Americans are known to love their cars, so it may not be surprising to learn that the widest motorway in the world is located across the Atlantic.
However, the title is a contentious one as some people say the winner has bent the rules in order to claim the world’s widest motorway.
Texas’ Katy Freeway is a stretch of Interstate 10, spanning from Anthony, New Mexico, all the way to Orange, Louisiana.
In a bold move to tackle the notorious traffic jams, the state expanded the Katy Freeway in Houston back in 2008, which was once named the second worst traffic bottleneck in America by a highway group.
Fast forward to today, and the mayor of Houston proudly proclaims in his speeches that the city boasts “the widest freeway in the world”.
Boasting just under 880 miles, the Texas portion of I-10, under the Texas Department of Transportation, holds the record as the longest continuous untolled freeway in North America managed by a single entity.
It also claims the title for the longest stretch of an Interstate Highway with a consistent designation within one state.
The colossal $2.8 billion (£2.2 billion) expansion project of the Katy Freeway saw it balloon to a staggering 26 lanes, if locals are to be believed.
This expansion would leave other American highways in the dust, such as I-75 through Atlanta, which has up to 15 lanes, and parts of I-405 in Los Angeles, which boasts 14 lanes.
Despite the widening efforts, commuters on the Katy Freeway experienced a surge in travel times during peak hours, with morning journeys increasing by 30% and evening commutes by a whopping 55%.
However, the mayor’s impressive lane count also factors in the freeway’s frontage roads, which some might argue isn’t playing by the rules. These additional access roads contribute eight lanes to the overall tally.
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