Signs with 3 control cities

[bzakharin]

How about four or more shields in one direction of traffic (three is too easy on multiplexes)?

Of course NJTP and I-95 is the same roadway
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8574637,-73.9731016,3a,75y,332.56h,77.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2F0I9HppkJ1xjNdNOxU-bQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

And of course, four 600-series county routes, meaning nobody uses these numbers:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8402164,-75.1931036,3a,75y,75.02h,86.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr4vmj4VQGQiegE5iu4RoIw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

[hbelkins]

How about four or more shields in one direction of traffic (three is too easy on multiplexes)?

At one time, there was a stretch of highway in Greensboro, NC, that had six at one time -- US 29, US 70, US 220, US 421, I-40 and I-85. I think there have been some reroutings since then that may have taken some of the roads off that segment.

Kentucky's top (of which I'm aware) is four, in Pikeville -- US 23, US 119, US 460 and KY 80. There's a short segment that also carries KY 1426 but there's no assembly on the mainline that shows all five routes.

[Jim]

TM has a segment that carries 9 designations:

IN67,I-465,I-69FutInd,US31,US36,US40,US52,US421,IN37

[michravera]

Are there any BGS's in your area with 3 control cities (or destinations)?
Do you think having 3 control cities for an exit provides needed direction to drivers, or is it usually information overload?

In California, this practice would likely only take place on a freeway exit that exits to a "T" with the highway a the end of the exit and the highway, in one direction or another, has either a close destination and a more distance control city or the highway has a branch well before any important destinations or two principle destinations. I am thinking that this happens from Nortbbound I-5 at CASR-152 "Los Banos - Gilroy - San Jose" or  "Los Banos - San Juan Bautista - San Jose" if memory serves. Los Banos is East. San Juan Bautista is mostly west (on the CASR-156 branch). San Jose is northwest (on US-101). Gilroy is at CASR-152 and US-101, so it serves as a reasonable landmark.

I believe you're referencing this sign for westbound CA-152 on north I-5...



All 3 control cities make sense.  152 goes directly to Gilroy.  156, which splits from 152 just west of Casa de Fruta goes directly to Hollister.  San Jose is your "major" control city and is reached via 152 and 101 north.

This is the right place. It looks like the sign has been redone. My guess is the exit wasn't a cloverleaf as I remembered it and you could go east to Los Banos.

[hbelkins]

2016 Alabama Meet Trip Day 3 - 126 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

[barcncpt44]

ALDOT just replaced these signs.  And well, how long until the exit?
https://twitter.com/nvyoung/status/865078297549516802

[roadman]

2016 Alabama Meet Trip Day 3 - 126 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

Interesting inter-letter spacing on Tuscaloosa.

[kkt]

I believe you're referencing this sign for westbound CA-152 on north I-5...



All 3 control cities make sense.  152 goes directly to Gilroy.  156, which splits from 152 just west of Casa de Fruta goes directly to Hollister.  San Jose is your "major" control city and is reached via 152 and 101 north.

Do you happen to know what the Gilroy and Hollister said before greenout?

[DTComposer]

I believe you're referencing this sign for westbound CA-152 on north I-5...



All 3 control cities make sense.  152 goes directly to Gilroy.  156, which splits from 152 just west of Casa de Fruta goes directly to Hollister.  San Jose is your "major" control city and is reached via 152 and 101 north.

Do you happen to know what the Gilroy and Hollister said before greenout?

It used to just be Gilroy.

This is the right place. It looks like the sign has been redone. My guess is the exit wasn't a cloverleaf as I remembered it and you could go east to Los Banos.

It's been a cloverleaf for at least 30 years, well pre-dating the sign change.

[Jmiles32]

Heres one at the US 360/460 split in Burkeville, VA
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.193076,-78.2115799,3a,20.5y,227.52h,98.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9bRUT5Lt8pFuRR-ua4494w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
Westbound US-460 is signed for Farmville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke

[SignGeek101]

A couple from my small collection:


Trans-Canada 1 Westbound approaching Stoney Trail (East End, AB 201) by Sign Geek, on Flickr


Trans-Canada 16 Eastbound approaching MB 10, 16A by Sign Geek, on Flickr

[roadfro]

Are there any BGS's in your area with 3 control cities (or destinations)?
Do you think having 3 control cities for an exit provides needed direction to drivers, or is it usually information overload?

I forget whether the general US-50/I-305 exit in Sacramento from Northbound I-5 has San Francicso, South Lake Tahoe, and some other city on it or not. The I-5 exit from Northbound CASR-51 in Sacramento should also have Redding, San Francisco, and LA.

I-5 north at US 50 just has San Francisco and South Lake Tahoe.

[7/8]

The exit for QC 243 on A-10 in Quebec



The exit for Halton RR 25 (former hwy 25) on the 401 in Ontario. On an unrelated note, I just noticed the greenout for when the highway was downloaded to the region (cool)!



Exit for hwy 7 and Peterborough CR 28 (former hwy 28) on hwy 115 in Ontario

[theline]

I had forgotten about this one until I drove past it today. US 20 near Elkhart:

[ilpt4u]

Signs with 3 control cities are very rare in Illinois, but IDOT made an exception given that this road is a triplex:

Another one in IL, this time on the way into St Louis on I-64 from IL

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6243473,-90.1329057,3a,75y,305.52h,83.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQe07HgR-y58yYrdzNYKPIQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Of course, up North, IL tends to avoid this, using State-based Control "Cities" on Interstates, with "Iowa," "Indiana," and "Wisconsin" all making regular appearances

[bob7374]

Here's 3 interstate shields with 3 control cities on I-73/US 220 North approaching I-85 in Greensboro when I-40 was also routed along Greensboro Loop in 2008. The I-40 shield was replaced with US 421:

[TheHighwayMan3561]

The only place in Minnesota I can think of offhand with three controls on one sign is on I-90 in Albert Lea approaching I-35 (Minneapolis/St. Paul/Albert Lea). MnDOT's standard practice when there are more than two cities of interest at a particular interchange is to put two destinations on the main BGS exit signs and put additional ones on a smaller, separate BGS right after the first advance exit notice sign. For example, I-35 Exit 195 (MN 23/TO MN 18), the BGS reads Askov/Finlayson on the main signs with Rutledge (NB only) and Sandstone (SB only) on a secondary sign.

[MNHighwayMan]

The only place in Minnesota I can think of offhand with three controls on one sign is on I-90 in Albert Lea approaching I-35 (Minneapolis/St. Paul/Albert Lea). MnDOT's standard practice when there are more than two cities of interest at a particular interchange is to put two destinations on the main BGS exit signs and put additional ones on a smaller, separate BGS right after the first advance exit notice sign. For example, I-35 Exit 195 (MN 23/TO MN 18), the BGS reads Askov/Finlayson on the main signs with Rutledge (NB only) and Sandstone (SB only) on a secondary sign.

This one on EB I-90 uses Des Moines, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, whereas the one on WB I-90 uses Albert Lea, St. Paul, and Minneapolis, with Des Moines listed on one of those second small BGSes as you describe.

[bzakharin]

Here's 3 interstate shields with 3 control cities on I-73/US 220 North approaching I-85 in Greensboro when I-40 was also routed along Greensboro Loop in 2008. The I-40 shield was replaced with US 421:

Why is that Exit 77 sign bottom justified like that?

[paulthemapguy]

An aside - Signing both Lewiston AND Auburn as a control city seems like a waste of space. I can't imagine that there's a road that goes to Lewiston and NOT Auburn. They're basically referred to as one entity colloquially anyway.

I agree. Although the last time I drove the stretch of the turnpike between Falmouth and Gardiner, I noticed that all of the signs have been replaced. The new southbound pull-through signage at exit 103 (I-295 south) in Gardiner do not include Auburn, so I guess they have since taken that into account.

I think they included those relatively useless control cities because both highways mentioned in the signage will take you to all points farther ahead.  For example, it wouldn't be fair to include Bangor on one sign and not the other, if both highways will take you to Bangor.

[amroad17]

Because North Carolina!

[woodpusher]

I'm kinda surprised about the order those cities are listed under I-35/I-80. One would think Kansas City would be listed first

...

The I-80 shield is first, then the I-35 shield.
If Kansas City were first, I-35 would be first.

When interstates are multiplexed, is there a rule about which one comes first? 
a.  The longer route?  (Which would clearly be I-80)
b.  The one with the highest numbered exit?
It looks like 80 and 35 are multiplexed starting at I-80's exit 137 (which would be I-35's exit 90 or so), then continuing down to exit 123A - although it looks like that one is also numbered exit 72A-72C on I-35.
c.  I think what you're getting at is to put Kansas City first, because a driver gets first crack at I-35 South.

[MNHighwayMan]

I'm kinda surprised about the order those cities are listed under I-35/I-80. One would think Kansas City would be listed first

...

The I-80 shield is first, then the I-35 shield.
If Kansas City were first, I-35 would be first.

When interstates are multiplexed, is there a rule about which one comes first? 
a.  The longer route?  (Which would clearly be I-80)
b.  The one with the highest numbered exit?
It looks like 80 and 35 are multiplexed starting at I-80's exit 137 (which would be I-35's exit 90 or so), then continuing down to exit 123A - although it looks like that one is also numbered exit 72A-72C on I-35.
c.  I think what you're getting at is to put Kansas City first, because a driver gets first crack at I-35 South.

Yeah, I found that odd too. I thought typically it was just numerical order, which would put Kansas City (on I-35) first. Maybe I-80 is first because that's the route this picture was taken on, but Kansas City is listed first because it's closest? Who knows. Maybe it's just a poorly arranged sign.

[PHLBOS]

This pull-through BGS w/3 listings for I-495 South is now no-more.

The 70s-vintage gantry (possibly original) and the 10(?) year-old BGS' were completely replaced with a pipe-style gantry.  The new pull-through BGS now longer lists Del Mem Br.

Side bar:
All the new BGS' feature oversized Clearview fonts for the control cities (which overshadow the route shields & make for larger sign panels); but, unlike the Clearview BGS further south along I-95, the exit tabs are thankfully not the MD-style elongated ones (though the tab legends are in Clearview, a long-time FHWA no-no).

Either the designs for these new BGS panels were approved prior to the Feds yanking the interim approval for Clearview or DelDOT or the contractors simply didn't care.  I didn't see any other new sign installations on Naaman's Road (DE 92).  Since I was only traveling to/from this interchange from PA; there may have been other new BGS installations along either I-95 or 495 as well but I didn't drive by them.

[7/8]

The 403 where it starts at the 401 near Woodstock, ON has three control cities.