Worst drives list

Many Saabists have listed some of their driving experiences that are pleasurable, with beautiful vistas and wide open roads. I'm going the contrarian way, and listing one of the worst areas to drive I have encountered: the I-95 corridor from Dale City, VA to Fredericksburg, including its evil twin Route 1. I was possessed to go to IKEA outside Dale City on a recent Saturday, and was gobsmacked with the mega-sprawl of Potomac Mills, a heat island of biblical proportions of every retail store possible. Now, I'm no innocent when it comes to sprawl, having resided in the Atlanta area for many years, but this was sprawl plus. Anyone familiar with this area knows what I mean; if not, avoid this area, especially if you are prone to road rage. And to make it worse, I couldn't find any alternative routes out of this mess that didn't take me through someone's pasture.

Have any areas you wish to share?

There are a few roads that are not on my favorites list..

I-94 between Detroit and Chicago. The road condition can be pretty bad, especially the right lane where all the trucks usually drive. There is nothing nice to look at and many people drive fast and pretty bad.

I-90 between Toledo and Cleveland. It is actually not as bad as it used to be because they raised the speed limit from 65 to 70 mph. Doesn't seem much of a difference but last time I drove that stretch many were driving around 75. Going 65 on a straight and flat highway is just too slow. Yeah, not much to look at besides farm fields. But that's true for many highways in the midwest.

Many roads in the Netherlands. There are speed cameras everywhere! Going 5 km/h over the speed limit and you'll get a ticket in the mail. At least in the US you'll get some return on your ticket by the light show in your rearview mirror.

I've only recently become a daily driving, and a long distance one at that. About 63 miles each way, five days a week.
I live in Manhattan near the bridge and commute to central NJ. Basically, to avoid the tolls on I-95, I take I-80 out to I-287, then south past the intersection with I-78, curling back east to exit 10 - well, 12).


So the highway driving is not terrible, and even the George Washington Bridge on the way home is usually not too terrible. New Jersey drivers are very aggressive, and that can be unnverving. But the worst part is the exit Google wants me to take. It's hard to describe so here is a picture.

Attachment 16012

To come off of 278, I end up in the right side of an exit ramp with traffic merging from another ramp to the left. I have to get to the left, and brake, to pull into a little hairpin turn that has to yield to traffic coming from my right. After that, I had to nudge into a two-lane thoroughfare with two options: the left lane, which is essentially a line to get on 278, and the right lane, which is all through traffic - some more through than others.

I don't take that exit anymore. I get off at a much more sane one and drive streets.

I have another road to add - I-64 from Richmond to Newport News, VA. A two lane freeway that carries more traffic than designed for, and particularly this time of year is bad due to tourists going to Wiliamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Virginia Beach. The road work doesn't help, but at least when it's finished, the additional lanes will help from Williamsburg to Newport News. But not from Williamsburg to Richmond, which will remain 2 lanes each way; no construction activity on that stretch. Anytime you compress traffic from 3 to 2 lanes, it's not a good thing.

And what's with the drivers who stay in the left lane ALL THE TIME without passing? Or not moving over AFTER THEY HAVE PASSED? I suspect once they have their cruise control on they don't want accelerate to pass quickly, so they pass s-l-o-w-l-y, backing up traffic behind them. I know Virginia is wickedly tough on speeders, but really, use left lane for passing, not cruising.

Would like to hear input from "left laners" about their habit.

PA turnpike east-west.... its always getting work done, costs a small fortune and is boring. In general PA roads suck other than I80, which seems to be in decent shape MOST of the time.

I95 through Philly, it might as well be Beirut or Baghdad.

I love my hometown, but Pittsburgh roads are just a maze of drunken engineering.