Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
To me, an interstate is the highway form of McDonald's or Wal-Mart. They are meant to be quick and economical, not to mention ubiquitous. 10 years after their inception, in 1968, they were all adhered to a uniform standard with regard to ramps, highest percentage of allowable grade, etc. With that said, I will identify a few outstanding stretches of interstate highways, most of which are near or on the same road beds as their US Highway predecessors.
1) I-70 Glenwood Canyon Colorado. From Eagle to Glenwood Springs, this is the single best stretch of the entire interstate highway system I have yet driven on. I do not know if anything more beautiful exists. Maybe someday I will find some stretch of interstate that approaches it.
2) I-84 Portland to The Dalles. Magical drive through Mount Hood National Forest.
3) I-90 Coeur D'Alene to Wallace Idaho.
4) I-70 (again) This time the San Rafael Swell area in Utah. Slackjawed is how I described myself driving through this stretch right before the Moab exit.
5) I-8 Just west of El Centro California to Alpine, en route to San Diego. An incredibly memorable climb from below sea level into a sea of boulders, a windmill farm, and a quick transition into verdant green forest.
The only interstate east of the Mississippi that warrant a mention are the I-93 area through Franconia Notch in New Hampshire, and portions of I-87 in New York, north of Albany through Adirondack National Forest.
Too many interstates are lawless and overcrowded with people who are clueless, distracted, and doing 15 over whatever the ever-changing recently-raised speed limit happens to be.
I'd be fine with all of them being ripped up or limited to commercial truck traffic only while everyone else is left with the options of trains and planes.
Too many interstates are lawless and overcrowded with people who are clueless, distracted, and doing 15 over whatever the ever-changing recently-raised speed limit happens to be.
I'd be fine with all of them being ripped up or limited to commercial truck traffic only while everyone else is left with the options of trains and planes.
Generally it's not the people who want to go 15 over the speed limit who are the root of problems on the Interstates. More of this "lawlessness" stems from people who are ignorant to the norms of staying in the right lane except to pass, who inexplicably slow down when they are actually passing, etc.
Generally it's not the people who want to go 15 over the speed limit who are the root of problems on the Interstates. More of this "lawlessness" stems from people who are ignorant to the norms of staying in the right lane except to pass, who inexplicably slow down when they are actually passing, etc.
Aggressive driving is a symptom; passive driving is the disease. If we were serious about putting an end to aggressive driving, then we'd start punishing the passive drivers, because they're the ones who create uncomfortable situations on the highway in the first place.
Aw man I hate the I-85 in southern Virginia. Although it does feel like you are driving through a forest, to me it seems boring until maybe south of Petersburg. Lets not forget the state troopers haha. I do absolutely love I-95 through Richmond that is probably my favorite. I also love H-3 in Hawaii.
I-85 is a bore from shortly after it begins near Petersburg until Durham. Two hours of monotony, with the trees in the median blocking most of your view between exists that average around 10 miles apart in Virginia, half of which have no amenities of them, plus the aforementioned patrolmen and nothing to hear on the radio. Add no lighting, and it's a dark, scary ride there at night. It's not much better the first hour in North Carolina, especially now with the state repaving 20 miles into Vance County from the state line and making it one line in both directions there until 2020 (!). It's still a little aggravating between Durham and Hillsborough, where it needs to be widened, but there's more to see and do the rest of the way into Atlanta at least, and once North and South Carolina finish their widening projects, it'll be an easier ride to endure too. Now if Georgia would just do the same on I-85 going into Atlanta (sigh).
As for your other comments, agree about I-95 and H-3. But I loathe I-95 in NC and SC, and they ain't going to be widened anytime soon due to mostly out-of-state traffic.
Let's see. 4, 10, 20, 35, the 5, 77 in NC, 76, 78, 81 in PA, the whole 95 corridor the whole damn thing needs to be burned to the ground. 65, 70 in Indiana is complete garbage. 55/57 in IL. 294 / 94 near and around Chiraq.
Give me a quiet 2 lane. I even drove portions of the old 66 out of OKC to Jenks. Loved that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
