| Coordinates | 36°46′33″N174°33′19″N |
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| Country | USA |
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| Type | I |
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| Route | 90 |
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| Map | Interstate 90 map.png |
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| Length mi | 3099.07 |
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| Length round | 2 |
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| Length ref | |
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| Established | 1956 |
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| Direction a | West |
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| Terminus a | or 4th St S in Seattle, WA |
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| Junction | in Seattle, WA near Butte, MT near Buffalo, WY in Albert Lea, MN in Chicago, IL in Gary, IN near Gary, IN near Toledo, OH near Cleveland, OH in Syracuse, NY in Weston, MA |
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| Direction b | East |
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| Terminus b | in Boston, MA |
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Interstate 90 (I-90) is the longest
Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels
US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in
Seattle, at Airport Way S. next to
Safeco Field and
Qwest Field, and its eastern terminus is in
Boston, at
Route 1A near
Logan International Airport. It crosses the
Continental Divide over
Homestake Pass just east of
Butte, Montana.
East of the Wisconsin-Illinois border, much of I-90 is tolled, along the following toll roads (several of which predate the Interstate system): the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, Chicago Skyway, Indiana Toll Road, Ohio Turnpike, New York State Thruway, and the Massachusetts Turnpike, including the Ted Williams Tunnel. It is free through downtown Chicago; Greater Cleveland and the rest of northeastern Ohio; Pennsylvania; and through brief sections near Buffalo, Albany, and Boston.
Route description
|-
|
WA
|299.62
|477.85
|-
|
ID
|73.55
|118.37
|-
|
MT
|551.68
|887.84
|-
|
WY
|208.8
|336.03
|-
|
SD
|412.76
|664.27
|-
|
MN
|275.7
|443.70
|-
|
WI
|187.14
|301.84
|-
|
IL
|123.89
|199.38
|-
|
IN
|156.28
|251.51
|-
|
OH
|244.75
|393.89
|-
|
PA
|46.4
|74.67
|-
|
NY
|385.48
|620.37
|-
|
MA
|135.72
|218.42
|-
|Total
|3101.77
|4988.14
|}
Washington
In 2003, the
Seattle, Washington terminus was re-engineered to better accommodate traffic from the two nearby sports stadiums. I-90 westbound still ends at its previous location next to
Qwest Field, but eastbound begins about 1/4 mile (0.4 km) south at
Edgar Martínez Drive S. near the roof shed of
Safeco Field at an interchange with 4th Avenue S.
The tunnel that carries Interstate 90 under the Mount Baker Ridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. The east portal of the tunnel (visible when entering Seattle from the east) is constructed as a bas relief concrete sculpture.
I-90 incorporates two of the longest floating bridges in the world, the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, which cross Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island, Washington. They are the second and fifth longest such bridges, respectively.
Forty miles east of Bellevue I-90 traverses the Cascade Range's Snoqualmie Pass, elevation . At mile post 137, it crosses the Columbia River on the Vantage Bridge, and after entering Spokane, Washington near mile post 279, enters Idaho later.
Since 1980, I-90 from Seattle to Thorp, Washington, was designated the Mountains to Sound Greenway to protect its outstanding scenic and cultural resources.
Washington Law Defining Route
The Washington section of I-90 is defined in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 47.17.140).
Idaho
The small town of
Wallace, Idaho still prides itself on having what was the last stop light on I-90. Its downtown has many historical buildings, which would have been wiped out by the original planned route of the freeway, so in 1976, city leaders had the downtown placed on the
National Register of Historic Places. As a result, the federal government was forced, at great expense, to reroute the freeway to the northern edge of downtown and elevate it. That section of I-90 opened in September 1991. A bicycle path is routed beneath part of that segment.
Montana
From 1995 until 1999, there was no numbered speed limit on I-90 in Montana. The speed limit was simply defined as "reasonable and prudent" as determined on a case by case basis by the Montana Highway Patrol. The speed limit in Montana is now 75 mph (120 km/h). From the west I-90 enters Montana on the summit of Lookout Pass. It passes next to Missoula and runs through Butte before crossing the continental divide just east of Butte, where it goes over Homestake Pass. It passes between the Gallatin and Bridger mountain ranges over
Bozeman Pass between Bozeman and Livingston. It follows the Yellowstone River from Livingston to Billings where it intersects with I-94's western terminus. South of Hardin, it passes the site of the
Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand) at Crow Agency on the Crow Indian Reservation. Montana boasts the longest stretch of I-90, ranging just over .
Wyoming
At the Montana border I-90 is a four-lane divided highway with a grass median. At
Buffalo, Wyoming (if traveling eastward from the north), it diverges from I-25 with a more east–west orientation.
South Dakota
Near
Rapid City, South Dakota, at the Wyoming border I-90 is a four lane divided highway with a grass median. In the
Sioux Falls area, I-90 intersects I-29 and continues east a short distance to
Minnesota. I-90 is the longest east–west thoroughfare in South Dakota. This interstate goes through Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City. It does not go through Pierre, the state capital.
The South Dakota section of I-90 is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-184.
Minnesota
The Minnesota section of I-90 is defined as Route 391 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(3).
I-90 crosses southern Minnesota from the South Dakota border near Beaver Creek, Minnesota, to the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin. On most of its length in the state, it is close to the Iowa border and fairly parallel with it. In southeast Minnesota, it curves north to Rochester and Winona.
The wayside rest area near Blue Earth, Minnesota, is where the east-building I-90 and west-building I-90 teams linked up in 1978, thus completing the final mile and joining the of the interstate. Since being overlaid with bituminous paving in 2006, the original gold colored cement concert line marking the completion of I-90 has been replaced with gold paint on just the shoulder portions of the roadway at the same location; plaques dedicating and describing this special segment of I-90 pavement can be found at the Blue Earth rest areas.
Wisconsin
I-90 crosses Wisconsin from Minnesota to Illinois in a generally southeasterly direction. It joins I-94 in
Tomah and I-39 in
Portage. I-94 separates from I-90 at
Madison.
I-39/90/94 from just south of Portage to Madison is the longest concurrency of three Interstate Highways in the United States.
Illinois
oasis on the
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.]]
In the state of
Illinois, Interstate 90 enters Illinois north of
Rockford oriented north–south joined with
Interstate 39. It then runs east-southeast directly to the city of
Chicago. From Rockford to
Interstate 294 the road is tolled and called the
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Prior to 2007 the
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway was called the Northwest Tollway. In the
Chicago metropolitan area, I-90 is known by three names from
O'Hare International Airport to the
Indiana state line. The
Kennedy Expressway runs from O'Hare to
Interstate 290 and the
Chicago Loop. I-90 continues running south of the Loop on part of the
Dan Ryan Expressway, and then southeast onto the tolled
Chicago Skyway into Indiana.
Indiana
In the state of Indiana, the entirety of Interstate 90 is concurrent with the
Indiana Toll Road. Interstate 90 enters from Illinois at the
Chicago Skyway. It then runs to the concurrency of Interstates
80/
94 east of
Interstate 65, where I-80 leaves I-94 and joins with I-90. The combined I-80/90 route runs east across northern Indiana and near the southern border of
Michigan to the Ohio state line.
As part of the Toll Road, I-80/90 passes to the north of South Bend and Elkhart. It also passes north of Angola at Interstate 69.
Ohio
interchange in Cleveland]]
The Indiana Toll Road turns into the Ohio Turnpike as it crosses the border. I-90 follows the Ohio Turnpike
until Lorain (west of Cleveland), where it turns north to follow a route near the shores of Lake Erie. Originally, it was going to be parallel to, and north of, I-80/Ohio Turnpike further west to Toledo. Parts were built with an interim assignment of State Route 2. Later; that plan was abandoned, and the I-90/I-80 exit/connector was built instead; those existing parts retain the Rt. 2 designation.
In Cleveland, Interstate 90 serves as the Innerbelt at the confluence of the northern termini of Interstates 71 and 77. One of the most peculiar and hazardous stretches of Interstate 90 is the section of highway passing through downtown, known locally as Dead Man's Curve. Here, the road takes a nearly 90-degree turn. While there are plenty of large signs, flashing lights, and rumble strips alerting motorists to this turn, there have still been a large number of accidents resulting from inattentive motorists. There are plans to realign the freeway along a shallower curve within the next decade, as part of a larger project to improve the highway system in Cleveland.
The Innerbelt in Cleveland also utilizes a steel-gusset bridge of the same design as the I-35W bridge that failed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since September 30, 2008, two lanes in each direction of the 8-lane bridge were closed to reduce the weight load on the structure. The bridge is currently under close inspection as it has deteriorated greatly over the last few years. On October 8, 2008, the bridge was closed entirely to undergo a stress test. In May and June 2009, the bridge was closed while engineers lifted it with hydraulic jacks and moved it approximately six inches to realign it. It is largely believed that the bridge will be replaced within the next five years by a new span. Many in the Cleveland area are beginning to question the safety of the bridge, and the Ohio Department of Transportation continues to stress that the bridge is safe and if there was any imminent danger it would be permanently closed. There are plans to build a new bridge which will carry I-90 west and I-71 south. The old bridge will carry I-71 north and I-90 east.
Pennsylvania
I-90 goes from the Ohio state line through
Erie, Pennsylvania, and then leaves Pennsylvania for New York. At 46.4 miles (74.67 km), it is Interstate 90's shortest intrastate length.
While not an interstate, a portion of Pennsylvania Route 5 in Erie has recently been named Pennsylvania Route 290. The purpose is to encourage travelers to use this stretch of Erie's 12th Street as a loop, connecting Interstate 79 and 90 to the Bayfront Connector and downtown Erie.
New York
near Syracuse looking east]]
I-90 becomes the New York State Thruway upon entering New York. It follows the Lake Erie coast until Buffalo, where it joins the old Water Level Route until Albany. There, it takes a short detour before joining the New York State Thruway Berkshire Connector.
Almost all of the New York portion of the road is a toll road, comprising the east–west portion of the New York State Thruway mainline and part of the Berkshire Connector, operated by the New York State Thruway Authority. It was originally constructed as part of the Thruway project in the middle 1950s and received its current designation as Interstate 90 in 1958. The road roughly follows the course of the 19th-century Erie Canal for much of its length in New York State. "I-90" (operated by NYSDOT) carries Interstate 90 between the two; however, the Berkshire Section directly connects to the mainline (at Thruway interchange 21A) 6.5 miles (10.5 km) west of the point where I-90 joins it (at Thruway interchange B1).
The mileposts and exit numbers on the New York State Thruway mainline originate at the New York City line and increase northward along Interstate 87 and westward along Interstate 90. As a result, mileposts and exit numbers on the I-90 section of the Thruway mainline increase from east to west, contrary to modern practices where numbers increase from the west or south. The NYSDOT-maintained portion in between, known to locals as "I-90," does number its mileage and exits in the traditional west-to-east method. (Ironically, the NYSDOT maintained portion of I-90 is oriented geographically north–south for most of its length, so the exit numbers seem to increase from north to south.) Exit and milepost numbering starts over again when the Berkshire Section of the Thruway begins, with exit and mile numbers preceded by the letter B (Exit B1, Exit B2, Mile B1, Mile B2, and so on).
There once were two metric-only signs on the westbound New York State Thruway around Syracuse, which is about 100 miles (161 km) from Ontario. The NYS Thruway Authority decided to test metric signage, which may have briefly included an 88 km/h speed limit sign, on the Thruway. There was also a sign displaying the distance to the Interstate 81 interchange in kilometers in Dewitt. These signs are now displayed in just miles.
I-90 is one of two Interstates having a complete set of nine spur routes (190, 290, 390...890, 990) within one state, in New York, with the other being Interstate 5, in California. In addition, I-990, a short spur route near Buffalo, New York not directly connected to I-90, is the highest number given to an Interstate.
I-790 in Utica used to have a completely direct connection with I-90 at Thruway interchange 31. Various road redesign projects over the years have eventually led to this direct connection being partially severed. Traffic exiting the Thruway must use two different surface streets to reach I-790. However, it is still possible to travel from I-790 directly onto the Thruway. I-790 has some other oddities: no exit numbers, no reassurance markers, and it runs concurrent with New York State Route 5 for its entire length.
The New York section of I-90 west of the Berkshire Section of the New York Thruway is defined as Interstate Route 504 in New York Highway Law § 340-a.
Massachusetts
I-90 in Massachusetts runs along the pre-Interstate era
Massachusetts Turnpike, which opened on May 15, 1957, from West Stockbridge at the New York state border to
Route 128.
The first section of the Boston Extension opened in September 1964 from the original terminus at Route 128 to the Allston/Brighton Tolls. The entire Boston Extension opened on February 18, 1965 continuing from the Allston/Brighton Tolls to I-93 in Downtown Boston. The new extension added to the MassPike's original 123.
I-90 was extended again as part of the Big Dig from its terminus at I-93 to Boston's Logan International Airport and a terminus of Route 1A in January 2003 via tunnels under the Fort Point Channel and the Ted Williams Tunnel under Boston Harbor. This extended I-90 by an additional , shifting the eastern terminus to Route 1A.
Turnpike Doubles are permitted to travel between exit 11 and through the New York state border.
History
I-90 made heavy use of existing roads. The
Massachusetts Turnpike,
New York State Thruway,
Ohio Turnpike,
Indiana Toll Road,
Chicago Skyway, and the
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway all predate I-90 and were used for parts of its route. This also means that substantial portions of the route are not precisely to
Interstate Highway standards, but they are usually close.
The popular TV sitcom Cheers was set in Boston, on the east end of I-90. When the spin-off Frasier was being developed, it was decided to set that series as far from Boston as possible, so Seattle, on the west end of I-90, was chosen as the setting.
Major intersections
and Interstate 90 intersecting in
Seattle, Washington]]
Interstate 5 in Seattle, Washington
Interstate 405 in Bellevue, Washington
Interstate 82 in Ellensburg, Washington
Interstate 15 in Butte, Montana; joined for 7.65 miles (12.31 km)
Interstate 94 in Billings, Montana
Interstate 25 in Buffalo, Wyoming
Interstate 29 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Interstate 35 in Albert Lea, Minnesota
Interstate 94 in Tomah, Wisconsin; joined for 91.76 miles (147.67 km) until Madison, Wisconsin.
Interstate 39 in Portage, Wisconsin; joined for about 95 miles (152 km) until Rockford, Illinois.
Interstate 43 in Beloit, Wisconsin
Interstate 94 in Chicago, Illinois; joined for 16.71 miles (26.89 km)
Interstate 55 in Chicago, Illinois
Interstate 65 in Gary, Indiana
Interstate 94 in Lake Station, Indiana
Interstate 80 in Lake Station, Indiana; joined for 278.40 miles (448.04 km) until Lorain, Ohio.
Interstate 69 in Fremont, Indiana
Interstate 75 in Toledo, Ohio
Interstate 71 in Cleveland, Ohio
Interstate 77 in Cleveland, Ohio
Interstate 271 in Willoughby, Ohio
Interstate 79 in Erie, Pennsylvania
Interstate 86 in Erie, Pennsylvania
Interstate 81 in Syracuse, New York
Interstate 88 in Rotterdam, New York
Interstate 87 in Albany, New York
Interstate 91 in West Springfield, Massachusetts
Interstate 291 in Chicopee, Massachusetts
Interstate 391 in Chicopee, Massachusetts
Interstate 84 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Interstate 395 in Auburn, Massachusetts
Interstate 495 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Interstate 95 in
Weston, Massachusetts
Interstate 93 in
Boston, Massachusetts
Auxiliary routes
Rapid City, South Dakota - I-190
Chicago, Illinois - I-190 (provides a direct route to O'Hare International Airport), I-290
Cleveland, Ohio - I-490
Buffalo, New York - I-190, I-290, I-990 (not directly connected)
Rochester, New York - I-390, I-490, I-590 (not directly connected)
Syracuse, New York - I-690
Utica, New York - I-790
Schenectady, New York - I-890
Spur to I-495 in Marlborough, Massachusetts - I-290
Spur to Leominster, Massachusetts - I-190
I-90 is the only interstate to have a complete set of auxiliary routes (i.e., all nine possible three-digit route numbers) within a single state, that being New York.
References
External links
Illinois Highway Ends: I-90
Indiana Highway Ends: I-90
I-90 (Greater New York Roads)
90
![Beaver Creek Bridge in Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota has a total of 83,609 miles of highways, roads, and streets, along with 679 miles of interstate highways.[95] Two major interstates pass through South Dakota: Interstate 90, which runs east and west; and Interstate 29, running north and south in the eastern portion of the state.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn0.wn.com/pd/cc/98/c4830f38d5f56abbbeaa7eb064fd_grande.jpg "Beaver Creek Bridge in Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota has a total of 83,609 miles of highways, roads, and streets, along with 679 miles of interstate highways.[95] Two major interstates pass through South Dakota: Interstate 90, which runs east and west; and Interstate 29, running north and south in the eastern portion of the state.")
![Train running parallel to Interstate 94 in Montana[23]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn8.wn.com/pd/0c/37/8c9a8cc4976c36b324d5b370aa46_grande.jpg "Train running parallel to Interstate 94 in Montana[23]")
![Entrance sign to Northwest Airlines headquarters in Eagan. Immediately before Northwest ceased being an independent airline, its headquarters were in Eagan, Minnesota,[89][90] near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the intersection of Interstate 35E and Interstate 494](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn0.wn.com/pd/67/b4/742a803ff7db0e7c05591b56a099_grande.jpg "Entrance sign to Northwest Airlines headquarters in Eagan. Immediately before Northwest ceased being an independent airline, its headquarters were in Eagan, Minnesota,[89][90] near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the intersection of Interstate 35E and Interstate 494")
![Beaver Creek Bridge in Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota has a total of 83,609 miles of highways, roads, and streets, along with 679 miles of interstate highways.[95] Two major interstates pass through South Dakota: Interstate 90, which runs east and west; and Interstate 29, running north and south in the eastern portion of the state.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn9.wn.com/pd/cc/98/c4830f38d5f56abbbeaa7eb064fd_thumb.jpg "Beaver Creek Bridge in Wind Cave National Park. South Dakota has a total of 83,609 miles of highways, roads, and streets, along with 679 miles of interstate highways.[95] Two major interstates pass through South Dakota: Interstate 90, which runs east and west; and Interstate 29, running north and south in the eastern portion of the state.")
![Train running parallel to Interstate 94 in Montana[23]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn7.wn.com/pd/0c/37/8c9a8cc4976c36b324d5b370aa46_thumb.jpg "Train running parallel to Interstate 94 in Montana[23]")
![Entrance sign to Northwest Airlines headquarters in Eagan. Immediately before Northwest ceased being an independent airline, its headquarters were in Eagan, Minnesota,[89][90] near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the intersection of Interstate 35E and Interstate 494](http://web.archive.org./web/20110830010400im_/http://cdn9.wn.com/pd/67/b4/742a803ff7db0e7c05591b56a099_thumb.jpg "Entrance sign to Northwest Airlines headquarters in Eagan. Immediately before Northwest ceased being an independent airline, its headquarters were in Eagan, Minnesota,[89][90] near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the intersection of Interstate 35E and Interstate 494")
