The Interstate highway system is one of the great public works of all time. I have had a long fascination with the system, what it has done for America, and the places it has taken me and my family. I figured out years ago that the numbering system has even-numbered routes ending in zeros (such as I-10, I-20, I-80, I-90) running east and west across the country and odd-numbered routes ending in fives (such as I-5, I-15, I-25, I-95) runing north and south. Other even- and odd-numbered routes, oriented basically east-west and north-south respectively, fill in the rest of the system.
So one day, several years ago, I was studying a highway map of the United States and was surprised to find no Interstate 50 anywhere in the country.
"Why is there no Interstate 50?" I asked one of my daughters who was sitting nearby. The question was genuine.
I did not yet know, but found out from subsequent research, that when the new system was imposed on the country, overlaying the old U.S. highway numbering system, it was decided that duplicate numbers from the two highway systems could not co-exist in the same state.
The east-west even numbers of the old U.S. highway system increase from north to south (U.S. 30 is farther north than U.S. 50, for example). The east-west even numbers of the new Interstate system decrease from north to south (I-80 is farther north than I-10). The duplication would have become a problem in the middle latitudes of the country, where 50s and 60s could likely run through the same middle states. So, the people who think up these things merely decided never to construct an I-50 or an I-60.
And that is why there is no Interstate 50. Or 60.
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18 comments:
There is duplication in North Carolina. I-74 and US 74.
True, but this is something that only recently occurred, not to mention that Interstate 74 should not be south of Interstate 64. Engineers designed the system, politicians are too stupid to understand why, so they do what the want (e.g. I-99 in Pennsylvania.
Neat
Thanks for your research here...I drove by I99 in PA yesterday and thought that was out of place. Like you, I have had a fascination with the Interstate system as well.
Thanks again...great blog post
Stuart Crawford
San Francisco IT Support Consultant
I99, not stupid. I79 and i81 already exist, and I99 is between them. The stupidity occurred when they left 325 miles in between those two highways leaving no available numbers for a midstate highway. Solution: i83/i97 are ridiculous and should not exist on their own given both connect to the Baltimore belt way in the same northwest/southeast orientation. These should be combined as i97. Then i83 could be used for i99. Better but still not perfect.
The original post concerns the planning and development of the original interstate system. Originally, later additions were for into the nomenclature where possible, but that practice has been fading out, and now, it's often local preference, or just what fits.
The original post concerns the planning and development of the original interstate system. Originally, later additions were for into the nomenclature where possible, but that practice has been fading out, and now, it's often local preference, or just what fits.
That's because I-74 follows the same route as US-74 in some places.
I much appreciate this blog, as a English tourist who loves the USA and is rather anal about Interstates I could not understand why there was no I50 and I60, now I know. I really like the simplicity of the Interstate network, I do not use a Satnav but rely on my ability to find my location, this is not difficult in the US as Interstates run into major cities. My favourite Interstate is I90, love driving through Washington state and Montana.
Can anyone tell me why I85 is west 0f I75 in Georgia as it seems to go against the general principal of Interstates numbers rising from west to east.
The two merge in Atlanta. North of Atlanta, I85 is east of I75. South of Atlanta is where they split and then I85 goes west of I75
I-710 and i-110 are listed as interstates they only run a short distance in Southern California that way the federal government has to pay for the upkeep
I-12 is also listed as an interstate yet it only runs from baton rouge, LA to slidell, LA and therefore only goes through one state
I live in Fresno CA, a city of around 550,000 people, and part of a string of cities that run northwest and southeast of it (ie. Bakersfield, Tulare, Merced…) and NO interstate or US routes passes through it. The nearest Interstate in I-5 which skirts 50 miles away in remote nothingness and US 395 which also just hangs around in the Eastern Sierras and Nevada. May I ask why they don't car to build an Interstate highway connecting Fresno and the long string of cities with a population totaling 2-3 million people.
I89 and I91 cross in the middle of VT, so they break the rule, too.
That's because I85 goes more east and west than north and south like it was intended. To me I85 should have been an even number.
It is called a interstate bypass...normal Interstate roads that run east/west end in 0 such as I10, I20, etc. North South usually end in a 5. 2 digit non 0 or 5 are bypass or Interconnect and while part of the interstate system, are not always INTERstate..other examples; I49 in central La; I45 in Texas, which ends in a 5 and originally was planned to go to Oklahoma but instead ended up ending in downtown Dallas and US75 goes on to OK, etc and I37 between Corpus and San Antonio.
Unknown posted: I-710 and i-110 are listed as interstates they only run a short distance in Southern California that way the federal government has to pay for the upkeep.
The need for these roads to be federally funded was due to their end points in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The problem with their numbering is that they are both N/S freeways and should have had an odd number. And they are not really a bypass to the I-10 Freeway.
Originally they were California 7 and California 11 before the renaming.
So. Cal also have the I-105 that runs E/W.
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