Interstate 7 is an east-west interstate highway in the United States. Interstate 7 begins in Los Angeles, CA and ends in Houston, TX. After the construction of this Interstate 7, the old I-7 became California State Route 7 again. Interstate 7 is well-known for its enormous (and ridiculous) freeway interchanges in California and Texas and spectacular views in the deserts of almost every deserted state. (You can even see the cacti!)
Route Description[]
California[]
Interstate 7 starts at an interchange with Interstate 10 in Eastern Santa Monica. It then moves northeast, in which it intersects with the Walt Disney Freeway, Interstate 18, and Interstate 905 in the process. Just east of the Great Basin, Interstate 7 merges with the Great Basin Scenic Byway, consisting of sights of the great desert plains of eastern California. After a few miles of I-7 passing through the Great Plains, it enters Nevada.
Nevada[]
After Interstate 7 enters Nevada, it runs alongside Interstate 13, forming what is known as The Casino Duo. After entering Las Vegas, Interstate 7 moves Downtown where the original route of Interstate 213 (Nevada) was, while the Great Basin Scenic Byway runs north, splitting from I-7 in the process. After this, the Casino Duo splits up and Interstate 7 moves into Arizona.
Arizona[]
After Interstate 7 enters Arizona, it continues to run east and enters Flagstaff, intersecting with Interstates 40 and 17 in the process. I-7 ends up merging with I-40 and continues to run concurrently with it until the eastern end of the state, where it splits southeast of the Interstate, leaving a connection to Alburquerque via I-40. It then enters New Mexico.
New Mexico[]
Interstate 7 in New Mexico consists of it moving southeast into Texas as it intersects with I-25 and passes by the White Sands Missile Range. It enters Texas after a few hundred-mile-long run.
Texas[]
After its mostly barren voyage through New Mexico, Interstate 7 passes by Lubbock and intersects with Interstate 27 and U.S. Route 87. After that, it continues its voyage southeast towards Dallas and Fort Worth, where it then intersects and merges with Interstate 20. The Interstate splits one last time to connect I-45 and the Dallas-Sault Ste. Marie Extension, terminating the Interstate in the process.
History[]
When the population of both Los Angeles and Dallas increased by 3 times in 2055 out of nowhere, TXDOT and CADOT needed a new Interstate to connect the two cities with occasional spurs along the way. They replaced the old Interstate 7 with CA-7 with an extension to Southernmost California (Calexico). Construction began on June 1, 2057 after the designing and the first section of the new CA-7. Construction of the new CA-7 ran alongside construction with Interstate 7. Interstate 7 was finally completed in September 26, 2068, and the new California State Route 7 wouldn't be completed until July 7, 2083.
Trivia[]
- Interstate 7 is the longest single digit east-west interstate highway that doesn't go to the Eastern U.S.
- Interstate 7 also has some of the longest auxiliary interstate highways in the interstate system.