Most substandard on- or off-ramp on an Interstate

[J N Winkler]

I knew the interchange plan has been in the works for a while.  I was just so disappointed to see the 47th St rework tackled before 235/54 or 135/254.

Preliminary engineering for I-235/US 54 was proposed for the last comprehensive highway program (which was developed in the late 1990's) in a Systems Enhancement funding category.  It lost out to an interchange rebuild in Kansas City (I think what eventually became the I-435/US 69 revamp).  In general, we in Wichita tend to lose out to Kansas City in competition for KDOT statewide funds because (1) we have one-third the metropolitan area population, (2) we have no peak-hour spreading, and (3) as a city expands, the increment of added capacity per new driver that is necessary to maintain a given level of regional mobility increases.

I had no enthusiasm for the 47th Street project, which removed a number of free-flow movements and whose regional interest I feel has been grossly overstated.  However, it was an element of a composite public-private redevelopment scheme whose major private-sector element is an attempt to turn the interchange area into a retail destination.  As such, it had a lot of local political juice behind it.  It is also in south Wichita, which has traditionally been neglected in transportation investment compared to other areas of the city because the main thing that would help there--conversion of the Turnpike between I-135 and Kellogg into an untolled local-service facility, or construction of untolled local lanes--is a complete nonstarter since KTA has no interest in being involved in the operation of an urban freeway.

The 47th Street bridge over I-135 needed to be replaced anyway (it was structurally deficient), so the 47th Street rebuild was not just a sop to be thrown to the underserved.

[SSOWorld]

The Speers exit (Pa 88) on I-70 in SW Pa.

There are lots of sub-standard interchanges on I-70 in SW Pennsylvania - They have Stop signs because there is no merge room.

[achilles765]

This is just one example of a hard, sharp off-ramp in Texas..this is Exit 877 heading Westbound on IH 10

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=30.121336,-93.746359&spn=0.004742,0.009645&t=h&z=17

[rarnold]

Here is another Kansas City gem. This in the Northland, Southbound I-35 at Vivion Road. No deceleration lane and it goes sharply uphill immediately. I remember when the you could continue right on the ramp, or turn a sharp left onto Brighton Place, which with a recent upgrade is now a dead end. This was a shortcut over to Brighton, thus avoiding the stoplight.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Northeast+Vivion+Road,+Kansas+City,+MO&hl=en&ll=39.187654,-94.517143&spn=0.001961,0.00327&sll=38.498779,-98.320078&sspn=5.733907,13.392334&oq=Vivion+Road&t=k&hnear=NE+Vivion+Rd,+Kansas+City,+Missouri&z=19

[agentsteel53]

No deceleration lane and it goes sharply uphill immediately.

did they design it with the assumption that the uphill would provide sufficient deceleration?

I don't mind acceleration lanes going downhill, and deceleration lanes going uphill.  it's the opposite that I find troublesome - especially needing to accelerate uphill when traffic is doing 80.

[rarnold]

did they design it with the assumption that the uphill would provide sufficient deceleration?

I don't mind acceleration lanes going downhill, and deceleration lanes going uphill.  it's the opposite that I find troublesome - especially needing to accelerate uphill when traffic is doing 80.

You are right, going uphill is not a problem, it is the sharpness of the ramp and the fact you immediately have to go uphill. I don't know why they didn't exit onto Oak Ridge Dr, instead of putting the ramp there. A ramp was needed, because there is not one at Brighton for SB I-35 and the next is at Chouteau Trfwy.

Fixed quote. Proper frormat:

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[jwolfer]

No deceleration lane and it goes sharply uphill immediately.

did they design it with the assumption that the uphill would provide sufficient deceleration?

I don't mind acceleration lanes going downhill, and deceleration lanes going uphill.  it's the opposite that I find troublesome - especially needing to accelerate uphill when traffic is doing 80.

one of the worst I have come across with uphill accelleration lane is from US 301 to I-10 east in Jacksonville FL. I know Florida doesnt have hills but thisone there is an overpass going over railroad and heavy truck traffic... lots of wrecks there.. a couple times a year there is someone going 70+ MPH on I 10 east who slams into the back of a truck

[kphoger]

Cross-posting from another thread ...

This exit was featured in a recent Beaver Geography video, America's Most Useless Interchanges: https://youtu.be/-p493SrUm6o?si=piTEw7akPkKHMWhv

Rather than start a topic based on the video alone, I think there's more to be discussed about this interchange alone: I see that there is no eastbound signage, but there is a ramp you could theoretically use if you really wanted to. The eastbound on-ramp still has a yield sign, so I believe that is legitimate to use. It is marked in AARW as a westbound-only interchange and in my futile effort to look up AADT data, I noticed that nothing but the westbound on/offramp was mapped. Has anyone used this interchange from either direction, and if so, how wide was the underpass? Finally, did this exit ever have eastbound signage, or is it really just intended to be an open secret like the intersections on I-40?

... because here is the on-ramp:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pMmV6cwVMmZutpxV7

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

An exit?!?
More like an abandoned bicycle turn around. Especially when you poke around the area, especially on the WB side of I-10.

[Georgia Guardrail]

This I-20 merge on ramp is truly awful in Atlanta.  Imagine going from a residential neighborhood speed to a freeway speed with this ramp with virtually no merging room on I-20.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZFzZjjviyAEp8fY4A

[Rothman]

This I-20 merge on ramp is truly awful in Atlanta.  Imagine going from a residential neighborhood speed to a freeway speed with this ramp with virtually no merging room on I-20.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZFzZjjviyAEp8fY4A

NY scoffs.  Plenty of merge area on that one compared to those on some of our parkways.

[pderocco]

This I-20 merge on ramp is truly awful in Atlanta.  Imagine going from a residential neighborhood speed to a freeway speed with this ramp with virtually no merging room on I-20.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZFzZjjviyAEp8fY4A

NY scoffs.  Plenty of merge area on that one compared to those on some of our parkways.

But those aren't Interstates.

[GaryV]

How about this one? Even if the speed limit is 45 there and the freeway will soon turn into the Bridge.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XrMXncCJpNAPLFmd8

[kkt]

It's gone now and I don't have a picture.  But the entrance from Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay onto the Bay Bridge westbound used to be down a fairly steep grade, with a stop sign at the bottom, and then joined the westbound traffic lanes about five feet later, no merge lane or shoulder.

[pderocco]

It's gone now and I don't have a picture.  But the entrance from Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay onto the Bay Bridge westbound used to be down a fairly steep grade, with a stop sign at the bottom, and then joined the westbound traffic lanes about five feet later, no merge lane or shoulder.

Even the new exit from EB I-80 is pretty bad, with a very short exit lane before a tight curve:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KuZ2zyaHkueFCjUe8

[bing101]

Some of the substandard ramps on I-80 in  California are carryover when the route was US-40.  

[kkt]

Some of the substandard ramps on I-80 in  California are carryover when the route was US-40. 

Which the Bay Bridge was, but they must have reconfigured the Yerba Buena exits and entrances when the bridge was converted from cars three lanes each direction on the top deck, Key System trains on one side of the bottom deck and lanes for trucks and busses on the other side of the bottom deck.

[pderocco]

Some of the substandard ramps on I-80 in  California are carryover when the route was US-40. 

Which the Bay Bridge was, but they must have reconfigured the Yerba Buena exits and entrances when the bridge was converted from cars three lanes each direction on the top deck, Key System trains on one side of the bottom deck and lanes for trucks and busses on the other side of the bottom deck.

The exit ramp I mentioned was newer than the rest of the new Bay Bridge project. It's only about two years old. But they really didn't have much choice, short of building a big flying loop off the edge of the hill. Widening the tunnel to create a long exit lane wasn't practical.

[bing101]

I-80 in Vallejo has some of the substandard ramps because of the time the freeway was built as US-40 in California.

[kkt]

I-80 in Vallejo has some of the substandard ramps because of the time the freeway was built as US-40 in California.

But that was ages ago!  and it's been expanded and expanded and expanded since then.

[formulanone]

This I-20 merge on ramp is truly awful in Atlanta.  Imagine going from a residential neighborhood speed to a freeway speed with this ramp with virtually no merging room on I-20.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZFzZjjviyAEp8fY4A

NY scoffs.  Plenty of merge area on that one compared to those on some of our parkways.

But those aren't Interstates.

Fine, BQE (I-278) ramps with stop signs.

[Henry]

Rapid-Fire left ramps in Chicago.

[mgk920]

Speaking of Chicago, the very short merge from the outbound reversible express lanes on the Kennedy (I-90/94) to the NB Edens (!-94) at Wilson Ave.  It's a killer.

Mike

[OCGuy81]

Here's a bad one I don't think has been mentioned yet. A very short ramp from Alexander St to westbound I-H1 in Honolulu.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EkSSrKm3mDYNNd3X6

[bulldog1979]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned exit 339 on I-75 in Mackinaw City for Jamet Street. The saving grace with that RIRO is that traffic on I-75 is slowing down to 45 mph for the Mackinac Bridge (northbound) or just coming of the bridge and not yet accelerated to 70 mph southbound.