Interstate 11

[blawp]

710s northbound control city should either be Alhambra or Monterey Park.

[rickmastfan67]

Another point to consider is whether it's really necessary to renumber exits in Las Vegas just because the route number has changed...is it worth the cost and confusion when some of these exit numbers have been in place for nearly 30 years.

If Pittsburgher's can handle the renumbering on all three parkways several times, the people of Las Vegas can handle one.

[pj3970]

How possible would it be to combine I-11 and I-19 into a single numbered route?

Also, yes, I can also easily foresee 'I-11' being extended north and northwestward to supplant I-580 and so forth, ultimately into Washington.

This boarders on "fictional highways" territory, but... It would be much more feasible to combine I-19 with I-17.

Phoenix to Las Vegas is only 285 miles and only connects two major cities.  I don't think it's long enough or important enough to use a primary interstate number.  I'd make the whole stretch I-515 (if it's worth making it an interstate route at all).

The I-11 corridor is definitely a viable candidate for a two-digit Interstate number, and traffic volumes could certainly justify full Interstate improvements to stretches not built to that standard.

Traffic volumes on the less busy parts of US-93 between I-40 and Wickenburg are around 6,000 vehicles per day in both directions.  That's pretty low volume for building to interstate standards.  By comparison, the least busy part of I-19 that's not right next to the border is 16,000 per day both directions.  I-17 is even busier.

By contrast, I-17 connects two major cities, is wholly in Arizona, and is only about 145 miles long. I-19 is also wholly in Arizona, connects one major city to the Mexico border, and is only about 63 miles long. At least I-11 would cross a state line...

I agree.  If numbering those as primary interstates was being proposed now, I'd complain about them too.   

Making it I-11 would be out of the grid.  And why is there no appropriate number within the grid available?  Because too many short routes of only regional importance have been allowed to take up primary interstate numbers.

If the long-term idea to take I-11 up the US 95 corridor north as far as Canada comes to fruition, I-11 will definitely be a good fit inside the grid.

Yeah, but that's not very likely.  US-95 north of Nellis Air Force Base is a pretty lonely road.  If any north-south highway were to be developed into interstate east of the Sierra and west of I-15, it would probably be US-395 in California and Nevada or US-97 in California, Oregon, and Washington. 

US 95 doesn't go north of Nellis AFB...it swings far west of it. Unless you're talking about the test range way northwest of Vegas, which has lands under a jurisdiction by a combination of AFB, Dept. of Energy, Area 51, and other assorted government agencies.

Talking strictly about US 95, and without looking at any NDOT traffic counts, I would hazard a guess that US 95 constitutes some of the more regularly traveled two-lane US highway in the state. Certainly nothing that would warrant going out an building a freeway tomorrow, though.

One thing I was wondering is why was I-515 even signed to begin with, it is always multiplexed, and the same goes for futre I-580 in Reno.  Is it only for the Interstate funding?  It seems like it just adds another route number.

I read somewhere that Carson City is the only state capitol not connected to the Interstate system.  I-580 would finally do that.

Funding certainly plays a part, although the highway can still be designated and funded without being signed (see I-305 in CA).

I don't know the rationale for signing I-515 to be honest--I believe it was technically on the books for some time while being constructed throughout the 80s and early 90s, but it wasn't actually signed until the freeway was completed to its current extent in late 1994/early 1995.

But for I-580, having the "prestige" of an I-shield to connect Carson City to the Interstate system has been a desire for quite some time, and part of the draw for building it in the first place.


Carson City is not the only state capital without an Interstate highway. The four other capitals Juneau, Alaska; Dover, Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri and Pierre, South Dakota. (Of the other four, it appears all but the Alaska one could be fairly easily connected to the system with the establishment of a spur route.)

And of those remaining four, South Dakota DOT could barely justify building the second set of two lanes on US83 to Pierre, much less make an interstate spur of it. And the DE 1 toll road could easily be, say, I-795, if DelDOT was intersted in pursuing such a thing.

Which brings us to Jefferson City. It's highly doubtful MoDOT is going to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars it would cost to build up the last couple mile of US54 at the service-heavy I-70 interchange.

So Carson City may be, effectively, the last state capital to be connected to the Interstate highway system.

Actually, they could run the Interstate spur for Jefferson City, MO down US 63 from Columbia, MO...most of that is already freeway standard and it wouldn't take much to upgrade it to Interstate standard

[swbrotha100]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

[CentralCAroadgeek]

Now that I-11 is official, what parts of it are going to be signed first? My guess is I-515 in Vegas. Also, would US-93 now be truncated to Las Vegas and/or its junction with I-15 because I-11 basically takes over it from Wickenburg up?

[swbrotha100]

I think when signage happens it will be in Nevada first. i don't think it will happen anytime soon. I also think 93 will remain for now. Current US 93 hasn't seen any work to widen the road between Wickenburg and the Santa Maria River.

[agentsteel53]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

what a disaster.  who's their graphics designer, Mitt Romney?

[NE2]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

what a disaster.  who's their graphics designer, Mitt Romney?

Not perfect, but miles better than the alternative

[Brandon]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

what a disaster.  who's their graphics designer, Mitt Romney?

Probably the folks who brought us Clearview.

[NE2]

what a disaster.  who's their graphics designer, Mitt Romney?

Probably the folks who brought us Clearview.

Mitt may have been responsible for Clearview? One more reason to vote Obama.

[AZDude]

So what can we expect?  Will current two lane sections be upgraded to interstate standards from the start or will it be upgraded to divided highway status first?

[Zonie]

http://interstate11.org/exhibits/Interstate%2011%20Corridor%20Map%202-09.pdf

Interesting stuff in the map exhibit:

- It appears I-515 will be superseded by I-11 in Clark County.
- The I-11 corridor doesn't end at Wickenburg, but goes south, past the White Tanks and through Buckeye before heading southeast to meet another proposed freeway near Coolidge.
- Several other proposed freeway corridors are listed -- AZ 30 (I-10 Reliever), an extension of Loop 303 beyond Goodyear to meet I-11, an upgraded AZ 74, a freeway to replace AZ 87 from I-10 to US 60, a freeway to replace AZ 89 and AZ 69 from I-11 to I-17, and spurs running from I-11 to Loop 303 near Surprise and I-11 to I-8 near Vekol Valley Road.
- It also appears I-11 and I-40 will run concurrent from Kingman to the current US 93 junction.  If that's the case, that would be Arizona's first concurrent Interstate.

If I-11 runs south and east toward Coolidge, one wonders if that eliminates the need for the South Mountain Freeway, as I-11 would intersect I-10 twice and create a Phoenix bypass.  The corridor goes between the Ak-Chin, Gila and Tohono O'odham Reservations, and runs to the north of any real developed areas in Casa Grande.

[national highway 1]

If I-11 runs south and east toward Coolidge, one wonders if that eliminates the need for the South Mountain Freeway, as I-11 would intersect I-10 twice.

That means I-11 will ditto what I-17 does in Phoenix.      I'm quite happy for I-11 to end at I-8 in Gila Bend by using AZ 85. 

[Rover_0]

Well, now it's time to wonder how long it will take for I-11 to replace I-515.

[swbrotha100]

I did see on that map how far south Loop 303 is proposed to go to. It would make sense because what currently exists has high mile markers and exit numbers. One example is exit 125 for Happy Valley Parkway.

[roadfro]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

The route itself seems to have been made official in the transportation funding legislation. However, the website listed above is by no means official from FHWA or either state's DOT--it's run by a coalition to promote the idea of I-11...

[Scott5114]

I-11 is official. The future corridor even has a website:

http://interstate11.org/

what a disaster.  who's their graphics designer, Mitt Romney?

in case you need a "real" Interstate 11 shield...


Or for those who like the old specs...

[agentsteel53]

I'd imagine what ends up going in the field is the '70 spec, but with the state name, as both states use it.

[mgk920]

I'd put a little additional space between the '1's.



Mike

[agentsteel53]

11's always been a tough number to figure out how to kern.

narrow:


medium:


wide:

[Zonie]

A Phoenix-area map posted on the I-11 site:

http://interstate11.org/documents/Interstate-11.pdf

[swbrotha100]

Arizona (and Nevada, I think) still use the state name consistently on their interstate shields, so I think that's what will be out on the road in the future.

[roadfro]

^ Nevada can be a mixed bag. I think I've been seeing state name more on newer signs.

[blawp]

Arizona is becoming more right wing anti-California so I'd expect the state name to disappear soon.

[Brandon]

Arizona is becoming more right wing anti-California so I'd expect the state name to disappear soon.

That has nothing to do with the state name appearing in the interstate shield one way or another.  Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, et.al., don't have the state name in the shield.

Knock it off with the Arizona knocking.