What's the vegetation among the sand? Cactus?

Typical Mojave Desert flora and fauna, I suppose...



The "Big I" Albuquerque

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big-i (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abqist/3494739715/) by abqist (http://www.flickr.com/people/abqist/), on Flickr

Interstate 276 Eastbound / Interstate 95 Northbound

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DSC07411 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290749962/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07413 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290750176/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07419 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290751248/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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Speaking of Phoenix.

Here's Superstition Freeway (US 60), one of the best designed freeways in Arizona. It's built below grade so it won't provide such a barrier, plus it has a convenient space reservation for more lanes, which is necessary considering the rapid growth along this corridor. The suburb of Mesa is already larger than some well-known U.S. cities like Miami, Pittsburgh or Minneapolis! The population in 2010 was 439,000.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Route60PhoenixAZ_gobeirne.jpg/1024px-Route60PhoenixAZ_gobeirne.jpg

^^ That pic is just awesome :eek2:. A lot of exits there, more then I expected.

:hahaha:

Interstate 195 Eastbound

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DSC07443 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290753508/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07456 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290755028/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07458 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290235309/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07459 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290755400/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07460 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290235629/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

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DSC07461 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6290235741/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

Speaking of Phoenix.

Here's Superstition Freeway (US 60), one of the best designed freeways in Arizona. It's built below grade so it won't provide such a barrier, plus it has a convenient space reservation for more lanes, which is necessary considering the rapid growth along this corridor. The suburb of Mesa is already larger than some well-known U.S. cities like Miami, Pittsburgh or Minneapolis! The population in 2010 was 439,000.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Route60PhoenixAZ_gobeirne.jpg/1024px-Route60PhoenixAZ_gobeirne.jpg

While U.S. 60 is an impressive freeway in the Phoenix metro area, this shot shows the excessive level of sprawl in the greater Phoenix area. Frankly, I think it's rather ridiculous.

I don't think it's much more ridiculous than other U.S. metropolitan areas, where the same type of housing is common, whether it's in Miami, Dallas, Denver or Phoenix. Only the setting varies, but basically Phoenix's suburbs are not that much different from those in more temperate climates. Detached houses in planned developments are common throughout North America.

The scale and speed with which these developments are build is impressive though. Phoenix was a city of 100,000 people in 1950, now it has over 4 million people in its metropolitan area. I don't get why people want to live there anyway, it's freaking hot. The freeway system is in much better shape than Los Angeles though.

What's the vegetation among the sand? Cactus?

Desert flora and cactus species.

Love that I-15 pix..reminds me of driving to Las Vegas from San Diego..

I love those Western desert highways. I was in Las Vegas with my family 7-8 years ago, and I insisted that we take the car out of town one day to drive around in the desert/mountains and see some scenery.

What I like about it is that you can see for miles and miles there. In the Eastern half of the U.S., all you ever see is the tree line, which obstructs your view.

I don't think it's much more ridiculous than other U.S. metropolitan areas, where the same type of housing is common, whether it's in Miami, Dallas, Denver or Phoenix. Only the setting varies, but basically Phoenix's suburbs are not that much different from those in more temperate climates. Detached houses in planned developments are common throughout North America.

The scale and speed with which these developments are build is impressive though. Phoenix was a city of 100,000 people in 1950, now it has over 4 million people in its metropolitan area. I don't get why people want to live there anyway, it's freaking hot. The freeway system is in much better shape than Los Angeles though.

Like Florida most people who move to Phoenix do so because of the "climate" since it does not really get cold there in comparison with the rest of North America.

It's also why it has a much higher percentage of retirees compared with most other states.

^^And those areas have become much more attractive since the invention of air-conditioning.

Yep, places like Las Vegas or Phoenix would not have been so big without air conditioning. For instance, they do not have any important history for their existence. Denver and Salt Lake City were important railroad junctions and had a population of over 100,000 since the late 19th century or early 20th century. Phoenix and Las Vegas did not really exist at that time as a city of any significance.

I always wondered why Albuquerque never boomed as much as Phoenix did.

I don't think it's much more ridiculous than other U.S. metropolitan areas, where the same type of housing is common, whether it's in Miami, Dallas, Denver or Phoenix. Only the setting varies, but basically Phoenix's suburbs are not that much different from those in more temperate climates. Detached houses in planned developments are common throughout North America.

The scale and speed with which these developments are build is impressive though. Phoenix was a city of 100,000 people in 1950, now it has over 4 million people in its metropolitan area. I don't get why people want to live there anyway, it's freaking hot. The freeway system is in much better shape than Los Angeles though.


that was nice pictures.

I agree with you, the freeway system here is one of the best in the country.
and they are in very good condition.

All of the freeways in the metro area have HOV lanes and teh keep expanding them.
They just started construction of the 303 Freeway. everyone that comes here does not realize how big is our freeway system.

as far the sprawl. you are right. everywhere is the same.
we like the typical single family homes. Phoenix is just a city like any other except the weather and the setting with is beautiful with the mountains

I love those Western desert highways. I was in Las Vegas with my family 7-8 years ago, and I insisted that we take the car out of town one day to drive around in the desert/mountains and see some scenery.

What I like about it is that you can see for miles and miles there. In the Eastern half of the U.S., all you ever see is the tree line, which obstructs your view.
I spent 4 years in Southern California, and when I see pictures of highways in the West now I get butterflies in my stomach. The stunning beauty of the far-away vistas is never-ending.

You'll laugh that I returned to the East Coast because I missed the heat and humidity and the seasons in general.

New Jersey has the best highway signage (even though it's aging) in my opinion, because it's big, the gantries are thick and sturdy, and the letters are oversized and easy to read.

Speaking of Phoenix.

Here's Superstition Freeway (US 60), one of the best designed freeways in Arizona. It's built below grade so it won't provide such a barrier, plus it has a convenient space reservation for more lanes, which is necessary considering the rapid growth along this corridor. The suburb of Mesa is already larger than some well-known U.S. cities like Miami, Pittsburgh or Minneapolis! The population in 2010 was 439,000.

Growth that won't happen for the foreseeable future as that particular housing type is no longer a growth sector in the U.S. market. Keep in mind that Arizona is among the hardest-hit states of the recession, having lost its economic modus operandi in addition to its primary growth market. And also keep in mind the looming oil and water problems there...

Arizona was booming because of people moving out of the expensive parts of California. Since the housing market crashed, people have no way of "cashing out."

T0koHsBvEko&

T0koHsBvEko&

Diablo

Thanks for those wonderful videos that you post here.
the one from Phoenix and this owe was very nice

keep them coming

Growth that won't happen for the foreseeable future as that particular housing type is no longer a growth sector in the U.S. market. Keep in mind that Arizona is among the hardest-hit states of the recession, having lost its economic modus operandi in addition to its primary growth market. And also keep in mind the looming oil and water problems there...

which Water problem?

I have lived in and work with some engineers that provide most of the water in the valley of the sun.

we don't have water restrictions here. maybe when we get to millions people then we will have problems.

People in the East think that we have water problems here.
I got a pool at home and a lot of grass that I water almost every day.

Atlanta also has water issues, while it's not anywhere near an arid region.

which Water problem?

I have lived in and work with some engineers that provide most of the water in the valley of the sun.

we don't have water restrictions here. maybe when we get to millions people then we will have problems.

People in the East think that we have water problems here.
I got a pool at home and a lot of grass that I water almost every day.

However you look at it, green golf courses, lush lawns and open pools in desert areas are not sustainable in the long term without significant import of water.
At some point you will hit the limits of population growth.

However you look at it, green golf courses, lush lawns and open pools in desert areas are not sustainable in the long term without significant import of water.
At some point you will hit the limits of population growth.

We will figure it out, one way or another we will survive and this deset metroplis will thrive and keep growing

I think the main problem will be the depletion of the Colorado River and its reservoirs. The river doesn't have significant melt water during the summer period, most of the Rocky Mountains do not have glaciers or eternal snow until you hit Montana or further north. I think only the Green River in Wyoming drains glaciers.

It's about time they invent an apparatus that can make tap water out of desert sand. :D

Diablo

Thanks for those wonderful videos that you post here.
the one from Phoenix and this owe was very nice

keep them coming

No problem.

Here is a video of I-70 thru Utah's San Rafael Reef.

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Driving back from North Carolina through Altanta, love the massiveness and chaos.

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We will figure it out, one way or another we will survive and this deset metroplis will thrive and keep growing

No, you won't keep growing indefinitely. At some point cost of importing water will be too high.
Not to mention screwing environment completely.

Also at some point people from other regions might refuse to sell you water to keep your golf courses green and your pools blue ;)

Anyway, it's becoming OT.

I don't have any article links handy, but the NY 17 bypass of Parksville, NY opened very recently with two-way traffic on its eastbound side. The westbound side will open when it is completed in a few months. This eliminates a very nasty traffic-signal intersection from NY 17 and the highway will become I-86 when the last of it between I-81 at Binghamton, NY and the New York State Thruway (I-87) at Harriman, NY is brought up to standards.

Here is a recently-posted drive around of the area, both the new road (its eastbound side is now open) and the former road in this very rural area:

WhdBl29WO_E

Also, see:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=41.856009,-74.766598&spn=0.036695,0.087891&t=k&z=14&vpsrc=6
for an overview of this area.

:dance:

Mike

Q_-WaZvLO_I

Are those your videos Diablo?

Yep, places like Las Vegas or Phoenix would not have been so big without air conditioning. For instance, they do not have any important history for their existence. Denver and Salt Lake City were important railroad junctions and had a population of over 100,000 since the late 19th century or early 20th century. Phoenix and Las Vegas did not really exist at that time as a city of any significance.

I always wondered why Albuquerque never boomed as much as Phoenix did.

Arizona is more Republican/capitalist/business friendly than New Mexico, so it grows faster. For example, Arizona is right to work, and New Mexico is not.

Part of it might also be the climate. People go to Arizona seeking hot, desert weather. I would go there because of my allergies/asthma. Albuquerque is 5,000 feet up, which probably makes it hard for old retirees with COPD to breath there. It also gets proper cold there in the winter, which means that people looking to escape the snow belt aren't going to go there.

Are those your videos Diablo?

Nope, I just find them and post them here.

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beautiful highway.

that is why I love living in Arizona.
the desert, the forest, the snowed mountains and everything in between

A video of I-25 thru Denver.

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^^ Definitely one of the best freeways in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe even the best, it only has to rival I-15 in Salt Lake City.

^^ Definitely one of the best freeways in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe even the best, it only has to rival I-15 in Salt Lake City.
Has that freeway taken on a 'cobblestone' texture on its driving surface yet (characteristic of the use of studded tires)? I recall that when I was in that area during a roadtrip in the 1990s, all of the freeways were like driving on cobblestones and that the concrete on one of them (I-270 NW of old Stapleton Airport) was worn so deeply that it was breaking through in places.

Mike

I-395 Alexandria VA

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5889423333_b773cbc7b2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/5889423333/)
I-395, Alexandria (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/5889423333/) by BeyondDC (http://www.flickr.com/people/beyonddc/), on Flickr

Ex VA-350 and ex I-95. :)

These are apparently the oldest reversible lanes in the United States.

I-395 Alexandria VA

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5889423333_b773cbc7b2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/5889423333/)
I-395, Alexandria (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/5889423333/) by BeyondDC (http://www.flickr.com/people/beyonddc/), on Flickr

That picture must have been taken on a good day. During rush hour I-395 just like every other freeway/expressway in the DC area is backed up beyond belief.

Has that freeway taken on a 'cobblestone' texture on its driving surface yet (characteristic of the use of studded tires)? I recall that when I was in that area during a roadtrip in the 1990s, all of the freeways were like driving on cobblestones and that the concrete on one of them (I-270 NW of old Stapleton Airport) was worn so deeply that it was breaking through in places.

Mike

Nope, they just redid all of the freeways in the Denver area (with the exception of the I-70 viaduct) so they all have brand new pavement.

The T-Rex expansion alone added several new lanes to I-25, not to mention new interchanges, and a new light rail line aloingside the freeway.

Mahwah. Probably the strangest control city.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6320833742_e0315cd989_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/6320833742/)
DSC_0998 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/6320833742/) by I.C. Ligget (http://www.flickr.com/people/iccdude/), on Flickr

Stranger than "Del Water Gap" or "Smith Road"? :-)

Seriously, don't get me started on American control-city practices. Navigating here by destinations is like navigating in Europe by route numbers. ;-)

You're telling me! The first couple of times that I went roadtripping in that area during the late 1990s the 'Del Water Gap' control completely befuddled me. 'Pennsylvania', in the same manner as IDOT uses 'Indiana', 'Iowa' and 'Wisconsin' as controls in and around Chicago, would have been much clearer!

'Mahwah', though, is a legitimate city in New Jersey and Smith Road is one of the local roads that the ramps at that interchange give direct access to.

Mike

Mahwah is pretty small, but not reasonable alternatives like major cities are located along I-287. Mostly small suburbs not distinguishable from the other.

I-80, on the other hand, is a major transportation route, however, it does not directly serve any significant cities in Pennsylvania. I think Cleveland or Scranton would've been signed if this was in Europe. For a country the size of the United States most control cities are surprisingly close by.

Well, Illinois is the other extreme from New Jersey: "Memphis" all the way up in Chicago for I-57? As opposed to Kankakee or Champaign-Urbana? Or both? And I don't know what we have against putting more than one place on a sign. (So: Kankakee, Memphis. Joliet, St. Louis. South Bend, Toledo. You get the idea.)

Mahwah is pretty small, but not reasonable alternatives like major cities are located along I-287. Mostly small suburbs not distinguishable from the other.

I-80, on the other hand, is a major transportation route, however, it does not directly serve any significant cities in Pennsylvania. I think Cleveland or Scranton would've been signed if this was in Europe. For a country the size of the United States most control cities are surprisingly close by.

I think a lot of states might go with Albany for 287 northbound. But New Jersey's allergic to places out of state. Even "New York" tends to take a back seat to Newark. And Philadelphia doesn't exist until you're within sight of the skyline.

Well, Illinois is the other extreme from New Jersey: "Memphis" all the way up in Chicago for I-57? As opposed to Kankakee or Champaign-Urbana? Or both? And I don't know what we have against putting more than one place on a sign. (So: Kankakee, Memphis. Joliet, St. Louis. South Bend, Toledo. You get the idea.)

Most countries usually have 2 or 3 major cities listed as a control city. What is "major" depends on the context. On I-57, Memphis is by far the largest city in terms of population, but for rural Illinois, Kankakee or Champaign-Urbana are pretty "major" places. However, I think Kankakee or Champaign-Urbana are too unknown for out-of-staters, so by adding Memphis is gives a better defined direction where the Interstate is going to.

Just be happy that you don't have Polish control cities :) Then Cairo would've been signed all the way across Illinois. And East St. Louis will be signed all the way on I-55, instead of St. Louis itself.

Just be happy that you don't have Polish control cities

:yes: Especially immortal Jędrzychowice on A4 (BTW - how to spell it being non-Pole? :lol:)

@ Denver movie
Why the southern entrance has speed limit 75 and northern one - only (silly) 55?

I think a lot of states might go with Albany for 287 northbound. But New Jersey's allergic to places out of state. Even "New York" tends to take a back seat to Newark. And Philadelphia doesn't exist until you're within sight of the skyline.

Typical Jersey. :no:

I don't know if someone posted it before, but I think it's a nice video.

The stacks of Texas
PjUcs1zqZ70

There popular places for New Jerseyites to get away , Smith road is a busy road if i'm not mistake with alot of warehouses. Mahwah has a very large college and few corporations and the Del Water Gap attracts alot of tourists...

I think a lot of states might go with Albany for 287 northbound. But New Jersey's allergic to places out of state. Even "New York" tends to take a back seat to Newark. And Philadelphia doesn't exist until you're within sight of the skyline.
Interestingly enough, Philadelphia doesn't exist as a control city even in Baltimore. Just New York. Philly maybe shows up on some mileage signs, but that's about it.

^^I am well aware of it. New York is completely out of hand.

There popular places for New Jerseyites to get away , Smith road is a busy road if i'm not mistake with alot of warehouses. Mahwah has a very large college and few corporations and the Del Water Gap attracts alot of tourists...

"They're"
"a lot"

The thing about Interstates is, they serve people from multiple states, not just local daytrippers. I-80 goes all the way across the country. Most states would post the next major city. Granted, Cleveland's a bit far from New Jersey....

"They're"
"a lot"

The thing about Interstates is, they serve people from multiple states, not just local daytrippers. I-80 goes all the way across the country. Most states would post the next major city. Granted, Cleveland's a bit far from New Jersey....

Theres nothing on the PA side , at least in terms of big cities. The Del Water Gap extends onto the PA side and includes a few towns on that side. Why does everybody seem to have an issue with what my state does , its always something wrong , or not normal by US standards....its fine by Jersey standards...

^^I am well aware of it. New York is completely out of hand.

It's probably because most north-south traffic gets off at I-95, and then heads over the Delaware Memorial Bridge into the New Jersey Turnpike therefore bypassing Philadelphia.



@ Denver movie
Why the southern entrance has speed limit 75 and northern one - only (silly) 55?

It's because at that point there are two major interchanges with I-70 and US 36, I-76, and I-270 so traffic counts along that section are high.

Theres nothing on the PA side , at least in terms of big cities. The Del Water Gap extends onto the PA side and includes a few towns on that side. Why does everybody seem to have an issue with what my state does , its always something wrong , or not normal by US standards....its fine by Jersey standards...

To me, the Delaware Water Gap is that little spot where the river cuts through the mountains; I wouldn't say it includes "a few other towns." Stroudsburg, for example, I wouldn't say was part of the Water Gap. The Poconos might be a label for that area that would be known to more people.

I was born and raised in New Jersey myself, so I'm not an outsider picking on you. I find U.S. control-city practices in general open to a lot of criticism. The insistence on having just one place per sign leads to some choices that I find strange, and unhelpful to navigation. Europe is much better at this sort of thing.

It's probably because most north-south traffic gets off at I-95, and then heads over the Delaware Memorial Bridge into the New Jersey Turnpike therefore bypassing Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is the second-largest city on the east coast. By any definition of the term "major city," it's the next major city north of Baltimore. Yet Maryland just posts New York on 95 there. (And when you cross into Delaware, New York suddenly disappears in favor of "Wilmington, Philadelphia.") I'm not sure about what "most traffic" does there - I don't know the traffic counts, but at the northbound split there are two lanes leading to the bridge and three staying on 95. But, again, why the insistence on one place per sign? "Philadelphia, New York" would work. (I believe Maryland posts "Baltimore, New York" at the exits from the Capital Beltway to 95 northbound.)

Philadelphia is the second-largest city on the east coast. By any definition of the term "major city," it's the next major city north of Baltimore. Yet Maryland just posts New York on 95 there. (And when you cross into Delaware, New York suddenly disappears in favor of "Wilmington, Philadelphia.") I'm not sure about what "most traffic" does there - I don't know the traffic counts, but at the northbound split there are two lanes leading to the bridge and three staying on 95. But, again, why the insistence on one place per sign? "Philadelphia, New York" would work. (I believe Maryland posts "Baltimore, New York" at the exits from the Capital Beltway to 95 northbound.)
Baltimore, definitely. But I don't recall seeing New York that far south.

EDIT: Yes, New York does show up that far south, especially coming from the direction of Silver Spring. Can't believe I didn't remember... and I made that trip regularly between the beltways for two years.

New HOV lane on I-15 in the north of Salt Lake City:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/6326888497_9d0f5027f9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/countylemonade/6326888497/)
I-15 at 1000 North in Salt Lake City, looking north (http://www.flickr.com/photos/countylemonade/6326888497/) by CountyLemonade (http://www.flickr.com/people/countylemonade/), on Flickr

HOV lanes? :gaah:

HOV lanes? :gaah:

In Utah too. Hence the two cars going down it.

I don't know if someone posted it before, but I think it's a nice video.

The stacks of Texas
PjUcs1zqZ70

Texas freeways are out of this world, nothing come close in the USA or the world to this.
Texas is now the king of freeways and stacks.
There are so many projects around DFW that Dallas will overtake Houston soon :banana::banana::banana::banana:

Speaking of Texas Interstates.

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2homemap.jpg

I-69 signs to go up in South Texas (http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/i-69-signs-to-go-up-in-south-t.html)
By Michael Lindenberger

Well it's official. Texas has a new Interstate highway.

Texas transportation commissioners voted minutes ago to begin erecting Interstate 69 signs on a 6.2-mile stretch of U.S. 77 between Interstate 37 and State Highway 44 in Nueces County in south Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. The Texas segment of the 1,000-mile interstate is expected to eventually stretch from Texarkana to the border.

Polk County Judge Judge John Thompson, chairman of the Alliance for I-69, hailed the decision in a press release issued by TxDOT.

"It's a visible sign of the progress being made on I-69," Thompson said. "This is the result of the strong partnership between the Alliance for I-69 Texas, TxDOT, the I-69 Segment Committees, the I-69 Advisory Committee and the many elected officials and community leaders along the I-69 route in Texas that have remained committed to and focused on the development of the system."

........

I don't know if someone posted it before, but I think it's a nice video.

The stacks of Texas
PjUcs1zqZ70

Great video, here in Spain there is only one stack, at M-40/A-1/E05 interchange.

BTW, the President George Bush Turnpike, is a very narrow dirt road in very bad condition? Or is not named after that George Bush, but after his father? :D

Theres nothing on the PA side , at least in terms of big cities. The Del Water Gap extends onto the PA side and includes a few towns on that side. Why does everybody seem to have an issue with what my state does , its always something wrong , or not normal by US standards....its fine by Jersey standards...

I just looked at a map, Interstate 80 doesn't hit any "big" cities in Pennsylvania. Next "big" city is Youngstown, Ohio from New Jersey.

New HOV lane on I-15 in the north of Salt Lake City:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/6326888497_9d0f5027f9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/countylemonade/6326888497/)
I-15 at 1000 North in Salt Lake City, looking north (http://www.flickr.com/photos/countylemonade/6326888497/) by CountyLemonade (http://www.flickr.com/people/countylemonade/), on Flickr

I remember there was some large widening of I-15 going on. Is it part of this project?

Speaking of Texas Interstates.

this is great news for Texas, Diablo.

Texas is still going strong :banana:

I remember there was some large widening of I-15 going on. Is it part of this project?

I think you mean the large-scale widening of I-15 south of Salt Lake City, which is currently going on.

Great video, here in Spain there is only one stack, at M-40/A-1/E05 interchange.

BTW, the President George Bush Turnpike, is a very narrow dirt road in very bad condition? Or is not named after that George Bush, but after his father? :D

Both the George Bush Turnpike in Dallas and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston are named after the first Bush, not the worst Bush. :cheers:

And yes the Turnpike is a freeway (or a limited access toll road in this case) for it's entire length.

A video of I-80 going thru the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah.

TUXMQx4Wi4I

I just looked at a map, Interstate 80 doesn't hit any "big" cities in Pennsylvania. Next "big" city is Youngstown, Ohio from New Jersey.

There are small cities and large towns that run near the highway , but your right there are no large cities hench why there's nothing on the sign other then the Del-Water-Gap.

^^Whereas "Clinton," population 2,719, appearing on I-78 45 miles away in Newark instead of Allentown, population 118,032, is pure New Jersey parochialism?

As for I-80, they could put Pennsylvania or the Poconos. If a midwestern state were doing the signage, they'd have no problem posting Cleveland. In fact, New York does show up in the Youngstown, Ohio, area on 80 eastbound.

The actual town of Delaware Water Gap, Pa., has a population of under 1,000 (even Stroudsburg, just a little bit farther, is far larger) If they're using the recreational area, in the broader sense of the whole resort region, as the control city, the Poconos are a better-known, broader term. The actual DWG National Recreational Area belongs on brown signs at the exit, not 50 miles away as the sole destination on a transcontinental Interstate.

But my original point to all this was to ask, bemusedly, why "Mahwah" stuck out as strange to Chris, when the DWG and Smith Road are on the same assembly. Not to besmirch the honor of my native state. [rolleyes]

^^ Why not use just the directions? After wall, AFAIK, odd-numbered Interstates = North-South, even-numbered Interstates = West-East.

In any case: in Wyoming, they indicate most cities out of state, especially Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City. I haven't driven too much on I-25 north of Casper when I lived there to remember the signs. SLC and Denver are much more famous than any Wyoming city anyway.

^^Sure. Since - unlike Europe - we distinguish, say, I-80 WEST from I-80 EAST, the control cities are arguably redundant. But since we do use them, they may as well be as informative as possible. And not actually wrong.* Something between current one-city-per-destination American practice and the French practice of putting so much on the signs that you can't possibly read it all would be ideal. (I like French signage, actually. If I'm looking at pictures of it. At 130 km/h, not so much.)

*Like the point near Elkton, Maryland, where traffic to New York is directed up to I-95 while traffic to Philadelphia is directed to stay on US 40. Whereas in reality, which route you choose - whether you're going to Philadelphia or New York - will be a function of whether you want to avoid the toll at the Maryland/Delaware line.

There are many threads on this stuff at AARoads....

I think you mean the large-scale widening of I-15 south of Salt Lake City, which is currently going on.

Yes, that's what I was thinking about. Would be nice to get some update on that.

As for I-80, they could put Pennsylvania or the Poconos. If a midwestern state were doing the signage, they'd have no problem posting Cleveland. In fact, New York does show up in the Youngstown, Ohio, area on 80 eastbound.

How about Chicago? :banana:

North Carolina is just as bad. The correct control city for I-77 heading south from Charlotte would be Columbia, but some signs say Rock Hill and others Pineville, the town where I-77 and I-485 cross.

Speaking of Texas Interstates.

This makes no sense unless I-69 is actually being constructed. It's just renaming an existing road to an interstate that does not even physically exist.

This makes no sense unless I-69 is actually being constructed. It's just renaming an existing road to an interstate that does not even physically exist.

The sections of highway being renamed as I-69 in Texas are already up to interstate standard, hence the new designation. Construction of the other portions are already underway as well.

I've read 230 miles of the future I-69 in Texas is already up to Interstate Highway standards.

The San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge turns 75 years today! :cheers:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/SF_and_Bay_Bridge.JPG/800px-SF_and_Bay_Bridge.JPG

North Carolina is just as bad. The correct control city for I-77 heading south from Charlotte would be Columbia, but some signs say Rock Hill and others Pineville, the town where I-77 and I-485 cross.
Columbia shows up as the control city for I-77 from I-85. I've only seen Pineville at the exit for I-485.

I've read 230 miles of the future I-69 in Texas is already up to Interstate Highway standards.
A lot of it is and a section at Corpus Christi was just approved and marked (I posted the news a couple of weeks ago). IIRC, other lengthy interstate-compatible parts include US 77 in the Brownsville area and US 59 thought the Houston area.

Any word on how the route numbering of those branches near the Mexican border will be handled?

Mike

The Holland Tunnel turns 84 years today. It was the first fixed link between New Jersey and Manhattan. Some even argue it was America's first freeway in 1927, however although it did have 2x2 lanes, there were no interchanges.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/HollandTunnelJerseyCity.jpg/800px-HollandTunnelJerseyCity.jpg

Columbia shows up as the control city for I-77 from I-85. I've only seen Pineville at the exit for I-485.

Rock Hill at I-485 and I-85 (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=35.353907,-80.728236&spn=0.000018,0.006899&t=h&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=35.35383,-80.728313&panoid=DlwsFIf5aICuVpYGMi09VQ&cbp=12,201.85,,0,-0.56&z=17).

Rock Hill at I-485 and I-85 (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=35.353907,-80.728236&spn=0.000018,0.006899&t=h&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=35.35383,-80.728313&panoid=DlwsFIf5aICuVpYGMi09VQ&cbp=12,201.85,,0,-0.56&z=17).
Well, yeah, there. :laugh:

I meant that I've never seen Pineville as a control city for I-77... just at the western 85-485 junction.

The sections of highway being renamed as I-69 in Texas are already up to interstate standard, hence the new designation. Construction of the other portions are already underway as well.

Where is it under construction?

Where is it under construction?

There were a few sections that were recently completed around Cleveland and Sheppard in East Texas in which a few divided highway segments were converted to full limited access.

I am sure there are many other segments that are under construction or are recently completed as well.

Here is a Youtube clip that explains some of the progress being made so far on the route.

p4qobN5Janw

Additional information regarding construction can be found on the Alliance for I-69 Texas (http://www.i69texasalliance.com/) website.

I went to the Badger/Gopher game at the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis this past weekend, and amidst my travels around the area, I took a few pictures.

I-94 just northwest of the freeway loop around the cities

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg192/scaled.php?server=192&filename=dsc0127zp.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg225/scaled.php?server=225&filename=dsc0128al.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg713/scaled.php?server=713&filename=dsc0129zs.jpg&res=medium

Where I-494 and I-694 meet, and I-94 splits from 694 to continue northwesterly

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg805/scaled.php?server=805&filename=dsc0131qk.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg818/scaled.php?server=818&filename=dsc0132q.jpg&res=medium

I-94/694

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg213/scaled.php?server=213&filename=dsc0133bj.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg593/scaled.php?server=593&filename=dsc0135u.jpg&res=medium

Where I-94 meets I-694 north of downtown Minneapolis

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg31/scaled.php?server=31&filename=dsc0136sn.jpg&res=medium

I-94 passing near downtown Minneapolis

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg560/scaled.php?server=560&filename=dsc0142sv.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg507/scaled.php?server=507&filename=dsc0143pb.jpg&res=medium

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg27/scaled.php?server=27&filename=dsc0147es.jpg&res=medium

Tunnel in downtown Minneapolis

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg137/scaled.php?server=137&filename=dsc0011as.jpg&res=medium

I-94/U.S. 53 interchange in St. Paul

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg856/scaled.php?server=856&filename=dsc0027br.jpg&res=medium

There were a few sections that were recently completed around Cleveland and Sheppard in East Texas in which a few divided highway segments were converted to full limited access.

I am sure there are many other segments that are under construction or are recently completed as well.

Here is a Youtube clip that explains some of the progress being made so far on the route.

p4qobN5Janw

Additional information regarding construction can be found on the Alliance for I-69 Texas (http://www.i69texasalliance.com/) website.

Nice video. I wish it had answered what will happen with the numbering after it splits for U.S. 59. U.S. 77 and U.S. 281.

The Holland Tunnel turns 84 years today. It was the first fixed link between New Jersey and Manhattan. Some even argue it was America's first freeway in 1927, however although it did have 2x2 lanes, there were no interchanges.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/HollandTunnelJerseyCity.jpg/800px-HollandTunnelJerseyCity.jpg

The only place where I was stuck in traffic at 3AM.

The only place where I was stuck in traffic at 3AM.

LOL , not if you use the back streets....but i'm not going to tell you the secerts streets to avoid all the traffic..

LOL , not if you use the back streets....but i'm not going to tell you the secerts streets to avoid all the traffic..

Any decent GPS with real-time traffic info can do that.

The only place where I was stuck in traffic at 3AM.

I think it's ridiculous that they've marked the Holland Tunnel as part of I-78. It doesn't connect to any other Interstate, even any other freeway, and to get from it to the next segment of 78 you have to pass through several blocks of what amounts to glorified local streets. And I've never heard that there's any prospect of changing this state of affairs.

When I was growing up in the area, 78 ended where the freeway (the New Jersey Turnpike extension) did - the tunnel, the New Jersey approach, and the connector to the Pulaski Skyway were all part of Business US 1-9.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.730397,-74.043024&spn=0.003959,0.010943&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=6

Could somebody tell me which state(s) have signs with arrows pointing upwards?

^^Try the geeks at aaroads.com/forums, if no one here comes up with an answer. I'm no expert.

Could somebody tell me which state(s) have signs with arrows pointing upwards?
The newest update to the USA's federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices ('MUTCD') requires that all new and replacement overhead big green signs use European-style up-pointing arrows, one per lane. Some have appeared this past summer on US 41 here in the Appleton, WI area.

Mike

Upward arrows are most certainly not European "standard". It varies by country, in fact I think most countries have downward arrows.

The newest update to the USA's federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices ('MUTCD') requires that all new and replacement overhead big green signs use European-style up-pointing arrows, one per lane. Some have appeared this past summer on US 41 here in the Appleton, WI area.

Mike

I like the down-arrows a lot better. I believe California started the trend.

The newest update to the USA's federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices ('MUTCD') requires that all new and replacement overhead big green signs use European-style up-pointing arrows, one per lane. Some have appeared this past summer on US 41 here in the Appleton, WI area.

Mike

The up-pointing arrow signs replaced the diagrammatic signs that were part of previous editions of the MUTCD. The new signs are only supposed to be used where there is a multi-lane exit including an option lane. One of the biggest gripes I have with this type of signage is the excessive height of the new signs (see this post on the AARoads forums (http://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=575.msg107061#msg107061)) and here are a few drawings I created for that post...

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/280n_Exit12A_apl.png

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_apl_ex.png

Too many EXIT ONLY tabs, lol!
http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_apl_ex.png

Why use the "exit only" labels at all? Not many other countries (if any) consider this necessary.

These "exit only" labels can be very useful in situations where the traffic is near congestion. You simply want to have enough time to choose appropriate lane.

Why use the "exit only" labels at all? Not many other countries (if any) consider this necessary.

They may be obligatory for lanes that are exiting, even though on this particular sign they're superfluous. Just guessing; haven't memorized the MUTCD. :-)

I don't like the spacing, though. It looks like six of the same item rather than three.

They may be obligatory for lanes that are exiting, even though on this particular sign they're superfluous. Just guessing; haven't memorized the MUTCD. :-)

I don't like the spacing, though. It looks like six of the same item rather than three.Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard with the "EXIT" and "ONLY" plaques on the I-5/I-805 sign. :tongue3:

The only reason why I created that sign was to illustrate how absolutely huge sign panels can get when using the arrow-per-lane signs. In the case of the I-5/I-805 sign it's dimensions are approximately 86.5 feet wide by 16.5 feet high for a total area of over 1400 square feet! To put things in perspective, the maximum overhead guide sign height in California is 120 inches or 10 feet.

The main purpose of a guide sign is to give information to motorists, not to comply with sign size standards. If it needs to be big to give the right information, than it just has to be.

Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard with the "EXIT" and "ONLY" plaques on the I-5/I-805 sign. :tongue3:....


Ah, sorry! I thought that was a real sign you were reproducing.

The upward arrows in the U.S. are problematic because they are long. There is no reason for long arrows for all lanes because it reduces the space for destinations above them. The large road number shield also reduce space.

I prefer this:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5011/5582777197_80d9ea41fd_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5582777197/)
A2 Utrecht-z-3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5582777197/) by Chriszwolle (http://www.flickr.com/people/chriszwolle/), on Flickr

or this
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4148/5042580124_f6b09e70d0_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5042580124/)
IMG_5058 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5042580124/) by Chriszwolle (http://www.flickr.com/people/chriszwolle/), on Flickr

Note that the different road marking for the exit lane erases the need for the "exit only" tab.

cool thread. love those american highways.

The upward arrows in the U.S. are problematic because they are long. There is no reason for long arrows for all lanes because it reduces the space for destinations above them. The large road number shield also reduce space....

I don't like the long upward arrows (haven't seen many, though).

This, I like: [Sorry, bad link, apparently....]

As for space for destinations, well you know we have issues with destinations.... But don't touch our shields!

I'm sure I've already said that Dutch signage may be the best in Europe.

Off topic, happened on this while searching for the image above - now this is a nice picture: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2483349906_dfc7ac7a12.jpg

But don't touch our shields!

The Interstate shields are definitely most aesthetic road number shields used in the world. But they are very large. They work well on trailblazers and small textual signs, but not so much with road layout guide signs, especially on locations where more control cities than one are needed.

This, I like: http://www.aaroads.com/northeast/pennsylvania075/i-076_eb_exit_344_04.jpg


I know of no other country that uses such sign schemes. They are legible with a small number of lanes, but not on roadways with 5 or 6 lanes.

This type of auxiliary signs are better in providing information about lane configurations at traffic signals or complex freeway situations.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4078/4884212669_4a72b53457_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4884212669/)
A2-Abcoude-6 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4884212669/) by Chriszwolle (http://www.flickr.com/people/chriszwolle/), on Flickr

(they are on both sides of the roadway)

Wait, you were able to see the image? (of the 76/676 fork) When I clicked on it I kept getting a 403 error....

^^ I'm getting a 403 error too...

You need to copy the link and open it in another browser tab. AAroads doesn't allow hotlinking.

cool thread. love those american highways.

You know that the pics from above your post were from the A2 in The Netherlands? ;)

The main purpose of a guide sign is to give information to motorists, not to comply with sign size standards. If it needs to be big to give the right information, than it just has to be.
Oh really? Take a look at the two drawings below. The first is the same arrow-per-lane monstrosity I posted earlier. Below it is how it might be signed pre-2009 MUTCD.

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_apl_ex.png

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_caStd.png

I would argue that the arrow-per-lane sign doesn't convey information any better than the sign below it and would cost more due to the increased sign panel height. In these times of lean budgets, if the two sign styles convey information about the same, then wouldn't it make sense financially to go with a less expensive design?

Looking at the total length of the arrow, the pointer is actually too thin. It would have been better widened similar to that of the pre-2009 pointer. That way, a driver could easily distinguish it from a distance. It would also be good if they re-designed these signs on the approach to any exit as 1000m, etc. Having a countdown avoids these sudden lane changes that cause so many pile-ups because of bad decisions.

I actually like the one arrow per lane convenience.

I-5 in Seattle area

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3-GQ75Wprno/TcnTgiPcbUI/AAAAAAAAOVQ/jVzbG6TKvrs/s800/IMG_20110510_162316.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fE-ABs_jLi0/TdYatH_RN0I/AAAAAAAAOi8/KVQcMXgZfxQ/s800/P1030599.JPG

I-405

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ETOO6YJAygQ/TcnTQa1j56I/AAAAAAAAOPs/EVSN3owrMyo/s1024/IMG_20110510_160501.jpg

Oh really? Take a look at the two drawings below. The first is the same arrow-per-lane monstrosity I posted earlier. Below it is how it might be signed pre-2009 MUTCD.

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_apl_ex.png

http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_caStd.png

I would argue that the arrow-per-lane sign doesn't convey information any better than the sign below it and would cost more due to the increased sign panel height. In these times of lean budgets, if the two sign styles convey information about the same, then wouldn't it make sense financially to go with a less expensive design?

The bottom sign indicates 8 lanes, while the top sign indicates 7 lanes where the #4 lane branches off in both directions. So the top sign is clearer as to what happens ahead.

The bottom sign indicates 8 lanes, while the top sign indicates 7 lanes where the #4 lane branches off in both directions. So the top sign is clearer as to what happens ahead

Agreed, and also the for the clearer yellow "exit only" writing for the top sign as compared to the yellow "only" (for which 2 lanes??) in the bottom sign. When it comes to sign clarity, cost to me is basically out of the question. To me, top sign is easier to comprehend thus letting drivers to be in the correct lane at the appropriate time, rather than someone not understanding and making a dangerous abrupt lane change at the last second.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ETOO6YJAygQ/TcnTQa1j56I/AAAAAAAAOPs/EVSN3owrMyo/s1024/IMG_20110510_160501.jpg

If I remember correctly the road do Mukilteo will take us to the Boeing factory. Couple of years ago we missed that road and then struggled to find the way to factory navigating some local roads.
I have to admit I was the one responsible for navigation ;)

The Katy Freeway in Houston turns 50 years today. The first section opened on November 26th, 1961. It was about 4 miles long and ran west of I-610. It was originally a six-lane facility, it looks a bit different today with 16 lanes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/RF_-_Houston_Texas_IH10.1.jpeg/1024px-RF_-_Houston_Texas_IH10.1.jpeg

Hope this hasn't been posted before. I-90/94 in Chicago. :cheers:

__OQLSHMWXA

^^Fabulous city, and fabulous road. Well, at least the view of the city from the road is. I was in Chicago last month. Arrived on a Saturday afternoon and made a point of using 90 and 94 (the Skyway, Ryan, Kennedy and Edens) to get through to the northern suburb I was staying in even though there was heavy traffic (and I knew from traffic reports there would be), because I'd never been there before and wanted to see the skyline. Heck, sitting in traffic just meant there was more time to look.

Now, do you have Lake Shore Drive? That's an amazing urban road. Did it end to end, north to south, later in that trip and it immediately became one of my all-time favorite drives.

^^ Here you go. Video by "Freewayjim" :cheers:

SC80DiAsN_c

I prefer this one. Easier to read.
http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_caStd.png

^^ Here you go. Video by "Freewayjim" :cheers:

SC80DiAsN_c


Nice :master:

Nice photo of the I-495 "Capital Beltway" widening in Virginia. They're widening it from 8 to 12 lanes with 2 HOT lanes each way.
http://i.imgur.com/z1gsm.jpg

Nice view!

Freewayjim is the Steven Spielberg of expressway videos.

I prefer this one. Easier to read.
http://www.markyville.com/aaroads/5-805_caStd.png

I prefer this one too. For me down arrows indicate that you're staying on the current roadway. Arrows pointing up mean that you're leaving the current roadway.

around the Battery Tunnel portal...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454556093_f8b1e9ebf6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454556093/)
DSC08997 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454556093/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6454557423_a5be177cb4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454557423/)
DSC09000 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454557423/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6454557637_4efdc62f68_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454557637/)
DSC09001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454557637/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6454558585_e45a3110ca_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454558585/)
DSC09004 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454558585/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6454605483_b529826dc3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454605483/)
DSC09066 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/6454605483/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

IH4dX3WMoU8

The first signs went up on I-69 in Robstown, Texas.
http://i.imgur.com/jw60U.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/383019_10150493977565874_44520755873_10931012_1108157141_n.jpg

^^

Cool...thanks for posting this.

The first signs went up on I-69 in Robstown, Texas.
http://i.imgur.com/jw60U.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/383019_10150493977565874_44520755873_10931012_1108157141_n.jpg

Surprised Houston isn't the control city when it is for US59 North from Laredo.

Does anyone know why Interstate 185 in South Carolina was constructed? It doesn't appear to be serving a whole lot and not being a useful bypass of I-85 as well. Besides that, how can this be an Interstate Highway, it's a toll road, opened in 2001. I thought only pre-1956 toll roads could get Interstate status. The route would've made more sense if it was mirrored north of I-85.

http://i.imgur.com/mBwFV.jpg

Surprised Houston isn't the control city when it is for US59 North from Laredo.

Texas doesn't do control cities that way. Victoria's a fairly large regional hub - metro area over 100,000 - so it makes sense under their policy for it to be listed. Houston is also around 215 miles from Corpus Christi, and that is a bit far for a control city (Dallas and Houston are listed on I-45 because there are no mid-sized cities in between).

Also, Sinton is where one would turn off to go to Port Aransas, and Victoria to go to Matagorda Bay, which are both sizable tourist destinations.

Does anyone know why Interstate 185 in South Carolina was constructed? It doesn't appear to be serving a whole lot and not being a useful bypass of I-85 as well. Besides that, how can this be an Interstate Highway, it's a toll road, opened in 2001. I thought only pre-1956 toll roads could get Interstate status. The route would've made more sense if it was mirrored north of I-85.

I-85 roughly parallels the fall line in South Carolina, where the coastal plains transition into the Appalachian Piedmont. So, for starters, it would be much cheaper to build a bypass through the flatter land. It also offers a useful bypass for those coming from the central and coastal parts of the state heading toward Clemson, where there is a large university.

Furthermore, the rules against toll Interstates have slackened considerably, particularly in the last 20 years. Now, toll routes can have the Interstate designation, but generally must conduct their own maintenance, with little federal support.

Another interesting feature, Interstate 4 in Tampa.

It features a wide median, wider than a regular space reservation for expansion. Were there once plans for some sort of local-express setup or reversible lanes? There's enough space for another 8 lanes. It appears that this space has been created rather recently, in the mid-2000's. Maybe a rail project in the median?

This is current I-4:
http://i.imgur.com/lYxkf.jpg

This is previous I-4 (before I-275 was routed there)
http://i.imgur.com/i9ub1.jpg

Another interesting feature, Interstate 4 in Tampa.

It features a wide median, wider than a regular space reservation for expansion. Were there once plans for some sort of local-express setup or reversible lanes? There's enough space for another 8 lanes. It appears that this space has been created rather recently, in the mid-2000's. Maybe a rail project in the median?

This is current I-4:
http://i.imgur.com/lYxkf.jpg

This is previous I-4 (before I-275 was routed there)
http://i.imgur.com/i9ub1.jpg

Chris, I can tell you a lot about Interstate 4 as well as Interstate 275 in the Tampa area.

On the top image of Interstate 4, this was taken after the major reconstruction project from just east of Interstate 275 to 50th Street (US 41) was completed in December 2007. As you can see, Interstate 4 underwent a complete transformation from the original 4 lanes (along with a short 6 lane segment from Interstate 275 to 21st/22nd Street (FL 585)) to 8 lanes.

The large median in Interstate 4 was supposed to be reserved for the high speed rail project which was supposed to link Tampa with Orlando and Miami, the Tampa to Orlando link utilizing the center of Interstate 4. We received federal money to build this high speed rail link; unfortunately, our Florida Governor, Rick Scott, rejected the federal funds for high speed rail in the state of Florida. This has caused quite a major uproar here in Florida as construction of the high speed rail would have brought at least 25,000 jobs, but I will not get into more detail here so that I do not go off topic.

However, the large median in Interstate 4 is being used for another project located east of the 21st/22nd Street exit, and that is the connector highway from Interstate 4 to the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (FL Toll 618). Slated for completion in Summer of 2013, the Interstate 4 to Crosstown connector will make it a lot easier for trucks to access the Port of Tampa without having to drive onto narrow 21st/22nd Streets, not to mention that this area is part of the Ybor City Historic District.

On the bottom image of Interstate 4, this was taken when construction was underway to transform Interstate 4 from its original 4 lanes built in the early 1960's to the 8 lanes we have today. Back when Interstate 4 was originally built, the highway was supposed to terminate in St. Petersburg (which used the newly built original Howard Frankland Bridge) I believe somewhere in South Pasadena before the bridge to St. Pete Beach. A few years later, the Florida DOT decided to extend Interstate 75 south through the Tampa/St. Petersburg area to Miami, following the Florida west coast and turning east on Alligator Alley in Naples. Interstate 4 was truncated to where it now ends at today's Interstate 275 in downtown Tampa (Exit 45B).

Interstate 4 features a wide median from just east of its western terminus all the way to Poinciana Drive right on the Polk-Osceola county line outside of Kissimmee. You can also see another view of how wide the Interstate 4 median is at the US 27 exit (Exit 55) just outside Orlando. Exactly how the wide median is going to be used is unknown now that the proposed high speed rail is not being built.

Thanks :) You can see the connector corridor parallel to 31st Street on Google Earth imagery.

You know, it always surprised me that no north-south freeway was built in western Pinellas County, though US 19 is partially freeway-like. It's a giant urban area which has to rely on urban arterials.

The new Crosstown I-40 in Oklahoma City is almost completed. It will open before Christmas as a temporary six-lane setup while the other direction is being completed. The final situation will feature 10 lanes.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/i4012911a.jpg

sign error: I-44 should be I-40.
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/i4012911b.jpg

Thanks :) You can see the connector corridor parallel to 31st Street on Google Earth imagery.

You know, it always surprised me that no north-south freeway was built in western Pinellas County, though US 19 is partially freeway-like. It's a giant urban area which has to rely on urban arterials.
Thats why it can take 30 mins to drive 10 miles/16km sometimes. I hate it because there are some traffic lights which are 5 minutes long. On another note I could probably post US19 updates since I use that road everyday.

Mongolian Strip
aBOIyLy6sVQ

Thats why it can take 30 mins to drive 10 miles/16km sometimes. I hate it because there are some traffic lights which are 5 minutes long. On another note I could probably post US19 updates since I use that road everyday.

There was a toll highway proposed in the early 1970's - the Pinellas Expressway - that would have followed basically the route of what is today's Pinellas Trail. Unfortunately, strong opposition put the road on the shelf.

The only reminder of what was going to be the Pinellas Expressway is the 31 St S exit (Exit 20) from Interstate 275 (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275SP-09.htm), which has an exit to a toll road look but in reality it isn't.

And speaking of the conversion of US 19 to a limited access highway from 49 St N in Pinellas Park to FL 580 in Clearwater, I see the potential of a possible Interstate 875 (http://www.interstate275florida.com/WhyI875.htm) which would connect the US 19 limited access segment, then become an east-west highway using a converted Gandy Blvd (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275AtExit28.htm). and Gandy Bridge over into Tampa, finally connecting into the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (FL Toll 618). As for the tolled section, I understand that federal guidelines do not allow for Interstate numbers to be assigned to toll roads unless grandfathered as is the case of both the Sunshine Skyway (Interstate 275) and Alligator Alley (Interstate 75).

Presently a section of US 19 is being converted into a limited access highway from north of Whitney Road to FL 60 in order to make a continuous traffic signal free US 19 from 49 St N to FL 580. From what I understand work is progressing at a slow pace due to major water main relocation work as there are major water mains that serve St. Petersburg and the surrounding communities that depend on St. Petersburg for water service.

There was a toll highway proposed in the early 1970's - the Pinellas Expressway - that would have followed basically the route of what is today's Pinellas Trail. Unfortunately, strong opposition put the road on the shelf.

The only reminder of what was going to be the Pinellas Expressway is the 31 St S exit (Exit 20) from Interstate 275 (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275SP-09.htm), which has an exit to a toll road look but in reality it isn't.

And speaking of the conversion of US 19 to a limited access highway from 49 St N in Pinellas Park to FL 580 in Clearwater, I see the potential of a possible Interstate 875 (http://www.interstate275florida.com/WhyI875.htm) which would connect the US 19 limited access segment, then become an east-west highway using a converted Gandy Blvd (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275AtExit28.htm). and Gandy Bridge over into Tampa, finally connecting into the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (FL Toll 618). As for the tolled section, I understand that federal guidelines do not allow for Interstate numbers to be assigned to toll roads unless grandfathered as is the case of both the Sunshine Skyway (Interstate 275) and Alligator Alley (Interstate 75).

Presently a section of US 19 is being converted into a limited access highway from north of Whitney Road to FL 60 in order to make a continuous traffic signal free US 19 from 49 St N to FL 580. From what I understand work is progressing at a slow pace due to major water main relocation work as there are major water mains that serve St. Petersburg and the surrounding communities that depend on St. Petersburg for water service.
Yeah Pinellas has many cancelled freeways and expressways, very short sighted of those residents. I've lived in north pinellas ever since the Drew St overpass was built so I've watched the progression from there, each phase completed makes life so much better. Currently the Whitney Road to FL 60 is going slow but as you said a lot of work needs to be done. Another slow going project is at Enterprise Rd and US19, they will eliminate that light, add a lane northbound and build a concrete barrier in the median. Recently they've just opened the service road by the car dealerships. When those two projects are done Pinellas will have a north/south freeway as it was planned many years ago.

I-35 North of Austin TX

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5217/5431754552_3ee5ed4808_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinrowell/5431754552/)
I-35 Northbound Through South Austin (http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinrowell/5431754552/) by Robin Rowell (http://www.flickr.com/people/robinrowell/), on Flickr

I-35 North of Austin TX

I-35 Northbound Through South Austin (http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinrowell/5431754552/) by Robin Rowell (http://www.flickr.com/people/robinrowell/), on Flickr

Wow, great photo. :cheers:

Austin is not the small, rather unknown state capital it once was anymore... I've read it's actually a pleasant city, not as "concrete" and humid as Houston and not as flat and boring as Dallas.

It's also the liberal heartland of Texas (not talking about politics, although that too).

Wow thats a great angle of Austin.

To return to the I-185 in Greenville, SC discussion earlier this page.

It looks like the toll road is not really a success. Only 10,000 - 15,000 vehicles use it on a daily basis and apparently the toll road operator defaulted in 2010.

http://www.southernconnector.com/Zweekly_stat.htm

It would make more sense if it catered to I-85 traffic better, especially traffic from northern Georgia towards I-385. The toll rates are also relatively high, at $ 2.50 for the 13 mile route for passenger cars.

It's very hard to accurately estimate the toll rate that generates maximum revenue. If you continue to increase tolls, revenue will actually go down because traffic goes down too.

I think I-185 could only be viable as a toll road if there was significant suburban development in that area, which there is not.

GDOT has announced that the I-75 toll lanes in northwest Atlanta will be scrapped. No details are known, the press release was only two sentences. The toll lanes were announced with a lot of fanfare just a few months ago. The $ 1.1 billion project would have added 2 toll lanes in each direction. Other than the I-85, these were not supposed to be HOT lanes. This would have widened I-75 from 10 - 15 lanes to 14 - 19 lanes.

http://i.imgur.com/yFWSE.png

I-15 from SoCal to NV.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6193/6113889139_43aee7d271_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47227208@N02/6113889139/)
vegasroad3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47227208@N02/6113889139/) by Maxi_Photo (http://www.flickr.com/people/47227208@N02/), on Flickr

Rest area.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6072/6113887069_e7b084f633_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47227208@N02/6113887069/)
vegasroad2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47227208@N02/6113887069/) by Maxi_Photo (http://www.flickr.com/people/47227208@N02/), on Flickr

GDOT has announced that the I-75 toll lanes in northwest Atlanta will be scrapped. No details are known, the press release was only two sentences. The toll lanes were announced with a lot of fanfare just a few months ago. The $ 1.1 billion project would have added 2 toll lanes in each direction. Other than the I-85, these were not supposed to be HOT lanes. This would have widened I-75 from 10 - 15 lanes to 14 - 19 lanes.

http://i.imgur.com/yFWSE.png

No loss here, those "toll lanes" would be an enormous waste of money anyways.

Overall Georgia is not a fan of tollroads, not surprised.

To return to the I-185 in Greenville, SC discussion earlier this page.

It looks like the toll road is not really a success. Only 10,000 - 15,000 vehicles use it on a daily basis and apparently the toll road operator defaulted in 2010.


I suspect that there are two reasons why I-185 was built:

1. South Carolina is a very right wing state, and apparently quite a few people there believe (or pretend to believe) that "markets" can perform miracles.

2. The real estate developers who wanted the project assumed that once the operator defaulted, the state would give up on collecting tolls and they'd get the free, controlled access road that they needed to open their land to development.

At this point, there's surely enough "I said I-185 would be a boondoggle!" sentiment to keep tolls from being lifted even though it'd make sense to do so. The political price for admitting to such an obvious mistake would be too high, so they pretend that no mistake was made.

Overall Georgia is not a fan of tollroads, not surprised.

I'm not a fan of them either, but with tax income as low as it is (hardly enough to do regular maintenance) I don't really see another option. So now the toll people make their move to cash in on the traffic problems.

I'm not a fan of them either, but with tax income as low as it is (hardly enough to do regular maintenance) I don't really see another option. So now the toll people make their move to cash in on the traffic problems.

Being from the Tampa/St. Petersburg metropolitan area where toll roads and bridges are our way of life, we're used to paying tolls rather than see our property taxes or our sales taxes go up. However, in the Jacksonville, FL metropolitan area their toll road and bridge system was mired in controversy.

Jacksonville has four major bridges, all that used to be tolled. The tolled bridges were the Mathews Bridge, the Hart Bridge, the Trout River Bridge carrying Interstate 95 and the Fuller Warren Bridge which carries Interstate 95 over the St. Johns River (just south of Interstate 10). The Fuller Warren Bridge was one of the many drawbridges that were on the interstate highway system.

Tolls are indeed the way to help keep taxes (such as property taxes or sales taxes) down. However, in the Jacksonville area their toll facilities from what I understand were rampant with fraud and theft; it got so out of control that in a November 1988 referendum the voters of the Jacksonville area approved a half-cent sales tax increase to remove the tolls.

However, tolls in the Jacksonville area are making a comeback somehow: Construction of the new First Coast Outer Beltway (http://www.fdotfirstcoastouterbeltway.com/) which will provide a tolled alternative to Interstate 295 between Interstates 10 and 95. The new toll highway will be located outside the Interstate 295 loop.

Unfortunately, with a shattered economy and property tax revenues dwindling due to lowered house values (not to mention homestead exemption), and strong voter opposition to any increase in sales taxes today, tolls are indeed the way to go. Besides, toll collection is cheaper thanks to technological advances such as SunPass in Florida and the recent conversion of several Florida toll roads from manual toll collection to all electronic toll collection such as the recent conversion of the Selmon Crosstown Expressway (FL Toll 618) in Tampa from a manual system to fully all electronic toll collection.

Link to an article on Jacksonville's First Coast Outer Beltway over at Toll Roads News (http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3304).

Florida's Sun Pass thing is sweet. You can zoom through it at 70 mph. :laugh:

Pennsylvania's Blue Route turns 20 years old today...

Opened 20 years ago today, on Dec. 19, 1991, the Blue Route completed a high-speed highway network surrounding a Philadelphia that never had a real beltway.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20111219_20_years_later__they_love_their_Blue_Route.html

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6538320771_09a669c188.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31431579@N04/6538320771/) blue-1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31431579@N04/6538320771/) by williammead5 (http://www.flickr.com/people/31431579@N04/), on Flickr

Some roadvideos while I stayed in the US.

http://youtu.be/Z9p93E-iWOQ

http://youtu.be/BuV2Tf5BQ_w

http://youtu.be/-LFBMPSL-H0

Philadelphia probably has the most undersized freeway / expressway network of any major U.S. city, though Las Vegas is pretty bad too.

Talking of highway history, I can't imagine what traffic was in Chicago before 1950. Their first expressway opened in 1950. Chicago had 3.6 million inhabitants at that time.

Philadelphia probably has the most undersized freeway / expressway network of any major U.S. city, though Las Vegas is pretty bad too.

95 isn't too bad but a good chunk of 76 and 476 are only four lane highways. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was recently expanded to six for several miles near Philadelphia but remains 2x2 along much of its route. And as you saw in this article I posted many of the suburbs had no motorway at all up until 20 years ago.

I love that the Austin area and Texas in general are getting higher speed limits. I've never seen speed limits at 70+ so far into an urban area before. The tollway 45 just north of Austin now has a speed limit of 75, a speed limit I've only expected to see out in the middle of nowhere.


Speed limits going up on area highways

Full article:
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/speed-limits-going-up-on-area-highways-2040146.html

Signs with an unfamiliar message "speed limit 75" have been showing up on major Central Texas roads this fall, the result of a change in state law earlier in the year. And limits on Interstate 35 through Austin, now 55 mph to 70 mph, likewise will be inching up 5 to 10 mph in many sections during the next week or so.

The local changes are probably a harbinger of higher speed limits statewide. Texas Department of Transportation officials have embarked on a $7.5 million program of highway traffic studies around the state on roads with 70-mph limits, a required step for raising the limits to 75 mph. Between now and January 2013, TxDOT plans to conduct 3,600 such studies to identify the "85th percentile" speed, meaning that for every 100 passing cars, 85 are at or below that speed.

The new limit is then set near that speed on a number ending in 0 or 5, and not higher than 75.

Changing the signs on up to 50,000 miles of highway will carry a cost that will be contingent on the number of speed limit changes. The new law also eliminated lower night and truck-only speed limits.

The official analysis last spring of House Bill 1353, which allowed the higher speed limits when it became law, showed "no significant fiscal implication" for state government by raising the legal speeds.

It remains unclear just what the higher numbers on those black-and-white signs will mean to driver behavior and safety.

TxDOT officials say that, by and large, actual highway speeds won't increase because the overwhelming majority of drivers tend to stay at a prudent pace based on the design of the road and the topography surrounding it. In other words, if 85 percent of motorists are currently driving 75 mph or slower on a road posted for 70, increasing the legal maximum to 75 mph won't mean that most drivers will reflexively begin going 80. ...

Map:

http://i43.************/jg2l38.jpg

Detroit has a lot of 70 mph expressways.

As someone who lives in LA, I always thought The OC had nice freeways.
GpFMXDZ8kBU

Detroit has a lot of 70 mph expressways.

That's good. It seems like a lot of cities in the U.S. put ridiculously low speed limits on freeways in urban areas.

As someone who lives in LA, I always thought The OC had nice freeways.
GpFMXDZ8kBU

Nice video..

Construction of the I-40 Crosstown replacement in Oklahoma City continues. Partial traffic flow is to be transferred onto the new I-40, located several blocks south of the current I-40 bridge structure, in January 2012. Complete transfer should occur 4-6 weeks thereafter.

Courtesy of SEEiYah on OKCTALK (http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=15390&page=32).

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4014.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4015.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4016.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4017.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4018.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4019.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4020.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4021.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4022.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4023.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4024.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4025.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/hansnet/I40%20Crosstown%20OKC%20%20112011/i4026.jpg

^^
Awesome shots! :cheers:

LA 110 at the 105

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6164/6203645993_396c64254c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkbot/6203645993/)
110@105 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkbot/6203645993/) by The Chris Valle (http://www.flickr.com/people/werkbot/), on Flickr

I-70 New Mississippi River Bridge

Photos from December 2011:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6442995117_5baa45306c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6442995117/)
2011-12-01-mrbtower-07 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6442995117/) by missriverbridge_photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/missriverbridge/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6442991789_c4874c16e3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6442991789/)
2011-12-01-mrbtower-90 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6442991789/) by missriverbridge_photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/missriverbridge/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6443010541_ba42314459_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6443010541/)
2011-12-01-mrbtower-45 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriverbridge/6443010541/) by missriverbridge_photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/missriverbridge/), on Flickr

I love that the Austin area and Texas in general are getting higher speed limits. I've never seen speed limits at 70+ so far into an urban area before. The tollway 45 just north of Austin now has a speed limit of 75, a speed limit I've only expected to see out in the middle of nowhere.


Speed limits going up on area highways

Full article:
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/speed-limits-going-up-on-area-highways-2040146.html



Map:

http://i43.************/jg2l38.jpg

So it will be
A: 120 km/h
B: 120 km/h
C: 110 km/h
D: 110 km/h
E: 95 km/h
F: 95 km/h
G: 95 km/h
H: 110 km/h



It is not too much. in europe almost every motorway has a speed limit of 130 km/h
In Iran 95 km/h is the speed limit for undevided non-motorway rural roads! :nuts:
:bash: Why don't they increase the limit to a more logical value??

It is not too much. in europe almost every motorway has a speed limit of 130 km/h
In Iran 95 km/h is the speed limit for undevided non-motorway rural roads! :nuts:
:bash: Why don't they increase the limit to a more logical value??
Can you read other posts more carefully? The main point was that these limits were raised in urban areas. Can you name many urban motorways where the speed limit is 120 km/h?

America is unique whereby a left shoulder lane is standard on any new Highway, is this correct? If so, it's good planning. Here in Europe, many new Highways rarely have a left shoulder lane (except the 'Superhighways').

That's good. It seems like a lot of cities in the U.S. put ridiculously low speed limits on freeways in urban areas.

Luckily they are pretty much ignored by most people, I always have to laugh when driving through Atlanta with a 55mph speed limit everybody is doing 80+mph.

Interesting feature in Texas, the I-44 splits around two blocks in Wichita Falls for a while.

http://i.imgur.com/n6hBu.jpg

Interesting feature in Texas, the I-44 splits around two blocks in Wichita Falls for a while.



I guess that is pretty odd for American, specially Texan standards. What would be the reason for not expropriating that block?

I guess that is pretty odd for American, specially Texan standards. What would be the reason for not expropriating that block?
$$$$$

Also, the freeway segments on either end were built first, several decades before the part that is elevated over the streets to connect them together. I-44 originally ended at the end of the upper-left freeway, I'm not sure if it was extended to include the elevated-over-the-streets part when that opened. It is also marked as US 277, 281 and 287.

Mike

Luckily they are pretty much ignored by most people, I always have to laugh when driving through Atlanta with a 55mph speed limit everybody is doing 80+mph.

It's the same in LA.
On my first visist there I quickly learned that driving less than 80mph you actually cause dangerous situations as everyone is going faster, regardless of the posted limits.

$$$$$

Also, the freeway segments on either end were built first, several decades before the part that is elevated over the streets to connect them together. I-44 originally ended at the end of the upper-left freeway, I'm not sure if it was extended to include the elevated-over-the-streets part when that opened. It is also marked as US 277, 281 and 287.

Mike

Which is what I would have guessed. And that the streets would have been one-way, so that you've got the southbound roadway of the freeway leading into a southbound street, and a northbound street leading into the northbound roadway of the freeway. You'll see that sort of pattern all over the place (Charleston, S.C.; Lubbock, Tex....)

Amarillo has such a thing too. I-27 forks into/from 4 streets on the south side of downtown and US 287 does it on the north side. So through traffic will travel through downtown, but there isn't much north of Amarillo, so I guess it's not a big problem.

Amarillo also has a 40 mile, two-lane loop.
http://i.imgur.com/aZJvo.png

3PuIkVjR_DE

Amarillo has such a thing too. I-27 forks into/from 4 streets on the south side of downtown and US 287 does it on the north side. So through traffic will travel through downtown, but there isn't much north of Amarillo, so I guess it's not a big problem.

Amarillo also has a 40 mile, two-lane loop.
http://i.imgur.com/aZJvo.png

I think I was thinking Amarillo when I said Lubbock. :bash: I knew one of them had the channeling-I-27-into-four-streets thing.

I always believe that we should have variable speed limits in urban freeways. There is no reason to do 55 mph on a nearly empty 2x3 freeway at 2am.

I always believe that we should have variable speed limits in urban freeways. There is no reason to do 55 mph on a nearly empty 2x3 freeway at 2am.
I would say variable speed limits on all roads, but municipalities have to make their money somehow (speeding tickets).

I think the beltway around Indianapolis has it. The speed limits were electronic signs so I am guessing it's because the limit changes.

So it will be




It is not too much. in europe almost every motorway has a speed limit of 130 km/h
In Poland there is 140 km/h (87 mph) on motorways.

I love that the Austin area and Texas in general are getting higher speed limits. I've never seen speed limits at 70+ so far into an urban area before. The tollway 45 just north of Austin now has a speed limit of 75, a speed limit I've only expected to see out in the middle of nowhere.

Come to Michigan, I-75 and I-96 are 70 well within Detroit city limits. I-94 is posted outside of limits. All of I-696 is posted at 70.

:)

QqFHy8fT7Vw

In Poland there is 140 km/h (87 mph) on motorways.

Yes but keep in mind there is no official disctinction between a motorway/highway and an expressway like in Poland. Speed limits are often the same on these, 55 to 65.

You guys really make me laugh ; when you advocate variable speed limits you should translate : you actually mean "variable speed limits provided the lowest one is at least 85 mph".

Low speed limits (55 mph for instance) make perfectly sense in urban freeways with lots of lanes and entrances/exists and heavy traffic. The main issue there is capacity, at least during peak hours, and you certainly don't reach the highest capacity and flowing with morrons doing 85+ mph in dense traffic, waving, tailgating, changing lanes .../...

You guys really make me laugh ; when you advocate variable speed limits you should translate : you actually mean "variable speed limits provided the lowest one is at least 85 mph".

Low speed limits (55 mph for instance) make perfectly sense in urban freeways with lots of lanes and entrances/exists and heavy traffic. The main issue there is capacity, at least during peak hours, and you certainly don't reach the highest capacity and flowing with morrons doing 85+ mph in dense traffic, waving, tailgating, changing lanes .../...
But with so much traffic the traffic slows down anyway, so the speed limit becomes pretty academic.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6570212429_4707cf71fd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570212429/)
EB I-494 and US-169 Interchange (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570212429/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Finally updating one of the worst intersection in the Minneapolis metro area during rush hour. Eliminating stop light on US-169 and creating flyovers to ease up traffic merging onto I-494.

I-35W in Minneapolis was reconstructed to eliminate traffic congestion at the MN-62 (Crosstown Highway) intersection and expanded to add HOV lanes to and from downtown Minneapolis to southern suburb of Burnsville, south of the Minnesota River.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6570218161_4732fce5e2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570218161/)
HOV Lane enterance on NB I-35W at HWY 62, Richfield, MN (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570218161/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6570219385_0bdcd0c8c5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570219385/)
I-35W and HWY 62 (Crosstown) Interchange (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570219385/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6570220571_fe0f34913b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570220571/)
NB I-35W to Downtown Minneapolis, MN (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570220571/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6570222295_6037def999.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570222295/)
E 46th Street Bus Stop Exit on I-35W (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570222295/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6570222823_a899b0fa72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570222823/)
Bus Stop at E 46th Street and I-35W (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570222823/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6570224163_aa2f51a1d5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570224163/)
HOV lane NB I-35W (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570224163/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr

Photos taken Christmas Day, 2011. Excellent driving weather, clear sky and 40 degrees!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6570224797_aec650b96b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570224797/)
NB I-35W Corridor, Minneapolis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570224797/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6570225249_2a395328e6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570225249/)
Downtown Minneapolis from NB I-35W (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570225249/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6570227221_6895ec0086.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570227221/)
Minneapolis Skyline from NB I-35W Downtown Exit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570227221/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr

I-394 Express Lanes heading west out of downtown Minneapolis to I-494.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6570239889_7419de5e07.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570239889/)
I-394 Express Lanes Enterance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570239889/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6570240507_11ba812482.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570240507/)
I-394 Express Lanes, Minneapolis MN (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570240507/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6570241653_43301e9562.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570241653/)
I-394 Golden Valley, MN (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72786309@N05/6570241653/) by Otter 2020 (http://www.flickr.com/people/72786309@N05/), on Flickr

From the other American roads thread:
I've also read they want to introduce Interstate 44 on a corridor from Raleigh to Virginia Beach.

There is already an I-44 from Wichita Falls to St. Louis. If this goes ahead, I would number it as I-54 or I-56. More likely I-54. AFAIK there are no even numbered interstate highways starting with a 5.

There are already various instances of identical Interstate numbers far apart;

* I-76: Denver - Julesburg + Akron - Philadelphia
* I-84: Portland - Echo + Scranton - Sturbridge
* I-86: Declo - Pocatello + Erie - Harriman
* I-88: Moline - Chicago + Binghamton - Schenectady

So it is not necessarily a problem.

Meanwhile, I-54 or I-56 is possible, considering there are no US 54 or US 56 in either Virginia or North Carolina.

Meanwhile, I-54 or I-56 is possible, considering there are no US 54 or US 56 in either Virginia or North Carolina.
Even still, you have I-74 and US 74 now in NC... and better yet, they're co-signed. :)

But yeah... for a Raleigh-to-Hampton Roads corridor, the numbers 42, 46, 54, 56, and 62 are all available for use if you want to stick to the grid.

The route could also be given a N-S designation... but there are no numbers available that would fit the grid. Thank you, Bud Shuster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_99).

I-101 :)

I read that on AARoads. I think they would reserve that for a corridor along the Delmarva Peninsula.

No reason that such a route couldn't go from Wilmington, DE to Raleigh. So I like it.

Eek!

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/traffic/Interstate_80_Pileup_010312

Traffic mayhem begins in Dallas, where the HOV lanes on I-635 are closed for the massive New LBJ project. This means 240 000 - 265 000 vehicles will have to squeeze on just 8 lanes, the perfect recipe for a gridlock.

http://i.imgur.com/2U1zq.jpg

qMc-ZPWo2nQ

Whos paying for that Project ?, hopefully its just the Texans.....

It is paid for by tolls and partially by state gas tax.

Whos paying for that Project ?, hopefully its just the Texans.....
Texas in general pays for most of their own road projects in the past years or at least much more than other states.

Speaking of the I-635 in Dallas...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6589325105_1d9f420871_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylerchristian/6589325105/)
Light Trails (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylerchristian/6589325105/) by sixfive190 (http://www.flickr.com/people/tylerchristian/), on Flickr

The first video of the new I-40 in Oklahoma City. The bridges look really cool. Great job.

BpW0xq-6rdE

^^^^ Wow! finally open! Can't wait for the Crosstown to be demolished.

Looks like a job well done. I'm sure it's a nice ride outside rush hour.

It's probably also nice during rush hour. Oklahoma City has almost no congestion, and this new 10 lane freeway is future-proof for a long time.

Ever wondered what those plastic poles between toll and free lanes cost?

About $17,400 a week is spent to replace those flimsy plastic poles that separate the express lanes from the regular lanes.

At a cost of $29 a pole, about 600 are replaced every week.

Officials say the costs are small compared to what it would've cost to build a new road or widen I-95.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-01-06/news/fl-i-95-express-tolls-20120106_1_northbound-lanes-free-lanes-lanes-opening

I bet there's all kinds of weaving between those flimsy poles, especially from what I hear about drivers in Miami...

Any pictures of the poles?

You can see the HOT lanes in this video:

XfRgJwSwmDI

Ever wondered what those plastic poles between toll and free lanes cost?



http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-01-06/news/fl-i-95-express-tolls-20120106_1_northbound-lanes-free-lanes-lanes-opening

Holy shit! $17,400....why not just use a good ole concrete barrier? I'd love to get paid $17,400 per week.

New I-70 Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6581400997_7dfc1e0a51_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581400997/)
D5486_CM-534 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581400997/) by MoDOT Photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/modot/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6581500105_8b9b169a62_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581500105/)
D5486_R2_CM_-108 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581500105/) by MoDOT Photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/modot/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6581410493_eda8b7e70e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581410493/)
D5486_CM-546 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581410493/) by MoDOT Photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/modot/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6581383183_1e2c25cbec_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581383183/)
D5486_CM-523 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/modot/6581383183/) by MoDOT Photos (http://www.flickr.com/people/modot/), on Flickr

It's probably also nice during rush hour. Oklahoma City has almost no congestion, and this new 10 lane freeway is future-proof for a long time.

Actually there are a lot of congestions in oklahoma city. especially on the junction of I-40, I-235, and I-35. On the weekend it is worse because everybody is trying to go to Dallas for some reason. The clover leaf junction on I-35 and I-240 is very dangerous for people who are not from the area.

Holy shit! $17,400....why not just use a good ole concrete barrier? I'd love to get paid $17,400 per week.

Not to mention the likelihood of a vertical deliniator replacement crew getting slaughtered at some point. :ohno:

I think the real problem is that there's simply not enough room for any type of barrier here. They should use a paint stripe and strict enforcement like Georgia does.

Here's I-275 just north of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Does anyone know what was originally planned here? The roadways curve apart here and leave an unusually wide median. Is it possible that some kind of freeway split was planned here? I don't see any evidence of an alignment further north or south of this interchange, but it appears to be possible there was space reserved for an interchange with the US 19 freeway.

http://i.imgur.com/1c6bK.jpg

Here's I-275 just north of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Does anyone know what was originally planned here? The roadways curve apart here and leave an unusually wide median. Is it possible that some kind of freeway split was planned here? I don't see any evidence of an alignment further north or south of this interchange, but it appears to be possible there was space reserved for an interchange with the US 19 freeway.

http://i.imgur.com/1c6bK.jpg

The image of Interstate 275 is located at 38 Av N in St. Petersburg, Florida (also known as Exit 25).

The unusually wide median at 38 Av N (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275SP-06.htm) was for a planned expressway (http://www.interstate275florida.com/I275SP-Ghosts.htm#02) which would have connected with another planned expressway at where 31 St S (Exit 20) is today. This planned expressway was intended to be a bypass route which would have connected to the planned Pinellas Expressway (another expressway that would have run parallel to an abandoned CSX rail line which is today the Pinellas Trail).

However, I see another use for this wide median at 38 Av N: A connector expressway linking Interstate 275 with US 19 north to Largo and Clearwater. The interchange would be a southbound entrance and northbound exit from Interstate 275 which would connect to US 19 at a rebuilt Gandy Blvd. (FL 694) interchange; it would enable commuters who live in Clearwater and work in St. Petersburg or vice versa to have an interstate-type route to Clearwater and northern Pinellas County.

A video of the relocated I-195 in Providence.

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This highway project was completed four years ago and re-connects Downtown Providence with the Jewelry District.

Traffic mayhem begins in Dallas, where the HOV lanes on I-635 are closed for the massive New LBJ project. This means 240 000 - 265 000 vehicles will have to squeeze on just 8 lanes, the perfect recipe for a gridlock.


qMc-ZPWo2nQ

did they start on this already?

Yes, the project has started.

Preliminary works already started before the summer if I'm correct.

The Spaghetti Bowl, I-10 at US 54 El Paso

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6524351439_2de3e6801c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351439/)
Rush Hour in El Paso (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351439/) by Brian Wancho (http://www.flickr.com/people/brianwancho/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6524351267_b4d39d8b81_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351267/)
El Paso Traffic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351267/) by Brian Wancho (http://www.flickr.com/people/brianwancho/), on Flickr

The Spaghetti Bowl, I-10 at US 54 El Paso

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6524351439_2de3e6801c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351439/)
Rush Hour in El Paso (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351439/) by Brian Wancho (http://www.flickr.com/people/brianwancho/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6524351267_b4d39d8b81_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351267/)
El Paso Traffic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianwancho/6524351267/) by Brian Wancho (http://www.flickr.com/people/brianwancho/), on Flickr
I call the left lane on Exit 22B westbound the "Highway to Hell" because it takes you across the river.

^
It's the Highway To Hell because it takes you straight to the traffic jam at the free bridge! ;)

Downtown Atlanta looms over I-75-85

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6638658353_7112d2e612_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greg_foster/6638658353/)
Gridlock'd (http://www.flickr.com/photos/greg_foster/6638658353/) by Greg Foster Photography (http://www.flickr.com/people/greg_foster/), on Flickr

I-75 Toll Project Alive And Kicking (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/i-75-toll-project-1307299.html)


The project to put optional toll lanes along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties is very much alive, according to state officials.

The state Department of Transportation, prompted by Gov. Nathan Deal, canceled bidding for it last month, sending shock waves through the state transportation community and sparking national press coverage. But Deal is now working with the state Department of Transportation to find a version of the project he will support.

“Even if it’s impossible for [road] capacity to keep up with growth, doing nothing is not an option,” Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Deal, wrote in an email Wednesday.

The issue popped for some legislators in transportation budget hearings at the Capitol on Wednesday. Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, whose district includes the I-85 HOT lane, said that the cost of toll fees on a regular basis was "exorbitant" for most people.

State officials said they had no other choice but to look to optional toll lanes such as the I-75 project. State Transportation Planning Director Todd Long, who reports to Deal, said recently that Deal “was not against the project, he was against the methodology."

[...]

I-610 in Houston.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4851421568_f96dec49a2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851421568/)
Dionysus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851421568/) by jczart (http://www.flickr.com/people/fatguyinalittlecoat/), on Flickr

US 59 in Houston.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4095/4851407812_2704802be3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851407812/)
US 59 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851407812/) by jczart (http://www.flickr.com/people/fatguyinalittlecoat/), on Flickr

Westpark Tollway in Houston.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4121/4851406086_9de2479e15_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851406086/)
Purple (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851406086/) by jczart (http://www.flickr.com/people/fatguyinalittlecoat/), on Flickr

US 59
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4140/4851394022_eaa3ea072b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851394022/)
Giant Freeway (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851394022/) by jczart (http://www.flickr.com/people/fatguyinalittlecoat/), on Flickr

Whoa, purple signs

^^ It should be noted that very few people use the Westpark tollway (mostly because of it's proximity to free routes and HCTA's stupid policy to only allow those with EZTags to use the road).

Anyways here is a video of the Long Island Expressway.

8qdPK8A8vYs&

Westpark Tollway in Houston.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4121/4851406086_9de2479e15_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851406086/)
Purple (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/4851406086/) by jczart (http://www.flickr.com/people/fatguyinalittlecoat/), on Flickr

First time see blue signs on US highways. Can someone explain what is going on?

^^ It should be noted that very few people use the Westpark tollway (mostly because of it's proximity to free routes and HCTA's stupid policy to only allow those with EZTags to use the road).


The Westpark Tollway caters to traffic the Katy Freeway does not directly cater to, suburban east-west traffic. It's a good 5 miles south of the Katy Freeway and is a much more direct route to especially Midtown, but also Downtown if coming from the Cinco Ranch area and other suburban areas along the tollway.

All-electronic tolling is the way to go on toll roads that see little out-of-region traffic, i.e. mainly suburban toll roads. The cost of manually collecting tolls is just too high. Besides that, there is still the possibility to use ZipCash if you don't use the toll roads enough to get an EZ TAG.

An advantage of all-electronic tolling is that you don't need to reduce the number of interchanges because of manual toll collection. It can operate just like any freeway, providing much better access to the road. Classic toll roads typically have much fewer exits, making them only interesting to long-distance traffic. Managed lanes like on the Katy Freeway also have this problem.

First time see blue signs on US highways. Can someone explain what is going on?

This is a purple sign to indicate toll roads. I believe it's now in the MUTCD too. It's a good way to indicate toll roads, even though purple may not seem like the most logical color, its contrast is pretty good.

^^ It should be noted that very few people use the Westpark tollway (mostly because of it's proximity to free routes and HCTA's stupid policy to only allow those with EZTags to use the road).

Anyways here is a video of the Long Island Expressway.



good video ; trafic seems to move slowly : is the 55 mph speed limit strictly enforced?

This is the most epic road widening project ever; I-35W in Forth Worth will be widened from 4 to 16 lanes.

-Q2uO95wjU8

The Westpark Tollway caters to traffic the Katy Freeway does not directly cater to, suburban east-west traffic. It's a good 5 miles south of the Katy Freeway and is a much more direct route to especially Midtown, but also Downtown if coming from the Cinco Ranch area and other suburban areas along the tollway.

All-electronic tolling is the way to go on toll roads that see little out-of-region traffic, i.e. mainly suburban toll roads. The cost of manually collecting tolls is just too high. Besides that, there is still the possibility to use ZipCash if you don't use the toll roads enough to get an EZ TAG.

An advantage of all-electronic tolling is that you don't need to reduce the number of interchanges because of manual toll collection. It can operate just like any freeway, providing much better access to the road. Classic toll roads typically have much fewer exits, making them only interesting to long-distance traffic. Managed lanes like on the Katy Freeway also have this problem.


HCTRA could at least implement pay-by-mail.

All-electronic tolling is the way to go on toll roads that see little out-of-region traffic, i.e. mainly suburban toll roads. The cost of manually collecting tolls is just too high. Besides that, there is still the possibility to use ZipCash if you don't use the toll roads enough to get an EZ TAG.

An advantage of all-electronic tolling is that you don't need to reduce the number of interchanges because of manual toll collection. It can operate just like any freeway, providing much better access to the road. Classic toll roads typically have much fewer exits, making them only interesting to long-distance traffic. Managed lanes like on the Katy Freeway also have this problem.


Harris County Toll Road Authority: Toll Road Information – Overview (https://www.hctra.org/tollroads/)

Drivers wishing to use the Westpark Tollway must have an EZ TAG or other interoperable Texas toll payment tag. No cash payment is accepted on this roadway.

The Westpark tollway does not allow you to use it without an EZTAG (ie there is no option such as Zipcash here). Other recently opened toll roads have more or less the same setup.

Either way it is a stupid policy on their end and they should give drivers the option to pay thru the mail like they already do on Colorado's, Florida's, and North Texas toll roads.

good video ; trafic seems to move slowly : is the 55 mph speed limit strictly enforced?

Considering that this is the NYC metropolitan area we are talking about here I doubt it.

However many states have become very aggresive in enforcing traffic laws because of the fact that many states are low on cash because of the current US economy.

Considering that this is the NYC metropolitan area we are talking about here I doubt it.

However many states have become very aggresive in enforcing traffic laws because of the fact that many states are low on cash because of the current US economy.

There may be some jurisdictions that have stepped up speed enforcement for this reason.

As for NYC, anyone who has driven on the tollways and expressways in NYC know that speeders are rare. Most drive right around the speed limit. It is the arterials and city streets in Manhattan where speeds start to get out of hand.

This is the most epic road widening project ever; I-35W in Forth Worth will be widened from 4 to 16 lanes.

-Q2uO95wjU8

Impressive, yes. Keep in mind that the far outside lanes are service roads, not part of the actual freeway per se. The middle lanes appear to be express lanes, not unusual in major cities. The Kennedy in Chicago and the I-5 in Seattle has multiple lanes used for express. Not an entirely new idea, but one that is functional and effective.

With it's mega freeways, it's interesting that Texas doesn't have much in the way of local/express setups other than HOV lanes.