 Interstate 90 | |
|---|---|
 I-90 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 3,099.74 mi[1][2] (4,988.55 km) |
| Existed | 1956–present |
| NHS | Entire route |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  SR 519 inSeattle, WA |
| Major intersections |
|
| East end |  Route 1A inBoston, MA |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Washington,Idaho,Montana,Wyoming,South Dakota,Minnesota,Wisconsin,Illinois,Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania,New York,Massachusetts |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinentalfreeway and the longestInterstate Highway in theUnited States at 3,099.7 miles (4,988.5 km). It begins inSeattle, Washington, and travels through thePacific Northwest,Mountain West,Great Plains,Midwest, and theNortheast, ending inBoston, Massachusetts. The highway serves 13 states and has 15auxiliary routes, primarily in major cities such asChicago,Cleveland,Buffalo, andRochester.
I-90 begins atWashington State Route 519 in Seattle and crosses theCascade Range in Washington and theRocky Mountains inMontana. It then traverses the northern Great Plains and travels southeast throughWisconsin and the Chicago area by following the southern shore ofLake Michigan. The freeway continues acrossIndiana and follows the shore ofLake Erie throughOhio andPennsylvania to Buffalo. I-90 travels across New York by roughly following the historicErie Canal and traversesMassachusetts, reaching its eastern terminus atMassachusetts Route 1A nearLogan International Airport in Boston.
The freeway was established by theFederal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, replacing a series of existingU.S. Highways that had been preceded by local roads andauto trails established in the early 20th century. I-90 was numbered in 1957, reflecting its status as the northernmost transcontinental route of the system, and construction was underway on several sections with funding from the Federal-Aid Highway Act.
The route also incorporates severaltoll roads that predate the Interstate Highway System, including theJane Addams Memorial Tollway,Indiana Toll Road,Ohio Turnpike,New York State Thruway, and theMassachusetts Turnpike. These toll roads opened in the 1950s and were followed by toll-free sections in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that were finished in the 1960s. The Midwestern sections of I-90 were fully completed in 1978, and most of the route between Seattle andSouth Dakota opened by 1987. The final section, near the western terminus in Seattle, opened in September 1993; an eastern extension in Boston was completed in 2003 as part of theBig Dig project.
| mi[1] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| WA | 296.92 | 477.85 |
| ID | 73.55 | 118.37 |
| MT | 552.46 | 889.10 |
| WY | 208.80 | 336.03 |
| SD | 412.76 | 664.27 |
| MN | 275.70 | 443.70 |
| WI | 187.13[2] | 301.16 |
| IL | 123.89 | 199.38 |
| IN | 156.28 | 251.51 |
| OH | 244.75 | 393.89 |
| PA | 46.30 | 74.51 |
| NY | 385.48 | 620.37 |
| MA | 135.72 | 218.42 |
| Total | 3,099.74 | 4,988.55 |
I-90 is the longestInterstate Highway in the United States, spanning 3,099.74 miles (4,988.55 km) across the northern portion of the coterminous part of the country.[3] The transcontinental freeway passes through 13 states in thePacific Northwest,Mountain West,Great Plains,Midwest, and theNortheast regions of the United States.[3][4] From theWisconsin–Illinois state line toMassachusetts, approximately 760 miles (1,220 km) of I-90 usesturnpikes and other tolled highways with the exception of segments inChicago, northeastern Ohio,Pennsylvania, andAlbany, New York. The toll road sections comprise 25 percent of the freeway's total length.[3][5]
According to 2011 data from theFederal Highway Administration, the busiest section of I-90 is in the Chicago area, where adaily average of 306,574 vehicles use the freeway. The lowest daily traffic counts on I-90 were recorded in Wyoming, where an average of 9,820 vehicles used rural sections of the freeway.[6]
The western terminus of I-90 is at an intersection withWashington State Route 519 and 4th Avenue South in theSoDo neighborhood ofSeattle. The junction is south ofDowntown Seattle, adjacent to thePort of Seattle and two major sports stadiums,Lumen Field andT-Mobile Park.[7] The freeway travels east through an interchange withI-5 and aroundBeacon Hill before it enters theMount Baker Ridge Tunnel alongside the future2 Line of theLink light rail system, set to open in 2026.[8][9] I-90 emerges from the tunnel on a pair offloating bridges, among the longest of their kind: the eastbound-onlyLacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and theHomer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, which carries westbound traffic and the future light rail line.[8][10]
The floating bridges crossLake Washington toMercer Island, where I-90 travels through a series of tunnels under 14 acres (5.7 ha) of parkland, includingAubrey Davis Park.[11][12] The freeway continues from the island and entersBellevue, the largest city of theEastside region, and intersectsI-405 nearFactoria. I-90 then travels alongLake Sammamish and throughIssaquah as it leaves the Seattle metropolitan area and ascends into theCascade Range on theMountains to Sound Greenway, a designatedNational Heritage Area andNational Scenic Byway.[13] The freeway crossesSnoqualmie Pass, elevation 3,022 feet (921 m), at the crest of the mountain range near aski resort.[14]
From Snoqualmie Pass, I-90 follows theYakima River into theKittitas Valley and intersectsI-82 inEllensburg after a briefconcurrency withU.S. Route 97 (US 97). The highway crosses theColumbia River on theVantage Bridge and turns northeast to climb the cliffs of theColumbia Plateau nearGeorge. After traveling east acrossMoses Lake and the surrounding agricultural region, I-90 begins a long concurrency withUS 395 atRitzville as the highways turn northeast towardsSpokane. I-90/US 395 is joined byUS 2 through western Spokane, where it intersectsUS 195. The freeway crosses downtown Spokane on an elevated viaduct and splits from US 2 and US 395 to continue east acrossSpokane Valley towards the Idaho state line.[10]
I-90 traverses theIdaho Panhandle region at the north end of the state, where it connectsCoeur d'Alene to communities in theSilver Valley. From the Washington state line, the freeway follows theSpokane River throughPost Falls andHuetter to the city of Coeur d'Alene, where it intersectsUS 95, the state's main north–south highway.[15] I-90 then turns southeast to bypass Coeur d'Alene and travel along a series of ridges that faceLake Coeur d'Alene, crossing an arm of the lake on theVeterans Memorial Centennial Bridge.[4][16]
The freeway continues east acrossFourth of July Summit and descends into the Silver Valley, where it follows theCoeur d'Alene River through several small towns along the historicMullan Road. I-90 serves the cities ofKellogg andWallace before it ascends into theBitterroot Range and crossesLookout Pass, which also marks the Montana state line.[4]
Montana has the longest section of I-90, at almost 552 miles (888 km), despite the highway only serving a portion of the state's east–west width.[1][17] It descends from Lookout Pass along theSt. Regis andClark Fork rivers between the foothills of the Bitteroot Range andCoeur d'Alene Mountains. The freeway travels east through theAlberton Gorge and crosses the Clark Fork River several times before it reaches the head of theMissoula Valley.[18] After a short concurrency withUS 93, I-90 runs along the north side ofMissoula and joinsUS 12 to continue southeast along the foothills of theGarnet Range andSapphire Mountains.[17]
After it splits from US 12 inGarrison, the freeway turns south to traverse theDeer Lodge Valley. It then turns east to serveButte, where it overlaps withI-15 for eight miles (13 km) and intersectsI-115. I-90 then continues southeast and crosses theRocky Mountains andContinental Divide atHomestake Pass, which is the highest point on the entire Interstate at 6,329 feet (1,929 m).[19] The freeway travels east across theJefferson Valley and passes the headwaters of theMissouri River nearThree Forks. It then enters theGallatin Valley.[17][20]
I-90 travels aroundBozeman, where it is joined byUS 191, and crossesBozeman Pass between theBridger andGallatin mountains. At the east end of the mountains, the freeway begins to follow theYellowstone River and is briefly concurrent withUS 89, which servesYellowstone National Park, and splits from US 191 atBig Timber. I-90 continues along the Yellowstone River throughBillings, overlapping withUS 87 andUS 212, until it reachesLockwood, the western terminus ofI-94. The freeways split and I-90 continues east across theBighorn Basin before it turns south nearHardin to follow theLittle Bighorn River into theCrow Indian Reservation. The highway passesthe site of theBattle of the Little Bighorn nearCrow Agency and continues south along the river and theWolf Mountains into Wyoming.[17][21]
From 1995 to 1999, there was no numbered daytimespeed limit on rural highways in Montana, including I-90.[22] The speed limit was simply defined as "reasonable and proper" as determined on a case-by-case basis by theMontana Highway Patrol until theMontana Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional.[23] The maximum daytime speed limit in Montana was initially set at 75 mph (120 km/h) in 1999 and was later raised to 80 mph (130 km/h) in 2015.[24]
I-90 serves a portion of northeastern Wyoming that is primarily rural.[25] The freeway, briefly concurrent toUS 14, travels southeast along a series of creeks toSheridan in the northeastern foothills of theBighorn Mountains. I-90 and US 87 split in Sheridan and travel parallel to each other toFort Phil Kearny, where they rejoin and continue south pastLake Desmet toBuffalo. The highways split again near Buffalo at a junction withI-25, which overlaps with US 87 toCasper.[26]
From Buffalo, the highway turns east to cross thePowder River Basin, a region with several large coal mines.[27] I-90 then reachesGillette, where it begins a concurrency with US 14 andUS 16 to a three-way split inMoorcroft. The freeway continues into theBear Lodge Mountains (part of theBlack Hills) and is rejoined inSundance by US 14, which looped north to serve theDevils Tower.[28] I-90/US 14 then continues northeast toBeulah, where it entersSouth Dakota.[26]
I-90/US 14 enters South Dakota nearSpearfish and travels east through prairie land, where it is briefly concurrent withUS 85. BeyondSturgis, the freeway turns south and follows the edge of the Black Hills toRapid City, the gateway toMount Rushmore.[29] It then skirts the northern edge of Rapid City, which is served by spur routeI-190, and passesEllsworth Air Force Base while it continues east across the plains. I-90 splits from US 14 nearWall, home to theWall Drug roadside attraction and located northeast ofBadlands National Park.[30][31]
The freeway travels southeast into theBuffalo Gap National Grassland and also passes a pair of decommissionedmissile silos that form theMinuteman Missile National Historic Site.[32][33] I-90 continues east along the top of a plateau that faces theWhite River and passes nearKadoka andMurdo.US 83 briefly joins the highway from Murdo toVivian, where it splits off to serve the state capital ofPierre.[31] It then crosses the Missouri River on theLewis and Clark Memorial Bridge nearChamberlain and passes arest area which overlooks the river and includes the 50-foot (15 m)Dignity statue.[34] From Chamberlain, I-90 continues east across the plains and past several small towns near the city ofMitchell. It then reaches theSioux Falls area, where it bypasses the city to the north and intersectsI-29 andI-229. I-90 leaves Sioux Falls and crosses intoMinnesota nearBrandon.[31]
I-90 crosses the southern portion of Minnesota and carries unsignedLegislative Route 391 across the state.[35] From the South Dakota border nearBeaver Creek toAlbert Lea, the freeway travels east across farmland and towns in the plains and rolling hills of theBuffalo Ridge. It also intersects several north–south highways, includingUS 75 inLuverne,US 59 inWorthington,US 71 inJackson, andUS 169 inBlue Earth. I-90 travels around the northern outskirts of Albert Lea and intersectsI-35 northeast of the city. It then reachesAustin and a brief concurrency withUS 218.[36]
From Austin, the freeway turns northeast to head towardsRochester, which it bypasses to the south and intersectsUS 63 andUS 52. I-90 continues east into the hillyDriftless Area and descends from the bluffs that overlookLake Onalaska on theMississippi River.[37] It turns southeast atDakota and is joined by US 14 until the highways split nearLa Crescent. I-90 turns east before it reaches La Crescent, where it crosses the Mississippi River on theDresbach Bridge into Wisconsin.[36][38]
I-90 enters Wisconsin nearLa Crosse and bisectsFrench Island before it reachesOnalaska. This section is briefly concurrent toUS 53 between La Crosse and Onalaska. The freeway travels east, generally along theLa Crosse River, through several towns andFort McCoy before it reaches a junction with I-94 inTomah. The two Interstates join at Tomah and travel southeast along the edge of the hills of theWestern Upland, following theLemonweir andWisconsin rivers. It passesWisconsin Dells, situated on thegorge of the same name and home to severalwater parks andtheme parks.[39][40]
The freeway travels east from Wisconsin Dells to thePortage area, whereI-39 begins its concurrency with I-90/I-94. The highway then crosses the Wisconsin River and travels south towardsMadison, where it forms an eastern bypass of the city. East of Madison, I-94 separates from I-39/I-90, which continues southeast throughEdgerton andJanesville. The highway turns south and entersBeloit, where it intersectsI-43 and crosses intoIllinois.[40]
I-90 uses several sections of theIllinois Tollway system as it traverses thenortheastern corner of the state, primarily in theChicago metropolitan area. It enters the state from Beloit, Wisconsin, and remains concurrent to I-39 andUS 51 on theJane Addams Memorial Tollway through the eastern outskirts ofRockford, where the highways split off. I-90 continues on the tollway as it followsUS 20 southeast throughBelvidere andElgin in theFox Valley.[41]
The tollway cuts through the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, where it intersectsI-290 inSchaumburg and passes the north side ofO'Hare International Airport. On the east side of the airport inRosemont, I-90 intersectsI-294 andI-190, the latter of which serves the airport's passenger terminals and marks the end of the tollway.[41] The freeway, now named theKennedy Expressway, travels through northwestern Chicago, where theBlue Line of the"L" rapid transit system runs in the median and serves several stops.[42] I-90 turns southeast and is rejoined by I-94 inIrving Park, where it gains a set ofreversible express lanes that travel for 6.2 miles (10.0 km) toward theNear West Side.[43]
The Kennedy Expressway travels south through the Near West Side, opposite theChicago River from theChicago Loop (the city's central business district), and intersects I-290 again at theJane Byrne Interchange.[44] The freeway continues onto theDan Ryan Expressway and crosses the Chicago River nearChinatown and an interchange withI-55. The Dan Ryan is the widest section of I-90, at 12 through lanes, and is split betweenlocal and express lanes.[45][46] I-90/I-94 is joined by the"L" Red Line in the median of the expressway through the city'sSouth Side,[42] where it passesRate Field, theIllinois Institute of Technology campus, andWashington Park.[47] I-90 splits from the Dan Ryan Expressway inEnglewood and turns southeast onto the tolledChicago Skyway. The tolled Skyway travels towards the Indiana state line, which the freeway crosses near theCalumet River in theEast Side.[4][41]
The entirety of I-90 within Indiana is concurrent with theIndiana Toll Road, which crosses the state's northern fringe and is mostly shared withI-80.[48] From the Illinois state line, the tollway travels south throughHammond and turns east to follow theGrand Calumet River through northernGary, where it intersectsUS 41 and US 12. I-90 then crossesI-65 in eastern Gary and I-94 inLake Station, where it begins a concurrency with I-80.[48]
I-94 travels northeast near theLake Michigan shoreline from Lake Station toMichigan City, while the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/I-90) follows it to the south. The tollway then moves closer to theMichigan–Indiana state line and turns east, passing through the northern outskirts ofSouth Bend andElkhart. In South Bend, it intersectsUS 31 and passes near theUniversity of Notre Dame. I-80/I-90 travels parallel to the state line until it reaches an interchange withI-69 nearFremont, where it turns southeast. The tollway then turns east and crosses the Ohio state line nearAngola.[48]
At the state line nearMontpelier, I-80/I-90 transitions from the Indiana Toll Road to theOhio Turnpike, which crosses northern Ohio. The highway continues east around several rural towns as it approaches theToledo area. The turnpike crosses underI-475 inMaumee without an interchange; access to I-475 is instead provided through a nearby junction with US 20. I-80/I-90 then continues southeast across theMaumee River toRossford on the southern outskirts of Toledo, where it intersectsI-75.[49]
The turnpike travels southeast through a rural area near the southwest shore ofLake Erie, where it passes the cities ofFremont andSandusky. Near Norwalk, the highway turns northeast to followState Route 2 (SR 2) and heads toElyria, where I-90 splits from I-80 (which remains on the turnpike). The freeway then merges with SR 2 and continues northeast through the lakeshore suburbs west ofCleveland, includingRocky River andLakewood. I-90 and SR 2 separate after crossing theRocky River and travel parallel to each other as they enter Cleveland. I-90 continues through the southwestern residential neighborhoods of Cleveland and reaches a junction withI-71 andI-490 inTremont, where it turns north.[49]
From Tremont, I-90 turns north onto theInnerbelt Freeway and crosses theCuyahoga River intoDowntown Cleveland on theGeorge V. Voinovich Bridges.[50] The Innerbelt skirts the south side of Downtown Cleveland, where it intersectsI-77 nearProgressive Field and turns north to bisect theGoodrich–Kirtland Park neighborhood.[4] NearCleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, the freeway makes a sharp, 90-degree turn (nicknamed "Dead Man's Curve" for its frequent crashes[51]) and rejoins SR 2 on theCleveland Memorial Shoreway until they split again inEuclid. I-90 briefly turns southeast but resumes its northeastern route after a junction withI-271 inWilloughby Hills. The freeway travels parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline through farmland and exurban towns and crosses into Pennsylvania nearConneaut.[49]
Within Pennsylvania, I-90 is non-tolled and generally travels northeast around several communities on the Lake Erie shoreline and remains entirely inErie County.[52] It enters the state inSpringfield Township and passes through rural areas along the lake shore, parallel to US 20 and theLake Road. The freeway then travels through the southern outskirts ofErie, where it intersectsI-79 andUS 19. I-90 returns to the rural areas of northeastern Erie County and intersectsI-86 before it reaches the New York state line near the borough ofNorth East.[52] At 46 miles (74 km), the Pennsylvania section is I-90's shortest within a single state.[3]
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I-90 enters New York inChautauqua County and runs concurrently with the mainline of the tolledNew York State Thruway. It travels northeast along the Lake Erie shoreline betweenLake Road to the north and US 20 to the south throughDunkirk andFredonia. The highways enter theBuffalo area, where the toll road runs north–south throughCheektowaga and forms an eastern bypass, using auxiliary routesI-190 andI-290 to serve the city.[4][53] At a junction with I-290 nearBuffalo Niagara International Airport, I-90 turns east to follow the historicWater Level Route of theNew York Central Railroad, itself parallel to the 19th-centuryErie Canal.[54][55]
The Thruway passes south ofRochester, which it serves via a loop onI-490 and the direct north–south spurI-390. I-90 travels through theFinger Lakes region and moves closer to the Erie Canal as it approaches theSyracuse area. It travels through the city's northern outskirts, where it intersectsI-690,I-81, andI-481 from west to east.[56] It then continues toUtica, where the Thruway runs along the north side of theMohawk River (part of the Erie Canal).[54] The section through Utica, connected to the city's downtown viaI-790, was built between the lines ofSR 49, which does not merge with the Thruway.[4]
I-90 then closely follows the Mohawk River southeast through several towns and villages between the foothills of theCatskill andAdirondack mountains. The Thruway then reachesSchenectady, which it bypasses to the southwest and intersectsI-88 andI-890, the latter of which serves the city's downtown. The highway continues southeast into Albany to a junction withI-87, where I-90 splits from the Thruway, which turns south to serveNew York City.[53] I-90 travels east as a toll-free freeway through the northern neighborhoods of Albany and intersectsI-787 before it crosses theHudson River. The freeway travels south aroundRensselaer and rejoins the Thruway via theBerkshire Connector, which continues east into theTaconic Mountains toward the Massachusetts state line.[4][53]
Themileposts and sequentialexit numbers on the New York State Thruway mainline originate from New York City, increasing northward on I-87 and westward on I-90;[57] as a result, the mileposts and exit numbers on I-90 through most of New York run backwards compared to the federal preference for mile-based numbers increasing from west to east.[58] The Berkshire Connector uses west-to-east mileposts and exit numbers with a "B" prefix;[57] the toll-free section of I-90 through Albany and Rensselaer uses conventional west-to-east mileposts and exit numbers despite being geographically north–south.[4] I-90 is currently the only Interstate that has a complete set of ninespur routes within one state, all numbers being used.[3] In addition,I-990, a short spur route near Buffalo that is not directly connected to I-90, is the highest number given to an Interstate.[59][60]
I-90 in Massachusetts is concurrent with the entirety of theMassachusetts Turnpike (also known as "the Pike" or "MassPike").[61] The turnpike begins at the New York state line inWest Stockbridge and travels southeast through theBerkshires to thePioneer Valley.[62] The highway travels through the northern suburbs ofSpringfield, where it intersectsI-91 and crosses theConnecticut River intoChicopee. I-90 then crosses overI-391 without an interchange and serves as the northern terminus ofI-291 on the eastern outskirts of the city. The turnpike continues east through the hills ofCentral Massachusetts and serves as the eastern terminus ofI-84 in the town ofSturbridge.[61]
From Sturbridge, the turnpike travels northeast towardsWorcester and passes through the city's southern outskirts. It serves as the respective northern and western terminus ofI-395 andI-290 inAuburn, located southwest of Worcester, and continues to an interchange withI-495 nearWestborough at the edge ofGreater Boston. I-90 travels through the western suburbs of Boston and travels throughFramingham before it intersectsI-95/Route 128, the main beltway around Boston, on the border ofWeston andNewton.[61] The turnpike continues along theCharles River into Boston, where it descends into a tunnel that passesBoston University,Fenway Park, andunder thePrudential Tower complex in theBack Bay neighborhood.[4][63]
I-90 intersectsI-93 on the south side ofDowntown Boston and travels under theFort Point Channel to serve theSeaport District. The turnpike then enters theTed Williams Tunnel, which travels northeast underBoston Harbor to the passenger terminals atLogan International Airport.[64] After it passes the northwest side of the airport, I-90 terminates at an interchange withRoute 1A inEast Boston.[61] The section between I-93 and the airport was opened in the early 2000s as part of theBig Dig megaproject,[64] which rebuilt several Boston freeways and extended I-90 by 3.5 miles (5.6 km).[3][65]
An west–east controlled access highway to serve the Northern United States was proposed in the early 20th century in several federal government documents, including reports from theBureau of Public Roads in the 1930s and 1940s.[66][67] The Interstate Highway System was created by theFederal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which was approved by theU.S. Congress and signed into law on June 26, 1956.[68] I-90 was assigned to the northernmost transcontinental route in the system by theAmerican Association of State Highway Officials in 1957.[69][70]
The freeway would travel along existing parts of theUnited States Numbered Highway System, which was established at the suggestion of the federal government in 1926 to replace the namedauto trails.[71] Among these auto trails, which were generally designated by private motorist organizations, were the transcontinentalYellowstone Trail andNational Parks Highway, created in the 1910s along the future route of I-90 between Seattle and Boston.[72][73] The national numbered highways along the corridor includedUS 10 from Seattle to Billings, Montana;US 87 from Billings toBuffalo, Wyoming;US 16 from Buffalo toPortage, Wisconsin;US 51 from Portage toRockford, Illinois andUS 20 from Rockford to Boston.[74][75]
Major portions of I-90 in the Midwest and Northeastern states used existing toll roads built by state governments in the 1950s and 1960s. TheNorthwest Tollway,Chicago Skyway,Indiana Toll Road,Ohio Turnpike,New York State Thruway, andMassachusetts Turnpike all predate I-90 and were incorporated into the route.[76] This also meant that portions of the route did not adhere toInterstate Highway standards, but they were either deemed adequate or rebuilt to conform by the 1980s.[77] The Pennsylvania section was planned in the early 1950s as the "Erie Extension" of thePennsylvania Turnpike,[78] but was instead completed as a toll-free road in October 1960 with federal funds.[79] The completion of the section also allowed for full use of the New York State Thruway, which had been finished three years earlier but ended abruptly at the state line.[80]
I-90 would use several expressways and tollways in the Chicago area, the earliest of which was theTri-State Expressway (now the Kingery Expressway), completed in 1950 and extended into Indiana the following year.[81][82] It was followed by theCongress Expressway in the western suburbs, first opened in 1955, and the Northwest Tollway in 1958.[83][84] The last section to be completed in Illinois was the toll-freeDan Ryan Expressway, which opened on December 15, 1962, and was described as the "world's widest freeway" at the time.[85][86] In 1965, the designation for I-90 was switched with I-94 south of Chicago, which moved it to the tolled Chicago Skyway (completed in 1958);[87][88] the change was requested by the Illinois and Indiana state governments to avoid confusion and provide a continuous toll connection to the Indiana Toll Road,[89] which had been fully opened in 1956.[90] I-90 was moved onto the Kennedy Expressway in 1977 and its western route was replaced withI-290 from Schaumburg to theCircle Interchange in Chicago.[91][92]
The other tolled sections of I-90 were completed in the 1950s by their respective state governments. The 241-mile (388 km) Ohio Turnpike opened to traffic on October 1, 1955, three years after construction began.[93] The first segment of the New York Thruway opened in June 1954 and was followed by extensions to Buffalo and the Albany area by the end of the year.[94][95] It was extended to the Pennsylvania state line in 1957 and to the Massachusetts Turnpike via the Berkshire Connector in 1959.[96][97] The Berkshire section linked with the Massachusetts Turnpike, which had opened in 1957 from the state line to Newton, a distance of 123 miles (198 km).[98] The turnpike was extended into Boston in two stages: first by 9 miles (14 km) from Newton toAllston in September 1964;[99] and finally with an extension to I-93 nearSouth Station in Downtown Boston that opened on February 18, 1965.[100]
The freeway also incorporated other non-tolled expressway bypasses planned by state governments in the early 1950s and modified to meet Interstate standards. A bypass of Spokane Valley, Washington, opened in November 1956 as the first section in Washington and was extended into neighboring Spokane two years later.[101] Wisconsin opened their first section in November 1959, connecting the terminus of the Illinois Tollway with Janesville,[102] and extended the freeway through the Madison area to Wisconsin Dells in 1962.[103] The Cleveland Innerbelt opened in stages from 1959 to 1962 and was originally planned to connect with theParma Freeway, which would have carried I-90 around the northwest side ofDowntown Cleveland. It was later cancelled in the 1960s amidpublic opposition.[104][105] The first Minnesota section, built to bypass Austin, began construction in 1957 and opened in 1961.[106][107]
Wisconsin was among the first states to complete its rural Interstate system and opened its final section of I-90, from La Crosse to Tomah, in November 1969.[108][109] The section around Albany, New York, built as a toll-free alternative to the New York Thruway, was completed in 1976 with a connection to the Berkshire Connector, which had been originally intended to carry the I-90 designation across the Hudson River.[110][111] South Dakota completed its final section in November 1976, which created an unbroken stretch of four-lane highway from the Wyoming state line to Boston but some intersections remained.[112] The Minnesota segment of I-90 was declared complete in September 1978 with a dedication at Blue Earth, where a golden line was painted to emulate thegolden spike of thefirst transcontinental railroad.[113] Two months later, Ohio finished its last section west of Cleveland.[114]
The western states were the last to complete their segments of I-90. Wyoming opened its final section, from the Montana state line to Sheridan, in July 1985 and dedicated it three months later following the completion of Montana's cross-border section.[115] The last two-lane section in Montana, nearSpringdale, was widened to four lanes in May 1987.[116] One of the last rural sections of I-90 to be built was throughWallace, Idaho, which placed its downtown on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1976 to prevent its demolition for the freeway. The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) elevated freeway bypassed Wallace to the north and cost $42 million (equivalent to $86 million in 2024 dollars)[117] to construct. It opened on September 5, 1991, and the city ceremonially retired the laststoplight on I-90 a week later.[118][119] The Idaho section was declared fully complete in July 1992 after the Veterans Memorial Centennial Bridge opened near Coeur d'Alene.[120]
Washington was the last state to complete its section of I-90, primarily due to disputes and litigation over the Seattle–Bellevue section.[11] The Snoqualmie Pass section was completed in 1981 with a viaduct for westbound traffic that stands 150 feet (46 m) over Denny Creek.[121] The viaduct replaced an earlier plan for a ground-level freeway at the behest of environmentalists; theMountains to Sound Greenway was established in 1990 along the corridor between Seattle andThorp to preserve wilderness and recreational areas and was designated as a National Scenic Byway in 1998, a first for an Interstate Highway.[122][123] The extension into Seattle was completed in stages between 1989 and 1993 and cost $1.56 billion (equivalent to $3.05 billion in 2024 dollars)[117] to construct.[124] The project involved construction of anew floating bridge, expansion of the Mount Baker Ridge Tunnel, addition oflids with parks, and extensive mitigation for environmental and social impacts.[11][125] The project was originally planned to be completed in 1992, but was delayed a year due to the sinking of theoriginal floating bridge during renovations in November 1990; the bridge was rebuilt and opened for eastbound traffic on September 12, 1993.[11][126]
Extensions at both termini of I-90 were completed in the early 2000s as part of separate projects. The west end at Washington State Route 519 in Seattle was rebuilt as a series of ramps nearSafeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) to replace an existing intersection.[127] A component of theBig Dig megaproject in Boston that extended I-90 east by 3.5 miles (5.6 km) under Fort Point Channel and Boston Harbor to Logan International Airport opened on January 18, 2003,[65] at a cost of $6.5 billion (equivalent to $10.6 billion in 2024 dollars).[117][128] The Fort Point Channel tunnel later closed in July 2006 due to aceiling panel collapse that killed one person. It reopened in January 2007 after repairs and retrofit work.[129]
Other sections of I-90 have been rebuilt or replaced to accommodate modern needs and meet updated safety standards. The 11-mile (18 km) Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago was reconstructed over a two-year period from 2006 to 2007 at a cost of $975 million (equivalent to $1.42 billion in 2024 dollars),[117] adding auxiliary lanes and improved bridges. The section carried over 300,000 daily vehicles prior to the project.[130] Cleveland'sInnerbelt Bridge, which carried I-90 over the Cuyahoga River, was replaced with the George V. Voinovich Bridges, which opened in November 2013 for westbound traffic and September 2016 for eastbound traffic.[131] The old bridge wasimploded with explosives on July 12, 2014, and dismantled by the end of the year.[132] The states of Minnesota and Wisconsin replaced theDresbach Bridge over the Mississippi River in 2016; the project was spearheaded by Minnesota following theI-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse in 2007.[38]
I-90 carries several commemorative names designated by state governments, some of which are shared between multiple states.[4] Washington and Minnesota designated their sections as the "American Veterans Memorial Highway".[133][134] In the states of Idaho,[135] Montana,[136] and South Dakota, I-90 is part of thePurple Heart Trail, which honorsPurple Heart recipients.[137] In Wisconsin, I-90 and I-94 were designated as the Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Highway in 1987.[138] FromLorain, Ohio,[139] through Pennsylvania and New York, I-90 is officially designated as the "AMVETS Memorial Highway".[140][141]
SR 519 in downtownSeattle
I-5 in downtown Seattle
I-405 inBellevue near Seattle
I-82 /US 97 inEllensburg
US 395 inRitzville; joined for 61 miles (98 km) untilSpokane
US 2 /US 395 inSpokane; joined for 4 miles (6.4 km)
US 95 inCoeur d'Alene
US 93 nearMissoula; joined for 5 miles (8.0 km)
US 12 in Missoula; joined for 69 miles (111 km) untilGarrison
I-15 nearButte; joined for 8 miles (13 km) through Butte
I-115 in Butte
US 191 inBozeman; joined for 58 miles (93 km) untilBig Timber
US 89 inLivingston; joined for 7 miles (11 km)
US 212 inLaurel; joined for 77 miles (124 km) untilCrow Agency
US 87 inBillings; joined for 128 miles (206 km) untilSheridan, Wyoming
I-94 nearBillings
US 14 inRanchester; joined for 16 miles (26 km) untilSheridanUS 87 nearBuffalo; joined for 12 miles (19 km)
I-25 inBuffalo
US 14 /US 16 inGillette; joined for 25 miles (40 km) untilMoorcroftUS 14 inSundance; joined for 132 miles (212 km) untilWall, South Dakota
US 85 inSpearfish; joined for 8 miles (13 km)
I-190 /US 16 inRapid City
US 83 inMurdo; joined for 22 miles (35 km) untilVivian
US 183 inPresho
US 281 nearPlankinton
I-29 inSioux Falls
I-229 in Sioux Falls
US 75 inLuverne
US 59 inWorthington
US 71 inJackson
US 169 inBlue Earth
I-35 inAlbert Lea
US 218 inAustin; joined for 3 miles (4.8 km)
US 63 inStewartville
US 52 inRochester
US 14 /US 61 inDakota; joined for 5 miles (8.0 km) untilLa Crescent
US 53 inLa Crosse; joined for 2 miles (3.2 km) untilOnalaskaUS 12 inTomah,Lyndon, andDeltonI-94 in Tomah; joined for 92 miles (148 km) untilMadison
I-39 inPortage; joined for 95 miles (153 km) untilCherry Valley, Illinois
US 51 inBurke
US 151 in Madison
US 12 /US 18 in MadisonUS 51 inChristiana; joined for 4 miles (6.4 km) untilAlbion
I-43 inBeloitUS 51 inSouth Beloit; joined for 17 miles (27 km) untilRockford
US 20 inHampshire
I-290 inSchaumburg
I-294 inRosemont near ChicagoI-190 toO'Hare International Airport near ChicagoI-94 inChicago; joined for 17 miles (27 km)I-290 in downtown Chicago
I-55 in downtown Chicago
US 12 /US 20 /US 41 near ChicagoUS 41 inHammondUS 12 inGary
I-65 /US 12 /US 20 in Gary
I-94 /US 6 inLake Station
I-80 in Lake Station; joined for 278 miles (447 km) untilElyria, Ohio
US 421 inNew Durham Township
US 31 inSouth Bend
US 131 inYork Township
I-69 inFremontUS 20 inMaumee
I-75 inRossford nearToledo
I-280 inLake Township
US 250 nearMilan
US 42 inCleveland
I-71 in Cleveland
I-490 in Cleveland
US 422 in downtown Cleveland
I-77 in downtown Cleveland
US 322 in downtown ClevelandUS 6 in downtown ClevelandUS 20 inEuclid
I-271 inWilloughby Hills near Cleveland
US 6N inSpringfield Township
I-79 nearErie
US 19 near Erie
I-86 near ErieUS 20 nearNorth EastUS 20 inHanover
US 219 inWest SenecaI-190 inBuffaloI-290 inWilliamsville near BuffaloI-490 nearBergen
I-390 nearRochesterI-490 nearVictor
I-690 nearSyracuse
I-81 in Syracuse
I-481 near Syracuse
I-790 inUtica
I-890 nearSchenectady
I-88 inRotterdamI-890 near Schenectady
I-87 inAlbany
US 9 in downtown Albany
I-787 in downtown Albany
US 4 inEast GreenbushUS 9 /US 20 inSchodackUS 20 inLee
US 202 inWestfield
I-91 /US 5 inWest Springfield
I-291 inChicopee nearSpringfield
I-84 inSturbridge
I-395 /I-290 inAuburn
Route 146 inMillbury
I-495 inHopkinton
I-95 inWeston
I-93 /US 1 inBoston
Route 1A/Logan International Airport in BostonI-90 in New York is the only Interstate Highway to have a complete set of auxiliary routes, all nine possible three-digit route numbers, within a single state.[3] Eight of the thirteen states that the highway passes through do not have auxiliary routes of I-90.[3]
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