The Commonwealth of Paradise (USNW): March 27: A (late) Most Heartfelt Thanks

[Schulmanator 5,815]

Looking good! I like all of those curvy roads.

And, Dan... shame on you. Now that song is stuck in my head!

[Follarch 327]

The highway just cuts right though, don't it? Hahah, but quite a nice city.

[danielcote 9]

This CJ just keeps getting better and I love that freeway! I already have an Idea for a team name its the Everests!

[kj3400 178]

Replies later, teaser now.......

Enjoy!

[Schulmanator 5,815]

Hmmm... I am officially teased! Don't keep us in the dark (loL!) and update soon!

[SounderBruce 173]

Wow, nice work with RHW 3.0

[fabsies55 5]

wow you have some really nice mansions and some really nice residential areas and stuff looks really well done.

[danielcote 9]

Thats a big highway You probably like to live on efficiencey by the looks of it!

[kj3400 178]

Yes, it's that magical time again....

Dfnva: Yes it will, and it'll also take them home....

Schulmanator: Thanks!

Archean: Thank you! Yup, no beating around the city for these Paradisians...

Danielcote: Thanks a lot! Is that your team? Well, I think I will call my team the Paradise City Hurricanes!

Kj3400: Looking good....

Schulmanator²: You have officially been updated...

ComputerGuy890100: Thanks! I try my best...

Fabsies55: Thank you.

Danielcote:Thanks! Yes....yes I do.

With those pleasantries out of the way, it's time to get to update 10, section b. It's a big one, so update 10's expanded to 5 parts. Well, here we go!

Here we begin on the I-1. Just south of here, the freeway degenerates into a 4 lane avenue.

And here we encounter our first exit, an exit with the rerouted Rt 1 which used to take I-1's route. Who'da thought it?

And here it is, a simple half parclo, half diamond. Gee why is the freeway splitting? Well that's simple. It's because of....

....The beginning of the massive interchange with I-10 and the new Airport Freeway, I-401.

These ramps continue north for a while. The MIS ramps on the left are coming from I-10 and US 6. The MIS ramp at the top was removed because it was redundant. the RHW on the far right is I-401 north.

And now we come upon the interchange itself. A massive thing it is.(Looking north) We see that I-1 goes from south to east, I-10 goes west to east, Bus US 6 goes from east to south to merge with I-1 (WB ramp in the west) and I-401 comes form the north and ends at this junction. At this point I hadn't done much along the line of beautification, and the ramp for US 6 Bus. east wasn't there, but now it looks better .

Let's have a closer look. 

The west side.

The east side. 

The size is gigantic compared to the I-401 stack to the north....see?

From this point on until the two freeways split again, the freeway is known as the Paradise Freeway. 

Crownsville got divided in two by the freeway, but two more connections between the two halves were made to remedy this, and the freeway was surrounded with sound barriers to keep the noise down. Well, we're coming up on the next exit...

A simple parclo for this exit.

And we pass this sign for it....

And we come to this curve (looking south) and it's daytime....strange....

....And come to this exit. Freeway Blvd was built to accomodate drivers who wanted to go to the Crownsville Shopping Center without getting on the freeway for twenty seconds.

And the exit. Freeway Blvd is the pair of one way roads to the left (again looking south).

And the last exit before the toll, which was implemented to pay for the bridge coming up...

And the exit.

And we reach the toll. This is the exit for Freeway Blvd westbound and the entry eastbound. Forgot the taskbar but I cropped away the pause ring....

Well we're going to stop at the toll ($2.00) and leave it here for now but I'm going to try something.....

Hmm....looks OK....

Cheers!

[SounderBruce 173]

Great work! Also where'd you get that toll booth? I want it so badly!

[Schulmanator 5,815]

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!! That is some serious highway you have there. Awesomeness!

[dfnva 34]

Wow, possibly the best update I've seen yet from the commonwealth. Great interchanges and signage. I like the unique shields you are using for the provincial roads. I also like how you use sound barriers in the more-dense areas.

Edit: The one suggestion I would have is to label the various highways at your bigger interchanges so that one is better oriented to see which highway is which.

-Dan

[danielcote 9]

very good night shot! The highway is also coming along exceptionaly well!

[kj3400 178]

This is what happens when I get bored....

It's a map of the southern portion of I-1, as well as all of I-10, showing all interchanges and connecting roads. Yes, I do draw these.....I'm a roadgeek and aren't afraid to admit it...

(Click for a bigger version)

Update 10c should be on Wednesday, as well as replies.

Enjoy!

[dfnva 34]

Nice hand-drawn planning map. Smart idea to organize thoughts. Interestingly, I've never done that but might as I plan out future regions. Pickled Pig did that in some of his CJ's, like "Travels Down I-85". Looks like some cool interchanges coming up. 

-Dan

[TmiguelT 10]

wow that was an impressive Mosaic and and a huge Highway interchange. Hope to see more of your great work

[Mother of Invention 23]

I think I am going to start a new Airline based in Paradise City.

It will be called Great Nation Regional Airways or GnR Airways for short.

And the slogan is "We'll take you down to Paradise city"

[SounderBruce 173]

Good drawing..

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Wowwww...... Awesome interchanges! Very impressive.

And nice drawing there...

[Follarch 327]

Thats a nicely drawn road map there, and that interchange is friggin huge! Awesome work!

[danielcote 9]

Welcome to the club I'm a history geek and transportation nerd too!

[kj3400 178]

Well, now's a good a time as any.....

ComputerGuy890100: Thanks! I got them here.....
https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=4003&v=1
Schulmanator: Why thank you!
Dfnva: Thanks for the tip! I thought update 10 should be a big thing. I just didn't think it would be this big!
Danielcote: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Dfnva²: Thanks. I actually have an notebook devoted to this: freeway plans, designs of different interchanges, ideas for mass transit, drawups of special areas (military bases, airports, etc.) even a map of the whole region. Yes we'll be seing some interesting ones on the way.
TmiguelT: Thank you and welcome to the Commonwealth!
Mother of Invention: Welcome! Well, if you want to, I'll see what I can do about getting you a gate at Paradise International....
ComputerGuy890100: Thanks a lot!
Deathtopumpkins: Thanks! 
Archean: Thank you!
Danielcote²: Really? well it's nice to know I'm not alone.



Ahh....where did we leave off? Oh yes, we were at that toll booth about to pay.
This one as a matter of fact...


So we pay the toll and move on to the next tile...err, area. And update 10 pt. 3 begins....
Almost immediately, there's an exit.


By the way I went through a lot of trial and error to decide on those shields. I rather like them.

The exit is a simple parclo which, though this may have to be upgraded soon (ignore the grid). This exit accesses the industrial area west of Paradise City. And the toll booth is only for traffic coming off or going on the bridge. Traffic going or coming from the west simply pass through, so they aren't tolled twice.


The freeway then mounts this Brooklyn-style bridge. The lanes are a bit narrow, but traffic manages it. 



....And we come upon this exit with the outer ring road, aptly named Westside Pkwy. The blue sign points the way to Westside Medical Center not too far from this exit. From now till the end of this freeway, blue signs on the freeway are used to denote points important to the traveler, like hospitals.


And here's the exit. I-1/10 sprouts C-D roads from here until exit 11.



This exit mostly destroyed and divided this former CBD. Compare it to a pic from update 2...


And another exit. These exits are kind of close. But what do you expect? We are nearing downtown.


And the exit, a roundabout interchange. Another thing the Commonwealth took from the British.


Exits here are really close. As soon as one ramp merges another one leaves like at this exit. Also the quickest way to the downtown rail station.


The inner ring road.


The freeway then curves north following the alignment of the same road that was already here. Any tips on what to put in that area where the freeway turns?


At this point traffic from the rail station and the inner ring road have merged in with us, and the next exit isn't helping matters either.


The north side of the inner ring road comes to add traffic who thought it better to wait until now to get on the freeway. Exit 10 in this direction was already passed so you have to go the other way. At this point the C-D roads also end. (Wow the roads disappear at the top! Trust me, that wasn't the PCDOT's fault.


At this point there is finally some room to breathe, The next exit is 3/4 of a mile away!
It's with a small road called Paradale Av. (The exit sign should say "1/4 mile." The DOT thought the exit ramps would be farther away than they are.)




The road isn't very long, as you can see from this pic.


You can also see exit 13, signed thus.


And I-1/10 goes through this curve and at this point ceases to be sunken. Sound walls are employed again....


And this sign comes up....


After all this time we've been together and now we have to separate? That's just terrible!

Well we pass over the railway....(couldn't avoid that steep slope)


Makes me a bit nostalogic.....Remember when....


And...


Well, we're getting closer...this sign reminds us of the impending split....which is more odd,the exit being on the left, or USp 3 being signed even though it isn't involved in the interchange....explanation soon...


And we cross Paradise bay with the railway.....


And we're here....This sign is my pride and joy....and explains the reference to USp3. It joins I-10 eastbound nearby (SB) and heads north with, but not on, I-1 (NB). Funny, since I-1 is the main freeway here, this is technically a TOTSO (Turn Off To Stay On). It sounds like bigger plans are in order....


And the split...


Well I end this rather drawn out update at the I-1/I-10 split. Where do we go? That's up to you! On the first page, there is now a poll, a first. Do we go north on I-1, come back, and go east? Or do we go east now on the short I-10 spur, and then go north? Your decision.

Comments suggestions and constructive criticsm are appreciated! Don't hide now! And as always enjoy!

[SounderBruce 173]

Great work! Where'd you get those Brooklyn-style toll booths? Thanks for the Mr Snoopy's Toll Booths!

[Follarch 327]

Wow....double wow and maybe even, yes a triple wow! You're doing a great job with the highways, but again i think dtp pointed this out, that youve got two highway texture mods in play and that's why it looks different then other sections.

I voted too. On to Johnson City!

[Schulmanator 5,815]

Nicely done! Good signage, road and the land around it. All around nifty work. I will buy you a bowl of StripeSoup to celebrate!

[danielcote 9]

Very nice network I like the train

[SirUnger 13]

Really nice pics, I espacially like the intechange in the last pic.

[deathtopumpkins 43]

More nice highways! And great interchanges too! Though I still don't see how you can play with those two conflicting texture mods

Off to vote in the poll!

[dfnva 34]

Wow, great update... the signage is great and the way the highway cuts through downtown is great. I like the landscaping and walls. I also like how you go from urban to rural. The orignal pics are a nice touch too, it's interesting to see how things have changed. I'll echo others' comments about the textures, while I like the RHW-style texture on the highways, I've decided it's impractical with all the other puzzle pieces that it is not used on.

As for my vote, I'd like to stay on I-1.

-Dan

[dfnva 34]

I got to thinking, are there plans for a direct exit from South I-1 onto East I-10 and from West I-10 onto North I-1, despite the ability of motorists to utilize US-3 to make this connection?

-Dan