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I-95 was pieced together through very heavy populated expensive real estate so things were sometimes made with narrower right of ways and tighter curves. Parts of it can be HELL. The parts of I-5 I've driven are a pleasure compared to I-95
I have a strong sentimental attachment to I-95, as I've lived within a few miles of it (in 4 different states) my entire life. I've driven its entire length, as I have also for I-5.
Define "best." Here are some possibilities, and my opinion of the winner:
Quality of highway design and engineering: I-5
Quality of maintenance/signage: I-95 (with the glaring exception of Connecticut).
Most useful in providing regional mobility and connectivity: I-95
Most scenic: I-5
Easier to drive: I-5
Availability of services at interchanges: I-95
Cool bridges and tunnels: I-95 (mainly for Delaware Memorial [NJ Turnpike] and George Washington bridges, and Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore; I don't recall any tunnels on I-5)
Each of these routes has parts I dread, even though in fair admission I have not driven the whole portion of either. I-95 is an aggravation in southern Virginia, North and South Carolina due to being just two lanes each direction, going through mostly small towns and flat, sometimes unattractive land. I-5 is aggravating just because of the sheer volume of traffic always on the road from San Francisco southward. If forced to pick, I would chose I-5 just because of the greater access to food, lodging and other attractions off the road, but I'd actually like to drive neither one whenever possible.
I-95 does not get any better when it expands to three lanes in each direction North of Richmond. Unlike Southern Virginia, the road travel along several hills. Add that with the higher volume of traffic, you can expect traffic to stop at any time between Richmond and Springfield.
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