Where are the best Expressways?

DetroitDad · March-19-11, 01:20 AM

94, 96, 75, The Lodge? In a similar nature to the "best suburbs" thread; which one of Metro Detroit's motorways do you find the most pleasant to drive?

[[Motorway in this thread would refer to a express roadway that only allows motorized vehicles).

**Gistok** · March-19-11, 01:29 AM

DetroitDad... I'm going to do a quick threadjack....

The German Autobahn.... by far......

But in metro Detroit... it's relatively easy... I-96 Jeffries between the Davison and Outer Drive is the best [[due to local and express lanes)... but it was the worst in urban clearance.

The worst is the M-39 Southfield... it's a roller-coaster of up-down grade that causes a lot of accidents when people slow down because they're at the top of each hill and think the traffic ahead is slowing down.

The worst curves are the I-75 from 8 to 9 Mile and I-94 from 8 to 9 Mile...

NorthEndere · March-19-11, 01:39 AM

I have an even more intriguing question [[I know what you're thinking, is it even possible?): Which is Metro Detroit's best WalMart?

**Red Devil** · March-19-11, 02:36 AM

Best in Detroit - the Lodge. Outside of Detroit - the mighty 405

DetroitDad · March-19-11, 04:07 AM

Yeah, I definitely would have to agree with I-96. Why is our least used motorway the only one with an express and local option?

I really liked how additional lanes could be added during peak times in Chicago.

**JBMcB** · March-19-11, 04:57 AM

I agree, the best is probably I-96 through the express area. The only time I've experienced a backup is when they were doing bridgework.

The worst are:

696 at the Southfield where it necks down to three lanes for no particular reason, and at I-75 where it backs up in either direction, sometimes for several miles.

275 - it seems to be perpetually backed up for no particular reason, meaning bad design.

M-59 at lakeside - a nightmare of overdevelopment and ill-designed roadway, too many driveways and poorly timed traffic lights.

**softailrider** · March-19-11, 06:29 AM

I like 96 a lot. I like the Lodge and the Ford too. I actually like them all, you can get from one side of town to another in 15 minutes TOPS around here.

**East Detroit** · March-19-11, 10:16 AM

696 between 94 and Woodward. You can drive 85+ with impunity. The rest of 696 has strange, mispronounced street names intersecting with it and I don't like that.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-19-11, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

696 between 94 and Woodward. You can drive 85+ with impunity. The rest of 696 has strange, mispronounced street names intersecting with it and I don't like that.

you can find those on the east side too.

Grasshit, Shanor, Grosbik

The best one is the one you use to get to where you want to go. And if it is off-peak so much the better.

**gazhekwe** · March-19-11, 11:38 AM

I agree the worst is Southfield, though I got used to it when I worked in Southgate for a couple years. The best one for me is I-696 east of I-75 to I-94. It makes that long commute across town just a piece of cake, relatively simply. What used to take over an hour is done in 20 minutes now.

**wolverine** · March-19-11, 12:20 PM

I like the experience driving 696 and the Lodge.

**Ray1936** · March-19-11, 02:03 PM

Nuts. I'll take I-40 through Arizona and New Mexico any time, only slow down at Flagstaff. Notorious speed trap.

[[The Detroit connection is because I take it to Detroit from home.)

**dtowncitylover** · March-19-11, 03:44 PM

I've always liked the inbound side of 96 from Wixom into 275. The Lodge is a favorite of mine but don't take it too often. And the eastside portion of the Ford. And, one more, the inbound Fisher over the Rouge River Bridge.

The Jeffries express/local lanes were not necessary really.

**Gary** · March-19-11, 04:50 PM

The Lodge/Northwestern Hwy. from 8 Mile to Telegraph.

**Red Devil** · March-19-11, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Nuts. I'll take I-40 through Arizona and New Mexico any time, only slow down at Flagstaff. Notorious speed trap.

[[The Detroit connection is because I take it to Detroit from home.)

There are also a lot of smokies around Albuquerque too. I-40 is a nice piece of road during that stretch. I also like the Vegas to Denver drive. Very scenic the whole way through.

**Gsgeorge** · March-19-11, 05:35 PM

To me, the Lodge between Wyoming and 9 Mile has to be one of the best segments of urban freeways around. The freeway system's construction in general contributed to the division of neighborhoods on the Westside. But this stretch has a relatively small footprint, and substitutes the usual berm with canyon-like concrete walls. It has a clean & streamlined 'architecture.' If you look at the surrounding neighborhoods, like University District, it seems to have had relatively little impact on the neighborhood compared to the wholesale destruction surrounding I-75 or I-375.

The Lodge's gently meandering curves can be a pleasure to drive when the freeway is empty at night. Some people are intimidated by the walls, but I like how it almost feels like an 'uncapped' tunnel, crisscrossed by bridges. Even in traffic, it seems to move pretty smoothly at 62-72 MPH, well above the posted 55MPH limit.

**Brian1979** · March-19-11, 10:30 PM

In Detroit I think it's either the Jeffries or Ruether.

**English** · March-19-11, 11:53 PM

My favorite drive in the metro area has to be Ann Arbor to Detroit via M-14 and I-96. Talk about hassle free. M-14 is just awesome. Except for the summer they were doing construction, I've never minded driving it.

Before I moved to Ann Arbor, my favorite was the Davison Freeway. It was our area's first, and I grew up a block away from the Davison/96 exit. [[My folks loved telling the story about how they were going to connect the Davison to I-96, and half our block would have been wiped out.) When I student-taught at Davis Aerospace in the late 90s, it was the first freeway I drove regularly.

I totally agree with the person who talked about the Lodge at night. I like the Lodge just fine, but not between 7:30 and 9 am. It has gotten better as the city and inner-ring 'burbs have emptied out, because the rush hour traffic on it used to be much worse.

Least favorites are I-275, I-75 north of the city, and the stretch of 96 in Novi/Wixom [[shudder). I used to include 696 in that, but so many of my relatives and friends live along that corridor these days until I've gotten used to driving it.

Does anyone else get annoyed driving M-5? The folks have recently moved out that way, and I've been traversing it a lot. I've always liked Grand River, as it runs through my childhood neighborhood, but once the commercial stretch of it ends, it's not fun for me.

**hermousefriday** · March-20-11, 10:35 PM

I like 696 the most, I've never had any problems driving on it. I drive 94 almost everyday, and it terrifies me. Even though the speed limit west of 10 mile is 55mph, half the people on the road go 70 or faster, while the other half go around 55-60. It's a weird drive. Plus, lots of dead dogs on the road.

I hope I NEVER have to witness one getting hit.

**fareastsider** · March-20-11, 10:39 PM

I69 west of Port Huron is nice because its like having a whole freeway to yourself, very little traffic.

**Danny** · March-21-11, 09:16 AM

There are no best expressways, only the worst ones that bring traffic congestions.

**Planner3357** · March-21-11, 09:29 AM

Id say the Lodge....especially at 5:45 in the morning when I have it to myself...like a super speedway out there with pleasant curves to power out of. Usually average between 80-100 mph.