Interstate 70
| |
---|---|
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East end | MD 570 in Woodlawn, MD |
Location | |
Country | United States |
States | Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland |
Highway system | |
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west
Route description
mi[1] | km
| |
---|---|---|
UT | 231.70 | 372.89 |
CO | 450.18 | 724.49 |
KS | 424.15 | 682.60 |
MO | 250.16 | 402.59 |
IL | 157.33 | 253.20 |
IN | 156.60 | 252.02 |
OH | 225.60 | 363.07 |
WV | 14.45 | 23.26 |
PA | 167.92 | 270.24 |
MD | 93.62 | 150.67 |
Total | 2,171.71 | 3,495.03 |
Utah
I-70 begins at an
Prior to the construction of I-70, the swell was inaccessible via paved roads and relatively undiscovered. Once this 108-mile (174 km) section was opened to traffic in 1970, it became the longest stretch of Interstate Highway with no services and the first highway in the U.S. built over a completely new route since the Alaska Highway.[5][unreliable source] It also became the longest piece of Interstate Highway to be opened at one time.[6] Although opened in 1970, this section was not formally complete until 1990, when a second steel arch bridge spanning Eagle Canyon was opened to traffic.
Since I-70's construction, the swell has been noted for its desolate beauty. The swell has since been nominated for national park or national monument status on multiple occasions. If the swell is granted this status, it arguably would be the first time a national park owes its existence to an Interstate Highway. Most of the exits in this span are rest areas, brake check areas, and runaway truck ramps with few traditional freeway exits.
I-70 exits the swell near Green River. From Green River to the Colorado state line, I-70 follows the southern edge of the Book Cliffs.
Colorado
Entering from Utah, I-70 descends into the Grand Valley, where it meets the Colorado River, which provides its path up the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. Here, I-70 serves the Grand Junction metropolitan area before traversing more mountainous terrain.
Because of the rugged and narrow terrain of the Rocky Mountains, I-70 is one of few roads connecting Colorado's ski resorts with Denver.
Descending through the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, one can see the Denver skyline on a clear day. This can fool truckers and other unsuspecting drivers because one must still traverse 10 miles (16 km) of steep grade road before reaching the city. A series of signs warns truckers of the steep grade. As I-70 leaves the foothills, it goes through Denver and intersects I-25, serving as the central east–west artery through the city. Leaving Denver, I-70 levels out and traverses the wide plains through eastern Colorado. East of Denver, I-70 makes a broad turn to the south-southeast for 30 miles (48 km), before reaching Limon and resuming its eastward journey toward Kansas.
Kansas
Coming from Colorado, I-70 enters the prairie, farmlands, and rolling hills of Kansas. This portion of I-70 was the first segment to start being paved and to be completed in the Interstate Highway System. It is given the nickname "Main Street of Kansas", as the Interstate extends from the western border to the eastern border of the state, covering 424 miles (682 km) and passing through most of the state's principal cities in the process.
In
Missouri
After crossing the Intercity Viaduct, I-70 enters Missouri. It encounters a loop of freeways, called the Downtown Loop, which contains I-70 as well as I-35, I-670, US 24, US 40, US 71, and US 169. In the southern part of this loop, I-670 cuts directly through the downtown while I-70 bypasses the taller buildings a few blocks north near the Missouri River. Westbound I-670 is also designated Alternate I-70. Most of the Interstates in this loop are in their second mile, so all exits (no matter which Interstate the road carries) are numbered 2 and suffixed with every letter of the alphabet except for I, O, and Z, leading to the loop's nickname, the Alphabet Loop.
The section of I-70 in Downtown Kansas City is approximately the southern city limits of "City of Kansas" when it was incorporated in 1853. The first two auto bridges in Missouri mark the city's original boundaries with the Buck O'Neil Bridge (US 169) being the west boundary while the Heart of America Bridge (Route 9) is the east boundary. Another intersection of note is the second traverse of I-435. This is primarily notable because it immediately precedes the Truman Sports Complex (home of both Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums) and also because the entrance ramps from I-435 northbound onto I-70 eastbound also serve as the exit ramps from I-70 into the Truman Sports Complex parking lots. This section of the Interstate is marked as the "George Brett Super Highway", named after the Kansas City Royals third-base player who played the entirety of his career (1973–1993) at Kauffman Stadium. The last Interstate intersection in the immediate Kansas City metro area is with I-470 in Independence.
After passing Kansas City, I-70 traverses the length of Missouri, west to east. It passes through the largest city between Kansas City and St. Louis,
The 1985 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals was nicknamed the "I-70 Series" because St. Louis and Kansas City are the two endpoints of I-70 in Missouri, and the highway passes within sight of both the Royals' Kauffman Stadium and, at the time, the Cardinals' Busch Stadium.
Illinois
After crossing the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge, I-70 merges with I-55, while I-64 splits off I-55. When the routes intersect I-270, I-55 stays on its own pavement using the mileposts from the Poplar Street Bridge, while I-70 heads east on I-270's pavement using I-270's mileposts. Because of this arrangement, when I-55/I-70 intersects I-270 from the southeast, the exit number is 20 and, in the opposite direction, it is exit 15.
I-70 was rerouted from the Poplar Street Bridge to the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge north of Downtown St. Louis, which opened in February 2014.
I-70 passes through numerous county seats in Illinois, among them Vandalia, the state capital from 1818 to 1839. It runs concurrently with I-57 around Effingham and then proceeds east toward Indiana.
Indiana
I-70 enters Indiana just to the west of Terre Haute and then crosses the Wabash River before skirting the city's south side. After passing through miles of gently rolling terrain in rural west-central Indiana, the freeway approaches the major Indianapolis metropolitan area.
The main entrance to Indianapolis International Airport was relocated to I-70's exit 68 on November 11, 2008. Upon nearing the central business district of Indiana's capital city, the visages of Lucas Oil Stadium and the JW Marriott Indianapolis hotel, with the city's skyline as their backdrop, now dominate the view to the north from the freeway. After passing just to the south of the world headquarters for Eli Lilly and Company, I-70 and I-65 have a brief concurrency through the eastern side of Downtown Indianapolis. The junction points of these two major routes are known locally as the "South Split" and "North Split", respectively.
The I-465 beltway provides access to I-69 as I-70 does not connect to I-69 directly, while those similarly bound for I-74 access that route via its concurrency around the southern portion of the I-465 loop.
After passing through much of the near northeast side of Indianapolis, I-70 again encounters the I-465 beltway (which carries a multitude of unsigned U.S. Highways and Indiana state roads). I-70 continues on nearly due east from this point, first traveling through suburban Indianapolis and then transitioning into rural east central Indiana, where it passes just to the south of New Castle. Upon reaching the Richmond area, US 35 joins I-70 just before both routes leave Indiana together and enter Ohio.
Ohio
I-70 enters Ohio just east of the interchange with US 40 at Richmond, Indiana. Immediately to the east of this border, travelers notice a unique teal-blue arch that spans the width of the freeway, with a "Welcome to Ohio" greeting sign above the eastbound lanes. A sign thanking travelers for visiting Ohio is mounted on the other side of the arch for westbound travelers. Continuing eastbound, I-70 intersects I-75 north of Dayton, followed by I-675 on the east side of Dayton. Springfield is the next city, the site of Buck Creek State Park.
I-70 then encounters
West Virginia
The portion of I-70 in West Virginia crosses the Ohio River at Wheeling and runs through the Wheeling Tunnel. I-70 has only one throughlane in each direction at the tunnel. A major interchange was planned but never completed on the east side of the Wheeling Tunnel. Upon merging with I-470, I-70 goes uphill toward Dallas Pike. This part of the road is called "Two Mile Hill", which is known locally for the many accidents at the bottom of the hill. I-70 has brought major development in Ohio County, the only county the route passes through in West Virginia, in the past few years. On the north side of the highway, a former strip mine was developed into a retail area called The Highlands. This stretch of I-70 is the shortest that I-70 is in any state, traveling only 15 miles (24 km) from the Ohio River to the Pennsylvania border.
Pennsylvania
I-70 was initially envisioned to go through Downtown Pittsburgh but now goes south of it. Its originally planned route was later incorporated into I-376, as well as parts of I-76 and I-79. I-70 also overlaps I-79 near the Pittsburgh suburb of Washington for three miles (4.8 km).
The 38 miles (61 km) of I-70 between
From New Stanton to Breezewood, I-70 overlaps I-76 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is one of only two tolled sections of I-70 (the other is in Kansas, where the portion of the Kansas Turnpike east of Topeka is signed I-70).
Drivers on I-70 near Breezewood have to leave the freeway and travel a few blocks on
on the Interstate Highway System.I-70 continues on almost due south to the Maryland border after leaving I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) at Breezewood. This section is posted at 55 mph (89 km/h) and is heavily patrolled. After the border, it meets
Maryland
In
I-70 was planned to end at
History
Besides being the first Interstate to receive a contract for pavement,[12] other oddities happened with I-70 as well.
As first proposed, the western terminus of I-70 was to be
Completed in 1992, the freeway through Glenwood Canyon Colorado was the last major section of freeway on I-70 to be completed and widely heralded as an environmental and engineering success.[13]
As a result of
The highway gave its name to the I-70 killer, a serial killer who committed a string of murders within a few miles of it in several Midwestern states in the early 1990s. No suspect has ever been apprehended despite the widespread publicity the murders generated, including their being featured several times on the television show America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries.[citation needed]
The
Junction list
- Utah
- I-15 south-southwest of Cove Fort
- US 89 north-northeast of Sevier. The highways travel concurrently to Salina.
- US 50 / US 89 in Salina. I-70/US 50 travels concurrently to south-southwest of Mack, Colorado.
- US 6 / US 191 west of Green River. I-70/US 6 travels concurrently to south-southwest of Mack, Colorado. I-70/US 191 travels concurrently to west-southwest of Thompson Springs.
- Colorado
- US 6 / US 50 in Grand Junction
- US 6 northeast of Palisade. The highways travel concurrently to Rifle.
- US 6 in Chacra. The highways travel concurrently to Gypsum.
- US 6 in Eagle-Vail
- US 6 / US 24 northwest of Minturn. I-70/US 6 travels concurrently to Silverthorne.
- US 6 north-northeast of Keystone. The highways travel concurrently to east of Idaho Springs.
- US 40 east of Empire. The highways travel concurrently to east of Idaho Springs.
- US 40 north of Evergreen
- US 40 north of Evergreen. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Genesee.
- US 6 on the Golden–West Pleasant View line
- US 40 in West Pleasant View
- I-76 in Arvada
- US 287 in Denver
- I-25 / US 6 / US 85 / US 87 in Denver. I-70/US 6/US 85 travels concurrently through Denver.
- I-270 / US 36 in Denver. I-70/US 36 travels concurrently to Byers.
- I-225 on the Denver–Aurora city line
- US 40 / US 287 in Aurora. The highways travel concurrently to Limon.
- US 24 / US 40 / US 287 in Limon
- US 24 / US 40 / US 287 east of Limon. I-70/US 24 travels concurrently to Seibert.
- US 385 in Burlington
- US 24 in Burlington. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of Levant, Kansas.
- Kansas
- US 83 north-northwest of Oakley
- US 40 in Oakley. The highways travel concurrently to Topeka.
- US 283 in WaKeeney
- US 183 in Hays
- US 281 south of Russell
- I-135 / US 81 northwest of Salina
- US 77 in Junction City
- I-470 / US 75 in Topeka. I-70/US 75 travels concurrently through Topeka.
- I-470 in Tecumseh
- US 40 / US 59 in Lawrence
- US 24 / US 40 / US 73 in Bonner Springs. I-70/US 24/US 40 travels concurrently to Kansas City, Missouri.
- I-435 on the Edwardsville–Kansas City city line
- I-635 in Kansas City
- US 69 in Kansas City.
- I-670 in Kansas City
- US 69 / US 169 in Kansas City. I-70/US 169 travels concurrently to Kansas City, Missouri.
- Missouri
- I-35 in Kansas City. The highways travel concurrently through Kansas City.
- I-29 / I-35 / US 24 / US 71 in Kansas City. I-70/US 71 travels concurrently through Kansas City.
- I-435 in Kansas City
- US 40 on the Kansas City–Independence city line
- I-470 in Independence
- US 40 in Grain Valley. The highways travel concurrently to Boonville.
- US 65 south of Marshall
- US 40 west of Columbia. The highways travel concurrently to Wentzville.
- US 63 in Columbia
- US 54 in Kingdom City
- I-64 / US 40 / US 61 in Wentzville
- I-270 in Bridgeton
- US 67 in Bridgeton
- I-170 in Berkeley
- I-44 in St. Louis
- Illinois
- I-55 / I-64 / US 40 in East St. Louis. I-55/I-70 travels concurrently to northwest of Troy. I-70/US 40 travels concurrently to Troy.
- I-255 in Collinsville
- I-270northwest of Troy
- US 40 northeast of Highland. The highways travel concurrently to north of Pocahontas.
- US 40 northeast of Stubblefield
- US 40 in Vandalia
- US 51 in Vandalia
- US 40 southwest of Brownstown
- I-57 southwest of Effingham. The highways travel concurrently to Effingham.
- US 45 in Effingham
- US 40 east-northeast of Marshall. The highways travel concurrently to Terre Haute, Indiana.
- Indiana
- US 41 / US 150 in Terre Haute
- US 231 in Cloverdale
- I-74 / I-465 / US 36 / US 40 in Indianapolis
- I-65 in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through Indianapolis.
- I-465 / US 31 / US 36 / US 52 / US 421 in Indianapolis
- US 35 in Richmond. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Campbellstown, Ohio.
- US 27 in Richmond
- US 40 in Richmond
- Ohio
- US 127 west-southwest of Lewisburg
- I-75 in Vandalia
- I-675 northwest of Holiday Valley
- US 68 southwest of Springfield
- US 40 east of Springfield
- US 42 southwest of Gillivan
- I-270 in Columbus
- I-670 in Columbus
- US 40 in Columbus
- US 62 in Columbus
- I-71 in Columbus. The highways travel concurrently through Columbus.
- US 23 / US 33 in Columbus
- US 33 in Columbus
- US 33 in Columbus
- I-270 in Columbus
- US 40 southwest of Gratiot
- US 40 west-northwest of Zanesville
- US 22 / US 40 west-southwest of Norwich
- I-77 south-southeast of Cambridge
- US 40 south of Old Washington. The highways travel concurrently to west-southwest of Morristown.
- US 40 west-southwest of St. Clairsville
- US 40 west of St. Clairsville
- I-470 east-southeast of St. Clairsville
- US 40 east-southeast of St. Clairsville
- US 250 in Bridgeport
- West Virginia
- US 40 / US 250 on Wheeling Island. The highways travel concurrently to Wheeling.
- US 40 in Wheeling
- US 40 in Wheeling
- I-470 in Wheeling
- US 40 in Wheeling
- Pennsylvania
- US 40 southwest of Washington
- I-79 north of Washington. The highways travel concurrently to east-southeast of Washington.
- US 19 northeast of Washington
- I-76 in New Stanton. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Breezewood.
- US 219 in Somerset
- I-99 / US 220 north-northwest of Bedford
- US 30 in Breezewood. The highways travel concurrently through Breezewood.
- US 522 north of Warfordsburg. The highways travel concurrently to Hancock, Maryland.
- Maryland
- I-68 / US 40 north-northwest of Hancock. I-70/US 40 travels concurrently to south-southwest of Pecktonville.
- I-81 in Halfway
- US 40 south-southeast of Hagerstown
- US 40 in Braddock Heights
- US 15 / US 340 in Ballenger Creek
- I-270 / US 40 in Frederick. I-70/US 40 travels concurrently to West Friendship.
- US 29 in Ellicott City
- MD 570 to Baltimorecity line.
Auxiliary routes
I-70 has one of the closest distances between two distinct auxiliary Interstates with the same child Interstate number. I-470 near Topeka, Kansas, and I-470 on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri, are approximately 72 miles (116 km) apart. This record is surpassed by I-291 around Hartford, Connecticut, and I-291 near Springfield, Massachusetts, which are unrelated but are 23 miles (37 km) apart.
A breakdown of I-70's auxiliary routes follows:
- Denver, Colorado. It also carries US 36along its entire length.
- I-470 is a loop around the south side of Topeka, Kansas.
- I-670 is an alternate route of I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
- I-470 is a connector between I-70 and I-435 in southeastern Kansas City and Independence, Missouri.
- I-170 is a connector between I-64 and I-270 in St. Louis County, Missouri.
- I-270 loops around the city and county of St. Louis, Missouri. It is supplemented by I-255 to the east.
- beltway around Columbus, Ohio.
- I-670 is a 9.37-mile (15.08 km) highway beginning at I-70 west of Downtown Columbus, Ohio, and terminating at I-270 in eastern Columbus that also provides direct access to John Glenn Columbus International Airport from downtown.
- I-470 is a southern bypass around Wheeling, West Virginia.
- Washington DC. It was formerly designated I-70S.
- I-370 is a spur to Gaithersburg and Rockville, Maryland, from I-270. It never connects to I-70.
- Baltimore, Maryland, but the short part that opened never connected to I-70 or to any other Interstate Highway. It was decommissioned in 1989, and US 40is the current designation for the freeway.
References
- ^ a b Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library. Archived from the originalon January 27, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- ^ Stufflebeam Row, Karen; LaDow, Eva; Moler, Steve (March–April 2004). "Glenwood Canyon 12 Years Later". Public Roads. 67 (5). Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (Summer 1996). "Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways Engineering Marvels". Public Roads. 60 (1). Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "Interstate 70". Utah Highways. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Why Does I-70 End in Cove Fort, Utah?". Ask the Rambler. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- ^ The 2014 Road Atlas (Map). Rand McNally. 2014. p. 58.
- Kansas City Business Journal. February 8, 2006. Archivedfrom the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- ^ "Route 40/61 Corridor Projects". Missouri Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- Washington Post. p. B1.
- ^ Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2022). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- Baltimore County (PDF). p. 117.
- ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (Summer 1996). "Three States Claim First Interstate Highway". Public Roads. 60 (1). Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ^ Encyclopedia Staff (November 19, 2015). "Interstate 70". Colorado Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Interstate 70". Interstate-Guide. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2015.[self-published source]
- ^ Gayle, William (April 9, 2014). "An Application from the State Highway or Transportation Department of Maryland for the Elimination of an Interstate Route" (PDF). Letter to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Annapolis: Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2.
- Hiaasen, Rob (June 4, 2007). "Go west, young man: Like Horace Greeley's famed advice, curious sign on I-70 beckons yonder". ]
External links
- Geographic data related to Interstate 70 at OpenStreetMap
- Route of Interstate 70 overlaid on Google Maps