List of business routes of the Interstate Highway System

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Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways
Business Loop 24.svg
Business Spur 196.svg
Highway shields for Business Loop Interstate 24 and Business Spur Interstate 196
Map of current Interstates.svg
Interstate Highways in the 48 contiguous states
System information
FormedJune 29, 1956 [1]
Highway names
Interstates Interstate nn (I-nn)
Business Loop:Business Loop Interstate nn (BL I-nn)
Interstate nn Business Loop (I-nn Bus. or I-nn BL)
Business Spur:Business Spur Interstate nn (BS I-nn)
Interstate nn Business Spur (I-nn Bus. or I-nn BS)
System links

The Interstate Highway System of the United States, in addition to being a network of freeways, also includes a number of business routes assigned by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). These routes connect a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass.

Contents

As the main purpose of these routes are to serve a certain downtown area, business Interstates are typically routed along surface roads. These routes do not have to meet Interstate Highway standards and are not considered part of the Interstate Highway System. AASHTO does, however, apply similar standards as to new U.S. Highways, requiring a new business Interstate to meet certain design standards. [2]

Business Interstates are more commonly found in the western regions of the United States, as well as both across the Great Plains and in the state of Michigan. In contrast, Eastern states generally did not designate as many business Interstates. This geographic difference can be attributed to the way the Interstate Highway System was constructed in different parts of the country. In many eastern states, the new Interstates were often built to parallel the existing U.S. Highway network, rather than directly replacing those older routes. With the exception of mountainous areas, this left the majority of U.S. Highways intact, or co-signed routes with the Interstates. However, in the western states, the construction of the Interstate system more frequently involved directly overlaying the former U.S. Highway alignments. This sometimes left sections of the old U.S. Highways disconnected, especially in rural areas between cities and towns. To maintain access to those former highway segments, business Interstate designations were often applied as a way to guide drivers to key commercial districts and services. Although business Interstates are primarily found along primary Interstates, a few auxiliary Interstates also have their own business route designations.[ citation needed ]

Like auxiliary Interstates, business Interstates can be repeated from state to state along their route. The only difference is that business Interstates can also be repeated in several locations within the same state.

Contents:

Terminology and guidelines

As the main purpose of these routes is to serve a certain downtown or urban area, business Interstates are typically routed along surface roads rather than limited-access freeway segments. This allows the business route to directly connect to and navigate a local street network, providing more accessible connections to the central business district. Business Interstates are often designated along existing city streets or arterials that already have a strong commercial and retail presence, rather than cutting through the urban core on a new alignment.

Since business Interstates are primarily routed along surface roads, they do not have to meet the strict design standards required for the mainline Interstate Highway System in order to qualify for that kind of designation. However, despite sharing the "Interstate" designation and similar shield design, business Interstates are not actually considered part of the mainline Interstate Highway System. They are treated more as auxiliary or supplemental routes that complement the overall Interstate network, rather than being fully integrated components.

The design standards for business Interstates are more akin to the guidelines used for new U.S. Highway routes. While they aim to maintain a baseline of safety and continuity, the standards are less stringent than the exacting specifications for lane widths, access control, grade separations, and other factors that define the main Interstate Highway network. [2]

Business route classifications

Business Interstates are signed with green shields that visually resemble the standard Interstate Highway shield, but with a few key differences. The word BUSINESS is used instead of INTERSTATE, and, above the number, where the state name is sometimes included, the word LOOP or SPUR appears.

A business loop has both ends connected to its parent Interstate route. This allows the business loop to provide direct access to the central business district or other major destinations within a city or town. Many business loops were created to replace a decommissioned U.S. Route. One example includes all the I-5 business loops in northern California, which replaced US 99W through towns like Woodland, Arbuckle, or Williams. Sometimes, a business loop may either be cosigned with or supplement an active U.S. Route, such as I-70 Business Loop in Denver, Colorado, that follows US 40 and Colfax Avenue across the metropolitan area.

A business spur has one end connected to the parent Interstate route, while the other end dangles or terminates at a specific destination, often the downtown or central business district of a city or town. One example is Business Spur I-75 into Bay City, Michigan. Sometimes, a business spur originates from an Interstate's terminus and continues into the city/destination. An example of this is I-20 Business Spur into Florence, South Carolina, which originates from I-20's eastern terminus at I-95.

While most business Interstates are usually routed along surface roads, they are sometimes routed onto freeways. Some of these stretches of freeways were once designated as mainline Interstates themselves, such as I-85 Business Loop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and I-80 Business Loop in Sacramento, California.

List

Defunct routes are listed in italics.

Interstate 5

Interstate 205

Interstate 8

Interstate 10

Interstate 15

Interstate 17

Interstate 19

Interstate 20

Interstate 24

Interstate 25

Interstate 126

Interstate 526

Interstate 27

Interstate 29

Interstate 229

Interstate 30

Interstate 35

Interstate 40

Interstate 44

Interstate 45

Interstate 49

Interstate 55

Interstate 65

Interstate 69

Interstate 70

Interstate 72

Interstate 75

Interstate 375

Interstate 76 (west)

Interstate 376

Interstate 80

Interstate 81

Interstate 83

Interstate 84 (east)

Interstate 84 (west)

Interstate 85

Interstate 385

Interstate 585

Interstate 86 (west)

Interstate 89

Interstate 90

Interstate 94

Interstate 95

Interstate 495

Interstate 96

Interstate 196

Interstate 496

Interstate 696

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Downtown Loop I-24 in Paducah, Kentucky was changed to Business Loop I-24 in 2002.
  2. ↑ Business Loop I-40 for Glenrio, Texas is a spur route (at the New Mexico state line it becomes a country road), but is posted as a business loop.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 196</span> Interstate Highway in Michigan

Interstate 196 (I-196) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that runs for 80.6 miles (129.7 km) in the US state of Michigan. It is a state trunkline highway that links Benton Harbor, South Haven, Holland, and Grand Rapids. In Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan counties, I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, after President Gerald Ford, who was raised in Grand Rapids and served Michigan in the House of Representatives for 25 years. This name generally refers only to the section between Holland and Grand Rapids. I-196 changes direction; it is signed as a north–south highway from its southern terminus to the junction with US Highway 31 (US 31) just south of Holland, and as an east–west trunkline from this point to its eastern terminus at an interchange with I-96, its parent highway. There are three business routes related to the main freeway. There are two business loops and one business spur that serve South Haven, Holland and the Grand Rapids areas. Another business spur for Muskegon had been designated relative to the I-196 number.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 85</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 85 (US 85) is a 1,479-mile-long (2,380 km) north–south United States Highway that travels in the Mountain and Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the highway is at the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, connecting with Mexican Federal Highway 45. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border in Fortuna, North Dakota, where the route continues north as Saskatchewan Highway 35. The highway route is part of the CanAm Highway. Sections of US 85 are designated as the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 191</span> Numbered Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 191 is a north–south highway in the Western United States and a spur of parent route U.S. Route 91 that has two segments. The southern segment runs for 1,102 miles (1,773 km) from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern segment runs for 442 miles (711 km) from the northern part of Yellowstone National Park to Loring, Montana, at the Canada–US border. Unnumbered roads within Yellowstone National Park connect the two segments. The highway passes through the states of Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 80 Business (Sacramento, California)</span> Interstate Highway business loop in Sacramento, California, United States

Interstate 80 Business, called the Capital City Freeway in its entirety and also known as Business 80, is a business loop of Interstate 80 (I-80) through Sacramento, California, United States. The route is also colloquially referred to as "Cap City Freeway" and "Biz 80". The entire route is a freeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 96</span> List of highways in Michigan

There have been six business routes of Interstate 96 (I-96) in the US state of Michigan. There are two business loops designated Business Loop Interstate 96 : one through Lansing and one through Howell. Both follow the old route of US Highway 16 (US 16), with appropriate connections to I-96. There are three former business spurs that were designated Business Spur Interstate 96. One connected to the carferry docks in Muskegon, running concurrently with part of Business US 31 along former US 16, but it has been eliminated. The second spur ran into downtown Portland until it was decommissioned in 2007. Two routes in the Detroit area—a loop through Farmington and a spur into Detroit—both using Grand River Avenue, and meeting at the temporary end of I-96 near Purdue Avenue, were eliminated when I-96 was moved to the completed Jeffries Freeway in 1977. The Farmington business route is still state-maintained as an unsigned highway, while the Detroit business route remained unsigned until it was decommissioned in 2016 and replaced by an extension of M-5.

Purple Heart Trail can refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 10</span> United States highway system

Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former US route or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 80</span>

Interstate 80 Business may refer to several business routes of the Interstate Highway System that connects Interstate 80 with the central business district of various cities bypassed by I-80. The business route in each community is considered a unique route. In many cases, these routes are a former section of a U.S. Route or state highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 70 in Colorado</span>

There are 13 active business routes of Interstate 70 in Colorado. Interstate 70 (I-70) spans Colorado in an east–west fashion, holding many business loops and spurs along the way, varying from lengths of 0.22 miles (0.35 km) to 27.47 miles (44.21 km), with a total of 55.51 miles (89.33 km). Four other business routes also used to exist within the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special routes of U.S. Route 30</span> Highway system

Several special routes of U.S. Route 30 exist. In order from west to east they are as follows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 90</span>

Interstate 90 Business may refer to several business routes of the Interstate Highway System that connects Interstate 90 with the central business district of various cities bypassed by I-90. Each business route can be either a business loop or a business spur, depending on whether both ends connect to I-90. The business route in each community is considered a unique route. In many cases, these routes are a former section of a U.S. Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 25</span> Route system

Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former US or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped sign and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 8</span>

There are five business routes of Interstate 8 (I-8).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 40</span> Highway system

Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former U.S. Route or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate highway.

References

  1. ↑ Weingroff, Richard F. (Summer 1996). "Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, Creating the Interstate System". Public Roads. 60 (1). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration . Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (November 15, 1997). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  3. ↑ District 11-0 (August 19, 2009). "I-376 Corridor New Exit Numbers" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation . Retrieved November 21, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[ permanent dead link ]
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