On a recent drive up I-35 in Minnesota (a trip we've made many times over the years), I noticed a recurring phenomenon throughout the state: many of the exits are signed with two destinations on the sign - one to the west of the exit and the other to the east - and at these exits, the destinations on the signs in one direction are listed in the reverse order of the signs in the other direction. Here are some examples from that stretch of freeway:
Exit 5 (County 13): northbound "Twin Lakes, Glenville"; southbound "Glenville, Twin Lakes"
Exit 18 (MN 251): northbound "Clarks Grove, Hollandale"; southbound "Hollandale, Clarks Grove"
Exit 22 (County 35): northbound "Hartland, Geneva"; southbound "Geneva, Hartland"
Exit 26 (MN 30): northbound "New Richland, Blooming Prairie"; southbound "Blooming Prairie, New Richland"
Exit 69 (MN 19): northbound "New Prague, Northfield"; southbound "Northfield, New Prague"
Among these exits, the common characteristic is that the left turn is listed first, followed by the right turn - regardless of the direction of approach. Aside from Minnesota, what other states do you know of where - at freeway exits with multiple destinations listed on the signs - the names of the towns reverse the order in which they appear, depending on which direction you're approaching the exit from? (I believe Illinois and Indiana do this as well, based on what I remember from trips out east; I'm not sure of the common practices in other states.)
The only thing in the MUTCD about this is that, at cloverleaf interchanges, the first line should be for the first exit and the second line for the second exit.
South Carolina and Maryland are two states that do this "reverse" order listing. But in both of these states it is the opposite of what MN is doing - the top line indicates a destination to the right, bottom line to the left. Essentially, applying the above MUTCD rule to other interchange types.
Georgia does not, Georgia normally lists the nearer destination first regardless of if it is on the left or the right. (But this is not without errors either)
Michigan usually does this reversing, showing the left-turn control first. I have seen a couple exceptions where the controls were listed in the same order in both directions.
Ohio and Pennsylvania do this. City to the left is shown on the first line, with city to the right below it.
Kentucky typically does this, and I think it's destination on the left on the top line, and the one on the right on the bottom line. Therefore, the KY 627 exit on I-64 (Exit 96) lists "Paris/Winchester" in one direction and "Winchester/Paris" the other direction.
I strongly believe the right turn should be listed first, as that's how it works when there are two separate exits.
Trying to pick out a pattern in Oklahoma signage is a fool's errand, but from what examples I can think of, the larger-population town seems to usually be listed first.
In Missouri, specifically the St Louis area, I generally see the "A" exit's control city listed before the "B" exit's in the NB and EB direction, and vice versa for SB and WB.
Quote from: 1 on June 18, 2021, 04:48:58 PM
I strongly believe the right turn should be listed first, as that's how it works when there are two separate exits.
I guess that the justification for doing it the opposite way (left on top) is to match the directional sign posted on the ramp (assuming a simple diamond interchange or any other ramp type that doesn't turn 180 degrees), which per the MUTCD a destination to the left should be above a destination to the right.
But I agree with you, but probably because I've only seen right on top (and not left on top).
In the "similar but not quite the same" category, on US-130 in NJ, in the South Brunswick area, you have a road which intersects the highway twice. This road passes through two small villages or boroughs; I'm guessing that this was the original route before US-130 bypassed it, but I'm not sure.
At the south end, the LGS reads "Dayton, Deans" (https://goo.gl/maps/uQjPJAtYbC4hs9mJ6). But at the north end, where there is no such sign, I remember from many years ago there being a LGS reading "Deans, Dayton". But this setup makes sense, since that is the order in which you would encounter said municipalities.
That practice is actually going to be endorsed in the proposed new MUTCD. It is stated as something like: If the best route to reach city/destination X is from different exits in each direction, then the guide signs should reflect that by listing that destination in such a manner (different exits in each direction). They even added a figure to illustrate that idea.
Text at Section 2E.07, https://www.regulations.gov/document/FHWA-2020-0001-0004
Figure 2E-1, at document "Part 2 Combined Figures", https://www.regulations.gov/document/FHWA-2020-0001-0005
Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 18, 2021, 09:49:21 AM
Michigan usually does this reversing, showing the left-turn control first. I have seen a couple exceptions where the controls were listed in the same order in both directions.
Probably when there is an A & B exit. Like I-75 and M-46 use to be but is being rebuilt currently so it will have a different configuration when it's done. Buena Vista is a Township that you are already in when you get off at the exit, probably should say Saginaw instead since you aren't yet in the City of Saginaw at that point on M-46.
This is southbound and has Buena Vista and Sandusky as control cities.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4294839,-83.89105,3a,15y,171.21h,93.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss_m-dNN7IQkiTEDfMUm3sQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1
This is northbound which has the Buena Vista exit closed and you could only use the Sandusky exit at that time since the GSV van came through there last in November 2020 when construction was already well underway.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4009638,-83.8910409,3a,25y,35.78h,108.78t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snbp6XOlCrYfCkKJkmbcLGw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dnbp6XOlCrYfCkKJkmbcLGw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D49.8644%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1