Largest waste of money for roads in your state?

[ftballfan]

In Michigan? Arguably, the current Zilwaukee Bridge. It was built because of the massive backups caused by the existing drawbridge - it was raised 984 times in 1978. But as soon as the new bridge was proposed, GM largely stopped using ships to bring in steel, and shipping traffic fell. In 2011, the Saginaw River saw 138 passages - that's less than 0.4 ships per day. You could have argued for a more sophisticated system to redirect traffic onto I-675 when a ship is coming, closing the river to shipping altogether, or compromising and building a lower clearance bridge that lets some, but not all, vessels through.

M-6 received some protests for being totally unnecessary, in part because "Holland to Lansing is not a major corridor." However, it has done wonders for local traffic, and it came in way ahead of schedule and under budget, so ha! 

Other contenders:

• The enormously overbuilt interchange between I-696 and Mound Rd, which is probably one of the ten highest capacity interchanges in the state. Mound Rd was supposed to become a freeway as a relocated M-53, but it never happened.
• MDOT taking over and reconstructing the Davison Freeway (M-8) instead of converting it back to surface street. Not like it's ever going to reach I-96 or I-94.
• M-231. While not expensive per se, it is supposed to eventually serve as a much needed bypass of US 31 between Holland and Grand Haven, which is still not a freeway. However, right now there is only funding to built the northern half of it, and only as a super-2 expressway, which helps about five people. There are so many projects that deserve to get built ahead of this. It's gonna be Michigan's I-180.
• The proposal to eliminate I-375, which unlike M-8, is definitely needed.
• The proposal to build a second Portage Lake bridge in the Keweenaw Peninsula, connecting Chassell to Jacobsville. Bridge to Nowhere, indeed.

But the original Mackinac Bridge proposal, starting in Cheboygan and hopping over several islands on its way to St. Ignace, is hilarious.

Now that M-231 has been open for a few years, it is somewhat useful when the Grand Haven drawbridge is stuck (which has happened a few times since M-231 was opened). It's also useful for traffic from Muskegon and points north to the GVSU area (and vice versa). If M-231 existed when I was a student at GVSU, I would've used it every time I went home instead of 68th Ave

[thspfc]

There are others, but the first that comes into my mind here in Wisconsin is the US 151/WI 26 interchange on the northeast corner of Waupun, WI.  It is a complex half interchange that is just north of WI 49 (the main interchange on the city's east edge), just southwest of the main US 151/WI 26 split (towards Oshkosh) and appears to me to serve no really useful purpose at all other than to maintain WI 26's pre-existing city street connectivity with US 151.  WI 26 should be rerouted off of those streets and onto US 151 in the Waupun area and that interchange should have been a much cheaper simple straight-across street bridge.

http://goo.gl/maps/ZA3UL

Mike

Agreed. A simple diamond or half interchange, similar to the one for BUS-151 southwest of Waupun, would have worked fine.

[Avalanchez71]

SR 12 between Nashville, TN and Ashland City, TN.

[ftballfan]

SR 12 between Nashville, TN and Ashland City, TN.

Speaking of Tennessee roads, I was surprised when I noticed that TN 52 was four-lane divided in eastern Clay County when I drove that last year.

[Chris19001]

Two fairly big wastes of money in the Philly area would be the Commodore Barry Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge. Both in theory should have higher traffic volumes, but due to not building the roads they connect to up to freeway standards (322 in NJ, never built PA90) the roads are underused. The Betsy Ross Bridge has lower traffic counts than the non limited access toll bridge to the north which charges less. I do use the Betsy Ross Bridge when i have to connect to I-95 as it is a quicker connection.

http://95revive.com/project-areas/bsr-bri-betsy-ross-bridge-thru-bridge-street/
I think the Betsy Ross connection on the Philly side is elevating on the "waste of money" listing with the latest attempts to tie it into Adams Avenue.  It has ramps galore where a simple extension of the travel lanes over Aramingo probably would have been far simpler and gives the possibility of further expansion north/west at some point.  (but then it could rise on the list again if they tear down the ramps being constructed now..)

[hbelkins]

The new I-65 exit in Bullitt County.

[texaskdog]

130 tollroad in Texas was built way too far out to be useful.

[texaskdog]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

[SkyPesos]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

A 4 lane divided highway is enough for a lot of other interstate sections too. Some I can think off are I-80 in Nevada, I-70 in Utah, and I-10 in Texas between I-20 and San Antonio.

[Flint1979]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

It's overkill but it's an Interstate. It has to connect to Canada somehow and there are no other border crossings anywhere nearby.

[hotdogPi]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

It's overkill but it's an Interstate. It has to connect to Canada somehow and there are no other border crossings anywhere nearby.

I-35 stops short, so I-75 can. Unlike I-15 (Calgary) and I-29 (Winnipeg), there is no major city north of the border, and unlike I-81, I-87, I-91, and I-95, none of the ones mentioned above continue as a freeway on the Canadian side. Canada's just a bit behind on I-89.

[vdeane]

I'd argue that I-81 doesn't continue as a freeway either, though with ON 401 so close it's really more of a Breezewood.  ON 137 north of customs is two lane road more than not.

The other examples (including I-5, which you didn't mention) actually all have an at-grade immediately north of the border.  That seems to happen more often than not; only the I-190, QEW, and I-94 crossings lack that feature (although that might flip when A-35 and the Gordie Howe Bridge are finished) - and until recently, the Peace Bridge had an at-grade on the US side!

[SkyPesos]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

It's overkill but it's an Interstate. It has to connect to Canada somehow and there are no other border crossings anywhere nearby.

I-35 stops short, so I-75 can. Unlike I-15 (Calgary) and I-29 (Winnipeg), there is no major city north of the border, and unlike I-81, I-87, I-91, and I-95, none of the ones mentioned above continue as a freeway on the Canadian side. Canada's just a bit behind on I-89.

Had I-75 ended before the border crossing, where would be a good place to end it? I'm thinking just south of Mackinaw City at US 31 and have US 31 go through the bridge and UP to Sault Ste Marie as either a 2 lane or 4 lane divided past the bridge. Another option is with US 127 south of Grayling and have US 127 continue to Sault Ste Marie.

[Avalanchez71]

Six-laned I-65 throughout KY.  Four lanes was sufficient notwithstanding Jefferson County.

[NWI_Irish96]

Indiana: the Cline Avenue Bridge (both the original and the current bridge)

The original bridge apparently didn't spend enough money as it failed. The new bridge wasn't built with state money so nobody cares if it was wasted or not.

Something low profile that most people won't notice is that about 6-7 years ago, most of the bridges on I-65 between Henryville and Columbus got rebuilt, but not big enough to accommodate the eventual third lane of travel in each direction. So now as parts of that segment get upgraded, the bridges have to be rebuilt again less than 10 years later.

[SkyPesos]

Six-laned I-65 throughout KY.  Four lanes was sufficient notwithstanding Jefferson County.

I-65 looks similar in AADT to I-75: 35-40k AADT with 25-30% trucks south of Louisville and Lexington. I thought I-65 would be a bit higher, as it take in I-71 traffic south of Louisville to points like Memphis and TX in addition to I-65 traffic in Indiana.

[I-55]

Six-laned I-65 throughout KY.  Four lanes was sufficient notwithstanding Jefferson County.

I-65 looks similar in AADT to I-75: 35-40k AADT with 25-30% trucks south of Louisville and Lexington. I thought I-65 would be a bit higher, as it take in I-71 traffic south of Louisville to points like Memphis and TX in addition to I-65 traffic in Indiana.

I-65 needs to be 6 lanes from Spring Hill, TN, to the Wabash River. I have never been on any other rural interstate (than I-65 or I-75) where I can expect my speed to fluctuate from 60-85 every 5 miles or so.

[Flint1979]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

It's overkill but it's an Interstate. It has to connect to Canada somehow and there are no other border crossings anywhere nearby.

I-35 stops short, so I-75 can. Unlike I-15 (Calgary) and I-29 (Winnipeg), there is no major city north of the border, and unlike I-81, I-87, I-91, and I-95, none of the ones mentioned above continue as a freeway on the Canadian side. Canada's just a bit behind on I-89.

So where would I-75 end otherwise? I-35 ends about 150 miles from the border, I-75's stretch through the U.P. is only about 60 miles.

[Flint1979]

Anyone in Michigan think I-75 in the UP is unnecessary?  Divided highway would have been more than enough.  Probably goes for a lot of border interestates.

It's overkill but it's an Interstate. It has to connect to Canada somehow and there are no other border crossings anywhere nearby.

I-35 stops short, so I-75 can. Unlike I-15 (Calgary) and I-29 (Winnipeg), there is no major city north of the border, and unlike I-81, I-87, I-91, and I-95, none of the ones mentioned above continue as a freeway on the Canadian side. Canada's just a bit behind on I-89.

Had I-75 ended before the border crossing, where would be a good place to end it? I'm thinking just south of Mackinaw City at US 31 and have US 31 go through the bridge and UP to Sault Ste Marie as either a 2 lane or 4 lane divided past the bridge. Another option is with US 127 south of Grayling and have US 127 continue to Sault Ste Marie.

It originally would have been US-27 up until about 20 years ago. US-25 should have taken US-127's route and end in Grayling.

[hbelkins]

Six-laned I-65 throughout KY.  Four lanes was sufficient notwithstanding Jefferson County.

I-65 looks similar in AADT to I-75: 35-40k AADT with 25-30% trucks south of Louisville and Lexington. I thought I-65 would be a bit higher, as it take in I-71 traffic south of Louisville to points like Memphis and TX in addition to I-65 traffic in Indiana.

I always thought I-75 was the busiest route in the state for truck traffic, but was shocked several years ago to learn that I-65 had a substantial advantage.

[achilles765]

I really don't see the need for our newest interstate in Texas, IH 14. The planned routing is so windy and misses all the major cities that one would think an east west route through texas would be built for in the first place.
Also, the Ih 45 reroute plan has an insane price tag and will take YEARS

[Bickendan]

I'm glad the CRC got mentioned back on page 1, because I was going to mention the US 20 reroute between Toledo and Philamouth.

[Ketchup99]

Can't think of one in PA. PennDOT doesn't spend money.

[TravelingBethelite]

I really don't see the need for our newest interstate in Texas, IH 14. The planned routing is so windy and misses all the major cities that one would think an east west route through texas would be built for in the first place.
Also, the Ih 45 reroute plan has an insane price tag and will take YEARS

I-45 is getting re-routed? It accomplishes its specified job well enough already the way I see it...

[CoreySamson]

I really don't see the need for our newest interstate in Texas, IH 14. The planned routing is so windy and misses all the major cities that one would think an east west route through texas would be built for in the first place.
Also, the Ih 45 reroute plan has an insane price tag and will take YEARS

I-45 is getting re-routed? It accomplishes its specified job well enough already the way I see it...

I believe they are planning on rerouting I-45 off the Pierce Elevated and onto I-10/I-69 around downtown Houston. I believe that's what achilles765 is talking about.