Beautiful Interstate or Limited Access Highways

[seicer]

Let's flip the book on the other thread about ugly interstates or limited access highways. What stretches of highways do you find appealing?

And is there a name for a particular highway design? I know there was the City Beautiful Movement and other similar passages where parks, roads and so forth were designed for aesthetics - but was a term applied when roads were designed and built in the second half of the 20th century?

Stretches of beautiful interstates:

- Interstate 64 between Green Sulfur Springs, West Virginia and the Virginia border. Much of this was built in the 1988 west of Sam Black Church and late 1960's east of there but share similar design characteristics, with wide medians that contain fields, wetlands and forests - and expanse views. It's a shame much of the state's interstates were not built in a similar manner and just have the same 40' (I think that's the spacing) median.
- Interstate 64 between Clifton Forge and Lexington, Virginia share many of the same characteristics, with wide medians and sweeping views.
- Corridor H/US 48 between Bismark and Baker, West Virginia. While it has a narrower median - and a jersey barrier in segments, it's brand new and offers remarkable views since the vegetation hasn't crept up to the right-of-way. I hope that some of these views are preserved as the highway ages. It also cuts near Greenland Gap, itself remarkable.
- Much of Interstate 68 in western Maryland for the reasons above.
- Much of Interstate 86/NY 17 in western New York and through the Catskills. I appreciate many of the elevated sections, where one roadway is above another. An added bonus is the elevated viaduct over old NY 17 at Elk Brook and Horton that preserved the hillside from being blasted.

[nexus73]

I-70 through the Glenwood Springs CO area is in an especially beautiful setting.

Rick

[index]

US 340 in Western Maryland (the route you'd take to get to Harpers Ferry) is nothing short of scenic. It's right in rolling farmland, and you can see mountains in the distance. You then cross a wide stretch of the Potomac on a deck truss bridge, which is also scenic.

I'm surprised that while traversing the lowest point in West Virginia, (~200ish feet) it's very mountainous as it approaches the border. If you get off US 340 and go on to Sandy Hook/Harpers Ferry road on the MD side when you get near the border and the freeway segment ends (right under Maryland Heights), it's a very scenic drive.

[1995hoo]

Somehow I think we've had this discussion before, but either way, in addition to the eastern portion Corridor H as noted above, the road that always comes to mind for me in these discussions is I-87 through the Adirondacks, especially during the winter.

[21stCenturyRoad]

-Almost the entirety of I-17 is very amazing. You go from 1000 to 7000 feet and from desert to forest in less than 150 Miles. It's especially scenic as you are getting closer to Flagstaff.
-Corona Del Mar Freeway (CA 73), scenic sky-high ride though the San Joaquin Hills.
-Alligator Alley (I-75), I know its a snooze fest for many people, but I find the scenery passing through Big Cypress Preserve and the Picayune Strand to be beautiful.

[hotdogPi]

The northern halves of I-89 and I-93. Someone else mentioned (in a different thread) that I-87 is the same, but I haven't been on the section north of Albany.

[oscar]

California's I-280, at least between the San Francisco airport and Palo Alto, is the self-proclaimed "world's most beautiful freeway". But the part of CA 163 passing through San Diego's Balboa Park is also really interesting.

The middle part of Interstate H-3 is gorgeous. But not the part near its west end passing by the state prison, or an ugly quarry along the eastern part of the highway in Kaneohe.

I think I-70 through Glenwood Canyon is both gorgeous, and also impressive for the engineering needed to squeeze a four-lane freeway, the old two-lane road/bike trail, and an active rail line, through a narrow canyon along with the Colorado River.

[bzakharin]

The Delaware Water Gap Bridge and adjacent parts of I-80, as well as the far northern I-287 are the only Interstates in NJ to feature views of mountains in any significant way. Most of NJ's NW hills must be accessed by relatively small roads and/or crossings from NY or PA.

[Flint1979]

I-70 west of Denver.

[kkt]

I-90 in Washington from Issaquah to Ellensburg

[xcellntbuy]

Interstate 24 in Tennessee west of Chattanooga
Interstate 81 through the Blue Ridge Mountains south of Ironto, VA
Interstate 75 south of Chattanooga, TN into northern Georgia

[sparker]

I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge or further east in the Blue Mountains (between Pendleton and LaGrange) -- particularly WB, where you get a panoramic view of the flatlands below.

I-80 across Donner Summit; best scenery in spring and fall (don't take your eyes off the road in winter!).  Best area: CA 20 east to CA 89.

I-91/VT in fall:  Connecticut River valley wonderful during leaf-change period. 

[DTComposer]

-US-101 from Gaviota Pass, through Santa Barbara, to Ventura, tucked in between the slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
-I-80 from Auburn, over the Donner Pass, to Reno. Maybe not quite as impressive as I-70 in Colorado, but still stunning and the only full freeway over the Sierra Nevada.

[US 89]

To name a few:

I-70 west of Green River UT
I-15 between Mesquite and Cedar City
I-80 in Parleys Canyon east of SLC, especially when you get to the bottom and the city explodes into view when you go around a bend.
I-80 through the Salt Flats. yes it does get boring fast, but there's something to being on a totally flat expanse of salt with the tops of mountains on the horizon).
I-80 through Donner Pass
I-84 east of Pendleton OR
I-90 east of Seattle
I-40 east of Albuquerque
I-H3 in Hawaii

[KeithE4Phx]

I-70 through the Glenwood Springs CO area is in an especially beautiful setting.

Rick

All of I-70 west of Denver is very nice.  I-17 from north of Phoenix to Flagstaff is a pretty drive as well.  Another one of my favorites, although I haven't driven on it since the '80s, was I-80 through Pennsylvania.

[slorydn1]

I know I have mentioned pretty much all of the Mid Atlantic and SE mountain Interstates in the ubiquitous favorites threads that pop up every other year or so,-but I think the OP is looking for more in this thread.

I think some of the most gorgeous views, with a mix of level landscapes with mountains behind it or awesome river valley views come in PA along I-80 (too many years have gone by for me to be more specific-though my minds eye seems to remember them mostly on east of the midpoint).

The Great Smoky Mountain Expressway in western NC is also gorgeous.

As much as I love I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge, the mountain is so tight to either side and the driver is so busy with the back and forth of the roadway one never really sees much of anything until they exit the Gorge near Exit 20 on the NC side or Exit 443 on the TN side.

[Roadgeekteen]

There is a very great viewing spot on I-77 south of I-81 in Virginia. The roads were one of the main highlights of my trip to Charlotte and DC. Some of the nicest interstates I have ever been on.

[jp the roadgeek]

NY 17 between I-84 and I-87 is scenic with some nice rolling farmland in the Chester/Goshen area.

I-88 in NY offers some nice views (I've only traveled it from NY 28 to the Thruway)

The Merritt Parkway (just don't slow down to enjoy the scenery)

I-91 pretty much anywhere north of Exit 17 in MA

I-87 Northway north of ALT NY 7

I-89 (been on it south of Burlington)

US 4 expressway between the NY line and Rutland

[Roadgeekteen]

NY 17 between I-84 and I-87 is scenic with some nice rolling farmland in the Chester/Goshen area.

I-88 in NY offers some nice views (I've only traveled it from NY 28 to the Thruway)

The Merritt Parkway (just don't slow down to enjoy the scenery)

I-91 pretty much anywhere north of Exit 17 in MA

I-87 Northway north of ALT NY 7

I-89 (been on it south of Burlington)

US 4 expressway between the NY line and Rutland

I love the Merritt Parkway but my dad hates driving on it.

[SectorZ]

I-93 through Franconia Notch is to me as nice as it gets. I've not been west of the Appalachians so I might be missing out on some of the great stuff in the Rockies.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I was pretty impressed with US 22/322 northwest of Harrisburg.

[Rothman]

I-15 around the ID/MT border
I-68
I-84 east of Pendleton, OR
I-81 south of Wytheville, VA
I-79 between Fairmont and Charleston, WV

I-376, coming out of the tunnel into Pittsburgh.

[csw]

I-88 during autumn is one of my favorites.

In terms of Indiana, the last 10 or 15 miles of I-74 heading eastbound to Cincinnati are as pretty as you'll get in the state. Same goes for I-64 between Ferdinand and New Albany.

[corco]

I-90 from Coeur d'Alene all the way to Billings is quite beautiful as far as long stretches of major interstates go.

[signalman]

NY 17 between I-84 and I-87 is scenic with some nice rolling farmland in the Chester/Goshen area.

I-88 in NY offers some nice views (I've only traveled it from NY 28 to the Thruway)

The Merritt Parkway (just don't slow down to enjoy the scenery)

I-91 pretty much anywhere north of Exit 17 in MA

I-87 Northway north of ALT NY 7

I-89 (been on it south of Burlington)

US 4 expressway between the NY line and Rutland

I love the Merritt Parkway but my dad hates driving on it.

It is indeed a pretty ride for a passenger.  For the driver, however, it can be an intense ride at times.  I've had relatively calm experiences on it, I've also had full-on aggressive Northeastern driving experiences.  There's nothing like being nearly run off the road attempting to move back to the right lane while doing 80-85 in a 55.