No less than the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) made an interesting claim. They called it “Other Interstate Trivia, but I considered it Gold. “All but five state capitals are served by the interstate highway system. Those that are not served are: Juneau, AK; Dover, DE; Jefferson City, MO; Carson City, NV; and Pierre, SD.”
Every other website that featured this interesting tidbit seemed to feed directly from the FHWA source. Most didn’t even bother to change the language. No, they simply cut-and-pasted the quote verbatim without attribution and presented it as fact.
It seems odd to our sensibilities that and Interstate highway doesn’t serve the capital city of a given state. One imagines that if any place could secure the necessary Federal highway funds it would be the center of a state’s political universe. So how can a capital city, one wonders, live practically off-the-grid like that? Is the claim factual?
Well, in a strict technical sense, yes as of the date I posted this article. However, as with many things discussed on 12MC, a closer examination reveals nuance and shades of gray. The lack of an Interstate highway doesn’t make a city isolated per se. So keep that in mind as we proceed.
Alaska
Let’s start with the easy one. Three guesses why the Interstate highway system doesn’t serve Juneau, Alaska. Right.
Juneau grew along a narrow flatland, hemmed-in between a tall ridge of coastal mountains on one side and the Gastineau Channel on the other (map). That was perfectly fine when boats were a primary means of transportation. However, that creates a series problem in an automobile-oriented culture.
Juneau’s Glacier Highway does continue to push farther north along the coastline (much farther than when I went “Out the Road” a number of years ago). Perhaps someday their road will extend all the way to Skagway through some engineering miracle and massive amounts of oil revenue to finally connect Juneau to the outside world by road. Nonetheless, even if it ever did, it would still be a long way from Interstate quality. Ships and airplanes seem to be a better option for Juneau. Some people say it might be easier to simply move the capital somewhere else.
Missouri and South Dakota
Jefferson City, Missouri and Pierre, South Dakota also come close to proving the adage. Even so, access to either one is considerably easier than Juneau. Both have four-lane highways leading from an Interstate in at least one direction albeit these access roads have plenty of at-grade intersections. So that condition by itself fails to meet Interstate highway standards. I’m sure there are plenty of other reasons too.
The Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce has pushed for a road that would become Interstate 570. But it remains a pipe-dream at this time without any meaningful planning or funding. I couldn’t find any similar efforts in Pierre. Apparently the existing 4-lane road works just fine for them. At-grade crossings are less of a problem in a rural area within the Great Plains. Much of the 34 mile stretch of U.S. Route 83 extending between Interstate 90 and Pierre crosses the Fort Pierre National Grassland.
Nevada
Carson City, Nevada and Dover, Delaware are different stories. Carson City will likely drop from the list before too long. U.S. Route 395 serves it, dropping south from Interstate 80 at Reno. Much of Route 395 already meets Interstate standards. Construction continues and before long it will become Interstate 580.
They might finish it this year. Then, suddenly a thousand unoriginal websites shamelessly copying from the Federal Highway Administration verbatim will be wrong. Incorrect information on the Intertubes? I know, I know… heaven forbid.
[UPDATE: Interstate 580 is now a reality (map)]
Delaware
U.S. Route 1, as it drops south from Interstate 95 between Newark and Wilmington down to Dover, sure looks like it must be a prominent freeway based on the map. Indeed it is, and it even adheres to Interstate highway standards. It’s a toll road, the 51-mile Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.
Nonetheless it is not an Interstate highway, not even a secret one. I don’t know why. If someone in authority in Delaware snapped his or her fingers and planted a few signs it could qualify as an Interstate highway. Then it would drop Dover from the list instantly.
Final Thoughts
Final verdict: the FHWA list of five is correct in 2012. However one state capital has a road that’s an Interstate highway equivalent and another will have an actual Interstate highway soon.
Let’s not forget about Honolulu, Hawaii, either. It’s not on the list because an Interstate highway does serve it.
There are a number of Interstate highways in Hawaii although, paradoxically, none of them are actually interstate for the obvious reason. An Interstate highway has to adhere to specific design characteristics but it doesn’t have to cross a state border, oddly enough.
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