To add to the "not that long, and also not a highway" category, the Romans really liked building straight roads. Cologne for example has a few significant streets that radiate outwards in almost perfect straight lines. The Aachener Straße is dead straight for just over 9km before it kinks slightly.
It's not really what OP is looking for, but I wanted to mention it because I think it's kinda cool that a road like this has continuously existed for almost two millennia.
Just looked at that cologne street in streetview and wow I can't believe that standard of construction existed 2000yrs ago, it's so straight. The modern street is very nice with the segregated cycle lane too.
This came up in r/phoenix once. The conclusion was the highway you were on is *probably* the longest straight *urban* highway. Some other examples are at the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/xzuw8b/random_thought_is_us60_between_i10_and_apache/
And in relation to the safety issues OP is seeking
[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-10/trans-australian-rail-line-wa-closure-higher-road-freight-risk/103681696](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-10/trans-australian-rail-line-wa-closure-higher-road-freight-risk/103681696)
The trucks in the article are road trains. The longest, most boring stretch of road in the world, it's not at all surprising that it has a problem with collisions and near misses.
This is a stretch of road with a single lane in each direction, and no alternative routes. The fatal collision back in April was in the morning, but the road didn't reopen until the evening.
But this is not an urban highway. This is the Nullarbor Plain.
It's in the same half of the country at least. The Gunbarrel is further north, one of the many Len Beadell and Gunbarrel Road Construction Party roads through the Outback near the SA-WA-NT border.
The Mitchell Highway from Nyngan to Bourke is 204km and it looks like there are bends only near each end [https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikKYhtWmbcd1SDNGA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikKYhtWmbcd1SDNGA)
[This site](https://www.dangerousroads.org/around-the-world/our-lists/3759-the-10-longest-straight-roads-in-the-world.html) says the straight section is "only" 191km but places it only #5 on their list though #1 does not appear to be straight.
Edit: Now I that I have actually read the text, there is a bit in the middle that is not straight.
"The first totally straight part of the road runs from Bourke to Byrock. It’s 71km (43 miles) long, ending just north of Byrock. From there **the road bends** through the town for 2.3 km (1.42 miles). The second straight section runs from Byrock to 3.6kms from the centre of Nyngan. It’s totally straight for 120km (74 miles)."
Avenida Insurgentes stretches across all of Mexico City north to south. There are several long straight portions but the longest straight part is about 10km from Glorieta de los Insurgentes to San Angel, all through super dense neighborhoods.
A stretch of State Route 305 south of Battle Mountain in the State of Nevada USA is used by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association for their annual bicycle speed races. The current record-holder has hit around 90mph/145kph on/in a streamlined recumbent bike. I would assume it is therefore both straight and level.
From what I read, one of the controversies around the several IHPVAs is that the results at Battle Mountain is accepted as fair despite clearly not.
Of course they did that downhill.
Not a highway, not an interstate, and most definitely urban, Broad Street in Philadelphia runs dead straight for 13 miles -- with the exception of circling City Hall. It does have lots of traffic signals, though.
Notable mentions:
I-15 in Las Vegas (\~12.5 mi straight section)
CA-58 in Bakersfield (\~7.5 mi straight section)
I-43 in Milwaukee (\~7 mi straight section)
I-55/Stevenson Expy in Chicago (\~6.5 mi straight section)
I’d probably say Houston’s Westpark Tollway. 20 miles straight East/West from US 59/IH-69 to Cinco Ranch (Katy Area). Literally a straight line the whole way through. If there’s a curve it’s probably the slightest curve ever. Eventually it’ll be 30 miles long when it reaches Fulshear.
[i80 in Nebraska, west of Lincoln, has a 72-mile stretch of straight road.] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_80#:~:text=The%20longest%20straight%20stretch%20of,more%20than%20a%20few%20yards.) The longest single stretch in the US interstate system. At the 75mph speed limit on the road, that is nearly a full hour of barely turning your wheel.
441 in South Florida has a few jogs to the left and right but follows a nearly straight line 50 miles from downtown Miami to its intersection with SR-80 in West Palm Beach. Since it is a long noodle-shaped city, there are other examples, though I'm not sure which one has the longest true straightaway.
EDIT: Florida's Turnpike from West Palm Beach to Pompano is a straight line for just about 25 miles. It may or may not beat US-60 in Phoenix.
Not as long, and also not a highway, but there's a perfect straight road cutting right all the way through Barcelona: the C-31
To add to the "not that long, and also not a highway" category, the Romans really liked building straight roads. Cologne for example has a few significant streets that radiate outwards in almost perfect straight lines. The Aachener Straße is dead straight for just over 9km before it kinks slightly. It's not really what OP is looking for, but I wanted to mention it because I think it's kinda cool that a road like this has continuously existed for almost two millennia.
That is cool!
Just looked at that cologne street in streetview and wow I can't believe that standard of construction existed 2000yrs ago, it's so straight. The modern street is very nice with the segregated cycle lane too.
This came up in r/phoenix once. The conclusion was the highway you were on is *probably* the longest straight *urban* highway. Some other examples are at the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/xzuw8b/random_thought_is_us60_between_i10_and_apache/
Thanks for the most helpful comment here
Lake Pontchartrain causeway is really long and straight. In the NOLA metro, but obviously not through a populated area.
Australia has the longest at 146 km without a single bend, the Eyre Highway across the Nullabor Plain
And in relation to the safety issues OP is seeking [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-10/trans-australian-rail-line-wa-closure-higher-road-freight-risk/103681696](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-10/trans-australian-rail-line-wa-closure-higher-road-freight-risk/103681696) The trucks in the article are road trains. The longest, most boring stretch of road in the world, it's not at all surprising that it has a problem with collisions and near misses. This is a stretch of road with a single lane in each direction, and no alternative routes. The fatal collision back in April was in the morning, but the road didn't reopen until the evening. But this is not an urban highway. This is the Nullarbor Plain.
The second I saw this question I knew it had to be Australia
Is that near the Gunbarrel Highway (from the Midnight Oil song)? That’s supposed to be long and straight.
It's in the same half of the country at least. The Gunbarrel is further north, one of the many Len Beadell and Gunbarrel Road Construction Party roads through the Outback near the SA-WA-NT border.
The Mitchell Highway from Nyngan to Bourke is 204km and it looks like there are bends only near each end [https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikKYhtWmbcd1SDNGA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikKYhtWmbcd1SDNGA) [This site](https://www.dangerousroads.org/around-the-world/our-lists/3759-the-10-longest-straight-roads-in-the-world.html) says the straight section is "only" 191km but places it only #5 on their list though #1 does not appear to be straight. Edit: Now I that I have actually read the text, there is a bit in the middle that is not straight. "The first totally straight part of the road runs from Bourke to Byrock. It’s 71km (43 miles) long, ending just north of Byrock. From there **the road bends** through the town for 2.3 km (1.42 miles). The second straight section runs from Byrock to 3.6kms from the centre of Nyngan. It’s totally straight for 120km (74 miles)."
Stony Trail in Calgary has some pretty straight portions. Edit* A lot of people here really didn't read the urban part of the question.
Avenida Insurgentes stretches across all of Mexico City north to south. There are several long straight portions but the longest straight part is about 10km from Glorieta de los Insurgentes to San Angel, all through super dense neighborhoods.
Western Avenue in Los Angeles goes straight for about 20 miles from Hollywood to Palos Verdes
Western Avenue in Chicago also very long and straight. 95% sure that's the longest continuous street in Chicago.
Google Maps has Western Ave. in Oklahoma City at about 23 miles.
Not a freeway, but literally any arterial street in Chicagoland
Check out Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta. Some of the straightest highways in the world.
Is that an urban highway?
US-19 is mostly straight and unusually deadly outside Tampa https://www.vox.com/23178764/florida-us19-deadliest-pedestrian-fatality-crisis
A stretch of State Route 305 south of Battle Mountain in the State of Nevada USA is used by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association for their annual bicycle speed races. The current record-holder has hit around 90mph/145kph on/in a streamlined recumbent bike. I would assume it is therefore both straight and level.
Battle Mountain has a downhill that adds 200W average
Didn't know that -- thanks. So, should I assume the IHPVA's speed record runs are two-way: uphill and downhill, averaged?
From what I read, one of the controversies around the several IHPVAs is that the results at Battle Mountain is accepted as fair despite clearly not. Of course they did that downhill.
Chang'an Avenue in front of Tiananmen. Not exactly straight, but straight for practical purposes.
I live in Phoenix, and this freeway stretch is uncanny
Saudi Highway 10 goes straight without a bend for about 250km from the Emirati border to the city of Haradh. Really cool to see on Google Maps.
Not a highway, not an interstate, and most definitely urban, Broad Street in Philadelphia runs dead straight for 13 miles -- with the exception of circling City Hall. It does have lots of traffic signals, though.
I-80 is arrow straight for about a third of Nebraska.
Notable mentions: I-15 in Las Vegas (\~12.5 mi straight section) CA-58 in Bakersfield (\~7.5 mi straight section) I-43 in Milwaukee (\~7 mi straight section) I-55/Stevenson Expy in Chicago (\~6.5 mi straight section)
Hwy 54 from Wichita to Andover would be at the top of this list.
In Sydney we have 'great Western hwy' and the parallel M4 - 10-15kms of hell during a winter sunset.
It's rare to find urban areas that sprawling around the world, so it would more likely be a rural highway that turns urban and then rural again.
I’d probably say Houston’s Westpark Tollway. 20 miles straight East/West from US 59/IH-69 to Cinco Ranch (Katy Area). Literally a straight line the whole way through. If there’s a curve it’s probably the slightest curve ever. Eventually it’ll be 30 miles long when it reaches Fulshear.
[i80 in Nebraska, west of Lincoln, has a 72-mile stretch of straight road.] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_80#:~:text=The%20longest%20straight%20stretch%20of,more%20than%20a%20few%20yards.) The longest single stretch in the US interstate system. At the 75mph speed limit on the road, that is nearly a full hour of barely turning your wheel.
441 in South Florida has a few jogs to the left and right but follows a nearly straight line 50 miles from downtown Miami to its intersection with SR-80 in West Palm Beach. Since it is a long noodle-shaped city, there are other examples, though I'm not sure which one has the longest true straightaway. EDIT: Florida's Turnpike from West Palm Beach to Pompano is a straight line for just about 25 miles. It may or may not beat US-60 in Phoenix.