US 10 in Wisconsin Exit Numbers Mystery

[peterj920]

US 10 runs 290 miles across the State of Wisconsin, and the final mile marker would be in Manitowoc if there would be mile markers from Prescott to Manitowoc.  The mile markers begin in Marshfield and end at Wis 441 and Oneida St in Appleton, and the final easterly mile marker is Mile 290 (Exit 291 since Wisconsin does not have an Exit 0). 

Were the mile markers posted in error by incorrectly placing the mile markers based on the eastern end that is actually in Manitowoc, or could WISDOT started from 290 to avoid having similar exit numbers from Wis 29?  The reason why I think this is because I look at the WIS 97 exit on Wis 29, and it's Exit 145.  On US 10, Wis 13's exit is Exit 186.  Subtract 40, which would make the miles approximate to US 10's actual mileage, and the exit numbers would line up pretty closely between the 2 expressways that are only separated by about 30 miles.  I figure it is probably one of the 2 reasons listed above, and it would be interesting to find out why the mile markers were posted the way that they were.   

[GeekJedi]

WisDOT didn't post the markers in error - that's the actual mileage. The mile markers are not based solely on the "freeway" or "expressway" segments of the route, rather they are based on the actual mileage of the entire route in the state, so the markers would be based on the actual eastern terminus of US-10 in Manitowoc. US-151 is that way, and I-41 is still that way, which includes the mileage from the former city street routing of US-41.

Has nothing to do with WI-29's exit numbers. Having similar exit numbers is unlikely to cause confusion.

[peterj920]

WisDOT didn't post the markers in error - that's the actual mileage. The mile markers are not based solely on the "freeway" or "expressway" segments of the route, rather they are based on the actual mileage of the entire route in the state, so the markers would be based on the actual eastern terminus of US-10 in Manitowoc. US-151 is that way, and I-41 is still that way, which includes the mileage from the former city street routing of US-41.

Has nothing to do with WI-29's exit numbers. Having similar exit numbers is unlikely to cause confusion.

The mile markers aren't based on the actual mileage because Mile 290 would be in Manitowoc, not in Appleton.  That is the reason why I brought this topic up on the forum.  The point I'm making is that the mile markers on US 10 aren't based on actual mileage.  Subtract 45 from each mile marker and exit to get the actual mileage from US 10.  The US 10 east/ Oneida St exit in Appleton would be Exit 246, not Exit 291 if it were based on the actual mileage.  That is the final numbered exit on US 10.  The point I'm making is that they based the mile markers off of the eastern end, which would be Mile 290, but the actual mile marker would be 45 miles to the east. 

[The Ghostbuster]

I own the latest Wisconsin State Highway map and the exit numbers on US 10 didn't add up to me either. Will the exit numbers east of Stevens Point be changed once the proposed US 10 freeway from Stevens Point to Amherst is ultimately built?

[SSOWorld]

US-10 isnt alone. I-39 and I-41 fit right in.  Now keep this in mind.  The numbering schemes for both of them is for different route designations.

I-39 is using US-51's.
I-41 is using US-45's. to the Richfield Split then the US 41 system (Which "matches" US 45's exactly...

[dvferyance]

I wondered that too. The mileage from Wikipedia doesn't match and it's clear that Exit 186 in Marshfield is closer to Minnesota then 186 miles!

[triplemultiplex]

I never noticed that discrepancy before.  Based on those numbers, US 10 in Wisconsin would start somewhere around Coon Rapids, MN!

There's no way, despite all the realignments and new expressway/freeway construction over the last 25 years, that WI knocked 40 miles off the length of US 10 and the anomaly is an artifact of using some outdated mileage.
It's not related to the Lake Michigan ferry crossing, because that's only 60-some miles (half of that being 30) and that would only add mileage to the end of the route, not the beginning.

Perplexing...

[Alps]

Sounds like an error to me!

[SEWIGuy]

Just out of curiosity, does this first exit near Marshfield line up with WI-13's mileage?  Did they accidently use that instead for the rest of US-10?

[peterj920]

Just out of curiosity, does this first exit near Marshfield line up with WI-13's mileage?  Did they accidently use that instead for the rest of US-10?

I calculated the mileage for US 10, and it checks out at 290 miles.  The final mile marker is Mile 291, in Appleton, but that mile marker would be in Manitowoc.  I think they used Mile 291 as a starting point when posting the mile markers, which is US 10's actual distance across the state, but posted with that number in Appleton instead of Manitowoc where it should have been calculated from. 

[SEWIGuy]

Just out of curiosity, does this first exit near Marshfield line up with WI-13's mileage?  Did they accidently use that instead for the rest of US-10?

I calculated the mileage for US 10, and it checks out at 290 miles.  The final mile marker is Mile 291, in Appleton, but that mile marker would be in Manitowoc.  I think they used Mile 291 as a starting point when posting the mile markers, which is US 10's actual distance across the state, but posted with that number in Appleton instead of Manitowoc where it should have been calculated from. 

So WIDOT forgot that US-10 went to Manitowoc?  Hilarious. 

[dvferyance]

This is what the exit list would be if based on millage from the Minnesota state line.
146 WI-13 N CR-A
163 WI-13 S
168 WI-34 CR-P CR-HH
172 I-39
183 CR-J
190 Lake Dr
192 CR-B
194 CR-A
204 WI-49 N WI-54 W
205 WI-22 S CR-K
207 Churchill St
208 WI-22 N WI-54 E CR-A
213 WI-110 CR-X
214 CR-F
218 WI-49 S
221 CR-II
228 US-45 N
230 US-45 S
238 WI-76
240 CR-CB
241 I-41

[peterj920]

This is what the exit list would be if based on millage from the Minnesota state line.
146 WI-13 N CR-A
163 WI-13 S
168 WI-34 CR-P CR-HH
172 I-39
183 CR-J
190 Lake Dr
192 CR-B
194 CR-A
204 WI-49 N WI-54 W
205 WI-22 S CR-K
207 Churchill St
208 WI-22 N WI-54 E CR-A
213 WI-110 CR-X
214 CR-F
218 WI-49 S
221 CR-II
228 US-45 N
230 US-45 S
238 WI-76
240 CR-CB
241 I-41

Add:

242A for CR-P
242B for CR-AP
243   for WI-47
244   for US 10/Oneida St

The exits for the Wis 441 concurrency are also numbered for US 10, along with 2 different sets of mile markers for both routes.  Exits past Oneida St are unnumbered, but mile markers are posted. 

[GeekJedi]

That's crazy, but the numbers make sense based on that goof. Wow!

[Bickendan]

It's better than US 52's in Minnesota, IMO. 52's exit numbers should have been a continuation of the I-94 series, not based on mileage from the IA/MN border.

[triplemultiplex]

It's better than US 52's in Minnesota, IMO. 52's exit numbers should have been a continuation of the I-94 series, not based on mileage from the IA/MN border.

Makes it easier to upgrade to an interstate.