Beltways/Circumferential/Orbital highways

[cpzilliacus]

Most people in the U.S. know the Beltway, as in the Capital Beltway, even if they have come near Washington.

What about other cities around the U.S. and the world?

London has the M-25, which (nearly) goes around the metropolitan area. 

Helsinki, Finland has Ring I, which would be an expressway under the U.S. system of highway functional classification, and Ring III, most of which would be functionally classed as a freeway.  Only a short "Super 2" section of Ring II has been built, and none of them complete a 360° arc because the city is on the Gulf of Finland.

Like Helsinki, it would be hard to build a "complete" circumferential highway around Boston, but it has two reasonably complete ones (given the dry land available) in Ma. 128 and I-495. 

I suppose the same could be said about New York with I-287. 

[1995hoo]

Are you asking for a list of such highways?

Without giving it any particular thought, off the top of my head cities that come to mind that have circumferential highways include Baltimore (I-695, the Baltimore Beltway), Charlotte's incomplete Outerbelt (I-485), Raleigh's Beltline (I-40 and I-440), Atlanta's Perimeter (I-285), Jacksonville (I-295), and St. Petersburg (the one in Russia, not the one in Florida).

[Takumi]

I-64/I-664 in Hampton Roads
Greensboro Urban Loop (unfinished, I-85/I-73/I-840)

[Beltway]

Are you asking for a list of such highways?

Without giving it any particular thought, off the top of my head cities that come to mind that have circumferential highways include Baltimore (I-695, the Baltimore Beltway), Charlotte's incomplete Outerbelt (I-485), Raleigh's Beltline (I-40 and I-440), Atlanta's Perimeter (I-285), Jacksonville (I-295), and St. Petersburg (the one in Russia, not the one in Florida).

Other Interstate full beltways --

Norfolk/Hampton Roads (I-64 and I-664), Cincinnatti (I-275), Columbus (I-270), Indianapolis (I-465), St. Louis (I-270 and I-255), Kansas City (I-470 and I-435), Dallas (I-635), Fort Worth (I-820), Houston (I-610), San Antonio (I-410).

More partial Interstate beltways.

[TheStranger]

The Boulevard Peripherique around Paris is a full freeway encircling the heart of the French capital.

Rochester has the Innerbelt, partially comprised of I-490.

Phoenix has a 3/4 loop with Loop 101 and Loop 202, with the southwest portion still in consideration.

Reno has McCarran Boulevard which is a surface street loop.  Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway is an expressway encircling town (with some interchanges).

Lexington, Kentucky has KY 4, New Circle Road (mostly freeway).

Interestingly I don't think there's any true "beltway" of that ilk in California.  There is a circular drive in Corona, Grand Boulevard, that lent the city its name.

[Duke87]

The A10 around Berlin is the world's longest beltway, at 122 miles. M25 around London is second, at 117 miles.

(unless something that I'm not aware of was finished in China recently)

[NE2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ring_roads

[txstateends]

Dallas (I-635), Fort Worth (I-820),

I-635 was never (although it probably should have been) all the way circled around Dallas; the closest it came was when each end was at I-35E north and south of town in the early 1970s.  I-820, while eventually built around Fort Worth, is now no longer signed that way; the southern side is solely marked as I-20.

Meanwhile, on the state level: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_state_highway_loops_in_Texas
(some listed there that are signed/designated as loops are better off as "spurs" or other non-loop designation as they don't really circle or bypass their particular area)

[1995hoo]

The A10 around Berlin is the world's longest beltway, at 122 miles. M25 around London is second, at 117 miles.

(unless something that I'm not aware of was finished in China recently)

From a hypertechnical standpoint, the M25 isn't a full beltway. The eastern crossing of the Thames is the A282 to avoid the problem of forcing vehicles not allowed on motorways to take a detour. But from the average motorist's practical viewpoint that's a nit-pick. (I suppose if you want to be 100 percent accurate you'd say "the London Orbital is second, at 117 miles.")

[cpzilliacus]

The A10 around Berlin is the world's longest beltway, at 122 miles. M25 around London is second, at 117 miles.

(unless something that I'm not aware of was finished in China recently)

From a hypertechnical standpoint, the M25 isn't a full beltway. The eastern crossing of the Thames is the A282 to avoid the problem of forcing vehicles not allowed on motorways to take a detour. But from the average motorist's practical viewpoint that's a nit-pick. (I suppose if you want to be 100 percent accurate you'd say "the London Orbital is second, at 117 miles.")

I only recently learned that M25 "ended" along that relatively short segment of A282 approaching the Dartford-Thurrock crossing of the Thames. 

I've not been on that segment of the system, but I've been told that A282 has the "look and feel" of a motorway, even though it is not.

[NE2]

I've not been on that segment of the system, but I've been told that A282 has the "look and feel" of a motorway, even though it is not.

This is because, unlike the U.S., the UK has strict laws about what traffic is allowed on a motorway.

[UptownRoadGeek]

Houston: The Loop, The Beltway, The Parkway.

[mightyace]

If the northern loop of TN 840 is ever built,  (see hell freezing over) the resulting loop based on preliminary routings for the loop would place it at 178 mi! (Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_840_%28Tennessee%29) or 187 miles (AAroads interstate guide).

The southern loop that hopefully will be finished this year will be about 78 miles.

[WNYroadgeek]

I-90, I-190, and I-290 form a loop in Buffalo.

[Mark68]

Denver--if Golden will allow completion of C-470 thru town (they want a tunnel, which would be way too expensive in the current economic situation). Between C-470, E-470 Tollway, and the NW Parkway (toll) is about 80% complete. If you drive from the NW end of C-470 (at US 6 in Golden) and head NW on US 6, continue N on SR 93 toward Boulder, then turn R on SR 128, then L on Interlocken Loop in Broomfield, you will connect with NW Pkwy just north of the Boulder Turnpike (US 36). There are 22 lights in about 24 miles, most of that route (probably 20 miles or so) is posted at 55 MPH.

[1995hoo]

The A10 around Berlin is the world's longest beltway, at 122 miles. M25 around London is second, at 117 miles.

(unless something that I'm not aware of was finished in China recently)

From a hypertechnical standpoint, the M25 isn't a full beltway. The eastern crossing of the Thames is the A282 to avoid the problem of forcing vehicles not allowed on motorways to take a detour. But from the average motorist's practical viewpoint that's a nit-pick. (I suppose if you want to be 100 percent accurate you'd say "the London Orbital is second, at 117 miles.")

I only recently learned that M25 "ended" along that relatively short segment of A282 approaching the Dartford-Thurrock crossing of the Thames. 

I've not been on that segment of the system, but I've been told that A282 has the "look and feel" of a motorway, even though it is not.

Your latter sentence is why I noted my final point about saying "the London Orbital is second" rather than "the M25 is second"–that is, to say the London Orbital makes a continuous freeway is accurate, whereas from a technical viewpoint the M25 has that gap in it. It's sort of like that point that your second-grade teacher made about how every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square.

[agentsteel53]

I-90, I-190, and I-290 form a loop in Buffalo.

in the same vein, I-80, I-280, and I-680 form a loop around ... a large puddle?

[TheStranger]

I-90, I-190, and I-290 form a loop in Buffalo.

in the same vein, I-80, I-280, and I-680 form a loop around ... a large puddle?

Had 280 remained on Route 1 in SF, and 101/37 from the Golden Gate Bridge to Vallejo via Novato approved in the Interstate system (it was rejected early on in the submission process)...I think 280/680 would have actually served as a true Bay Area beltway.

[Takumi]

I-64/95, I-195 and VA 195 form an inner loop around downtown Richmond.

[pianocello]

I-69 and I-469 form a loop around Fort Wayne (IN), and I-80 and I-280 encircle the Quad Cities

[PAHighways]

We have our own Capital Beltway:  I-81, I-83, and PA 581.

[DeaconG]

When the Wekiva Parkway is completed (hopefully construction will start soon) Orlando will have one (SR 417/429).

[cpzilliacus]

Are you asking for a list of such highways?

No, just seems like a good discussion topic, that's all.

Without giving it any particular thought, off the top of my head cities that come to mind that have circumferential highways include Baltimore (I-695, the Baltimore Beltway), Charlotte's incomplete Outerbelt (I-485), Raleigh's Beltline (I-40 and I-440), Atlanta's Perimeter (I-285), Jacksonville (I-295), and St. Petersburg (the one in Russia, not the one in Florida).

Stockholm is slowly but surely building a small-circumference beltway around its congestion taxing cordon area.  Only two segments are complete (on the west and south sides) and the north segment is under construction.  Except the 1960's era west segment, most of the rest will be below-grade.  The eastern part will have to go pretty deep under saltwater that has a fair amount of large oceangoing ships (mostly passenger vessels to Finland, Estonia and Russia).

[hbelkins]

I thought the topic was more generally directed at beltways that are universally known and if you said its name, everyone would know where you were talking about.

Say "The Beltway" and everyone knows you're talking about DC, especially with the famous phrase "Inside the Beltway."

[thenetwork]

I had always hoped that Toledo would have built a freeway connecting I-475 and I-280 in Wood County (Southeast of Toledo), creating pretty much a full outer loop of Toledo (if you included the East/West stretch of I-75 north of downtown Toledo). 

That was more back in the day when I would drive from my parents house in Cleveland and have to reach the "West End" of Toledo -- there was never any easy way of getting from the I-280/Ohio Turnpike exit to the University of Toledo.  And even with the addition of the I-75 exit off of the 'pike, there still is some backtracking needed in order to reach the northwest side of the Maumee River.