or "I want to die from excessive speed differentials on a head to head crash" style with nothing but a double yellow line between opposite directions of traffic. Frontage roads without a limited access highway between them are actually quite uncommon in Texas outside of urban areas.

[pianocello]

US 218 in Waterloo, IA.

I find fault with your definition of a Texas style expressway. A more accurate depiction would be a 4 lane highway with grade separations at major crossroads but at-grade intersections for driveways and other low volume roads. Usually divided, but sometimes "Arkansas superhighway" style with a center turn lane, or "I want to die from excessive speed differentials on a head to head crash" style with nothing but a double yellow line between opposite directions of traffic. Frontage roads without a limited access highway between them are actually quite uncommon in Texas outside of urban areas.

I know what you're talking about, but I don't usually think of Texas when that is mentioned. This might be the midwesterner in me, but I associate that with Iowa and Wisconsin. On the flip side, if you were to say "set of frontage roads for a future freeway to go in the middle" or something like that, I would immediately think something along the lines of "Oh yeah, like they do in Texas."

[TEG24601]

I've seen a few of these in Michigan, where the Michigan Expressway was built with enough space in the middle to accommodate a freeway, but it was never completed.

[lordsutch]

I believe the 215 beltway in Las Vegas was/is partially built this way in its initial configuration.

[bugo]

I find fault with your definition of a Texas style expressway. A more accurate depiction would be a 4 lane highway with grade separations at major crossroads but at-grade intersections for driveways and other low volume roads. Usually divided, but sometimes "Arkansas superhighway" style with a center turn lane, or "I want to die from excessive speed differentials on a head to head crash" style with nothing but a double yellow line between opposite directions of traffic. Frontage roads without a limited access highway between them are actually quite uncommon in Texas outside of urban areas.

We're not talking about the same thing. The Texas style expressway has at-grades and few to no grade separations. The difference is that they are very wide so a freeway can be built in the middle.

[Scott5114]

I find fault with your definition of a Texas style expressway. A more accurate depiction would be a 4 lane highway with grade separations at major crossroads but at-grade intersections for driveways and other low volume roads. Usually divided, but sometimes "Arkansas superhighway" style with a center turn lane, or "I want to die from excessive speed differentials on a head to head crash" style with nothing but a double yellow line between opposite directions of traffic. Frontage roads without a limited access highway between them are actually quite uncommon in Texas outside of urban areas.

I usually associate this with Missouri, where the road bypasses major cities as a full freeway.

[pumpkineater2]

 AZ 85 is like this for a few miles south of I-10. The two carriageways are about 530 feet apart.

[dfwmapper]

We're not talking about the same thing. The Texas style expressway has at-grades and few to no grade separations. The difference is that they are very wide so a freeway can be built in the middle.

I know we're talking about different things. I just don't think it's accurate to use the term 'expressway' to refer to what you're talking about. AFAIK they're always referred to by TxDOT and other agencies simply as frontage roads whether or not a freeway has been built between them.

[NE2]

Whitnall Highway (1920s): http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/lost-landmarks/phantom-fast-lanes-whitnall-highway-and-the-footprint-of-best-laid-plans.html

[roadfro]

I believe the 215 beltway in Las Vegas was/is partially built this way in its initial configuration.

Only the southwestern portion between South Decatur Blvd and Tropicana Ave was initially built this way, and that entire stretch has since had the freeway constructed. There were very few adjacent businesses at original construction, so that stretch was basically a full-on expressway.

There is only one other section of 215 with frontage roads, between Las Vegas Blvd and the airport connector. Those frontage roads were built concurrently with the mainline (that was the very first section of the beltway that was constructed).

[cl94]

There aren't many of these out east, but I have a couple of NY examples:

-The median of Conduit Ave in Queens was planned to contain I-78, although this plan came long after construction

-For several years, a segment of the NY 33 expressway was not constructed in the median of Humboldt Parkway, with traffic being detoured to the current service roads. This example no longer exists.

[FreewayDan]

California State Highway 55 south of SR 73 in Costa Mesa was once a Texas-style expressway prior to the freeway being built.  The frontage roads were labeled Newport Blvd.

[AsphaltPlanet]

Some of Quebec's expressways were built first with frontage roads with the express lanes built later

[DevalDragon]

I 94 between Kenosha and Milwaukee Wis - complete with 2 way frontage roads until recently.

[mgk920]

US 218 in Waterloo, IA.

Mike

[NE2]

US 218 in Waterloo, IA.

[hotdogPi]

US 218 in Waterloo, IA.

[vdeane]

Has anyone mentioned US 218 in Waterloo, IA yet?

</sarcasm>

[SD Mapman]

UT 85

[cjk374]

Would Texas style freeways be qualified as a road with unused accommodations?  Or is the area in between the frontage roads not prepped to be paved just yet?

[codyg1985]

AL 255 between AL 53 and Pulaski Pike in Huntsville, AL. It will be extended in this fashion around the north part of Huntsville to intersect with US 231/431 and US 72 east of Huntsville. The freeway portion of AL 255 from north of Plummer Road to AL 53 was recently completed.

[StogieGuy7]

I 94 between Kenosha and Milwaukee Wis - complete with 2 way frontage roads until recently.

Yes, though the two-way frontage roads and the way that they detour widely around interchanges are not actually the way that Texas constructs their freeways. It's similar but not really the same design.

The "Texas style" freeway has multiple-lane one-way frontage roads and most on and off ramps actually connect to the frontage roads rather than directly onto the cross street.  And then there is the U-turn ramp which generally bypasses the traffic signal permitting access to the other side of the frontage road (and freeway).

The system is actually beautiful in it's symmetry and simplicity, yet has its limitations as well.  Which is probably why it's somewhat limited in use.   

[roadman65]

US 90 Business in LA where the route is still arterial.  It has the wide median for the future West Bank Expressway Freeway extension that will someday be I-49.

Also the existing US 90 B freeway was built in a wide grassy median of the original West Bank Expressway except at the Harvey Tunnel where the two carriageways came (and still come) together.

Yes US 90 Business was for seen as a future freeway corridor when built many decades ago.