I-540 / US 71 Mileage Discrepancy

[US71]

I was in Joplin last weekend and decided to check the official mileage on US 71/I-540 from the Missouri Line to the Oklahoma Line.

Using the mileposts, it's 100 miles. As it's driven, it closer to 97.  As near as I can figure out, the error seems to fall along US 71 between Exit 88 (AR 72) and Exit 93 (US 71B).  Exit 98 (AR 340) lines up with Exit 93 and it's 2 miles from there to Missouri.

[andytom]

Probably an equation between 88 and 93 to account for the fact that the Old US-71 was 2 miles longer that the freeway US-71.

--Andy

[Alps]

Probably an equation between 88 and 93 to account for the fact that the Old US-71 was 2 miles longer that the freeway US-71.

--Andy

Looks like it's the east-west between Bentonville and Rogers that's the extra couple of miles.  Now why can't they just replace a few mileposts?

[US71]

Looks like it's the east-west between Bentonville and Rogers that's the extra couple of miles.  Now why can't they just replace a few mileposts?

Well, they'd have to replace a few mileposts and a few BGS's, but I'm sure AHTD will claim "no money", though they are slowly Clearviewing the BGS's on 540.

[Scott5114]

Not that it really matters, since the whole thing will get renumbered when the I-49 thing happens.

[US71]

Not that it really matters, since the whole thing will get renumbered when the I-49 thing happens.

I doubt anyone else has even noticed. Seems like a lot of the folks working at AHTD are not exactly rocket scientists.   

[andytom]

Probably an equation between 88 and 93 to account for the fact that the Old US-71 was 2 miles longer that the freeway US-71.

--Andy

Looks like it's the east-west between Bentonville and Rogers that's the extra couple of miles.  Now why can't they just replace a few mileposts?

It's not just a few mileposts.  It's also all the milepost references in DOT documentation.  Advertising for businesses along the northern/eastern parts of the highway.  Anything that relies on those mileposts.  Now move it down to the southern section of the highway.  See what I mean?

You need a system for these types of adjustments that works anywhere along the highway, for any size of adjustment, for both contractions and expansions, and that affects as little of the highway as possible.  Equations have been found to be the simplist option that fits the bill.  Most, if not all states use equations for these types of adjustments.

--Andy

[US71]

It's not just a few mileposts.  It's also all the milepost references in DOT documentation.  Advertising for businesses along the northern/eastern parts of the highway.  Anything that relies on those mileposts.  Now move it down to the southern section of the highway.  See what I mean?

FWIW, one exit got changed in South 540: Exit 15 (I-40 ) got reverted back to Exit 1 a few months back.