I have no words, so here's the biggest takeaway from the story:
Quote from: Star Tribune
In a stunning late-afternoon announcement Thursday, MnDOT officials confirmed a massive change coming soon to affect many thousands of Twin Cities motorists: the I-494/694 Beltway around the Twin Cities would be reduced to being only I-494.
"It's going to be a big change, no doubt, that will be very different for people used to driving on I-694 every day," said Minnesota Department of Transportation Temporary Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. "But we believe that like the decision to make Highway 62 and Highway 110 into one route in recent years, this will ultimately be for the benefit of the motoring public." Daubenberger was referring to MnDOT's 2018 decision to eliminate State Highway 110 in the south metro between Highway 55 in Mendota Heights and I-494 in Inver Grove Heights and make it part of Highway 62. That change was made largely due to motorists being confused by one road changing into three different numbers across a short distance, including the section of Highway 55 that joined between Highway 62 and the former Highway 110.
Why the change? Daubenberger said reducing the beltway to one number would emphasize the circular nature of 494 and 694 being two routes sharing one road better than the current setup. I-494 will become the sole number on the route, with I-694 being eliminated and made into part of I-494. I-494 makes up 42 miles of the 73-mile long beltway around Minneapolis and St. Paul along the west, south, and southeast sides of the metro, while I-694 makes up the remaining 31 miles along the north and northeast sides, so it was decided it would be cheaper to change over I-694 into part of I-494. I-494 also connects major Twin Cities landmarks such as the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which MnDOT said also contributed to the decision that I-494 should be the number to remain.
Numbers on specific costs were not immediately available, but early estimates suggest $25 million to $30 million to change signs, maps, and other references to I-694 into I-494.
Drivers will be alerted to the upcoming changes through static warning signs as well as messages posted on electronic signs, which crews are expected to begin changing over signs on I-694 in the fall and hope to be completed by April 1, 2023.
More on this shocking development from the Strib. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkHCf6sjBgo)
Yeah, that made too much sense to be real.
I expected a Rick Roll. What I got was much better.
Unbelievable.
Will I-294, I-794, and I-894 also be combined into this mega-route?
Given the way 494 and 694's exit sequence is, it probably makes sense that both routes should have one designation. One question: when 694 is renumbered, will the 94/694 duplex become 94/494, or just 94? If it became just 94, the exits would have to be renumbered on that segment.
Even now, this is the only beltway I know of that doesn't have a number divisible by 5 (but aren't there enough I-x35s to go around?).
My money is on I-694 taking over I-494, as I-94 is already in a concurrency with the former. Save I-494 for that Crosstown Expressway in Chicago, and this would create a network of unique I-x94s (Bismarck doesn't count, since that one is unsigned).
Ha Ha! Good one. :-D
Quote from: JoePCool14 on April 01, 2022, 08:20:51 AM
Will I-294, I-794, and I-894 also be combined into this mega-route?
no but
IL-53 parts / I-355 / I-290 (parts) need to become one number from lake cook to I-80
Quote from: Joe The Dragon on April 01, 2022, 10:50:20 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on April 01, 2022, 08:20:51 AM
Will I-294, I-794, and I-894 also be combined into this mega-route?
no but
IL-53 parts / I-355 / I-290 (parts) need to become one number from lake cook to I-80
They could, but I-290 technically makes sense being it's an alternate route to I-90. Maybe extend I-355 to the north end to become a super long spur route. (Yes, this would involve a concurrency)
Quote from: JoePCool14 on April 01, 2022, 02:44:56 PM
Quote from: Joe The Dragon on April 01, 2022, 10:50:20 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on April 01, 2022, 08:20:51 AM
Will I-294, I-794, and I-894 also be combined into this mega-route?
no but
IL-53 parts / I-355 / I-290 (parts) need to become one number from lake cook to I-80
They could, but I-290 technically makes sense being it's an alternate route to I-90. Maybe extend I-355 to the north end to become a super long spur route. (Yes, this would involve a concurrency)
move I-290 to the EOE with an link back to I-90 near IL-47
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 01, 2022, 02:16:56 AM
I have no words, so here's the biggest takeaway from the story:
Quote from: Star Tribune
In a stunning late-afternoon announcement Thursday, MnDOT officials confirmed a massive change coming soon to affect many thousands of Twin Cities motorists: the I-494/694 Beltway around the Twin Cities would be reduced to being only I-494.
"It's going to be a big change, no doubt, that will be very different for people used to driving on I-694 every day," said Minnesota Department of Transportation Temporary Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. "But we believe that like the decision to make Highway 62 and Highway 110 into one route in recent years, this will ultimately be for the benefit of the motoring public." Daubenberger was referring to MnDOT's 2018 decision to eliminate State Highway 110 in the south metro between Highway 55 in Mendota Heights and I-494 in Inver Grove Heights and make it part of Highway 62. That change was made largely due to motorists being confused by one road changing into three different numbers across a short distance, including the section of Highway 55 that joined between Highway 62 and the former Highway 110.
Why the change? Daubenberger said reducing the beltway to one number would emphasize the circular nature of 494 and 694 being two routes sharing one road better than the current setup. I-494 will become the sole number on the route, with I-694 being eliminated and made into part of I-494. I-494 makes up 42 miles of the 73-mile long beltway around Minneapolis and St. Paul along the west, south, and southeast sides of the metro, while I-694 makes up the remaining 31 miles along the north and northeast sides, so it was decided it would be cheaper to change over I-694 into part of I-494. I-494 also connects major Twin Cities landmarks such as the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which MnDOT said also contributed to the decision that I-494 should be the number to remain.
Numbers on specific costs were not immediately available, but early estimates suggest $25 million to $30 million to change signs, maps, and other references to I-694 into I-494.
Drivers will be alerted to the upcoming changes through static warning signs as well as messages posted on electronic signs, which crews are expected to begin changing over signs on I-694 in the fall and hope to be completed by April 1, 2023.
More on this shocking development from the Strib. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkHCf6sjBgo)
Ha ha. They pulled a good joke appropriate for today's date.
The Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 Wikipedia pages have not been updated yet, so it remains to be seen whether this proposal will come to fruition.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 02, 2022, 11:53:04 AM
The Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 Wikipedia pages have not been updated yet, so it remains to be seen whether this proposal will come to fruition.
Always an open opportunity for someone here to edit the page.
Also, someone needs to update the CA 58 page to reflect its future Interstate corridor status. Come on people, we are better than this as a community...need to stay current. :no:
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 02, 2022, 03:06:55 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 02, 2022, 11:53:04 AM
The Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 Wikipedia pages have not been updated yet, so it remains to be seen whether this proposal will come to fruition.
Always an open opportunity for someone here to edit the page.
Also, someone needs to update the CA 58 page to reflect its future Interstate corridor status. Come on people, we are better than this as a community...need to stay current. :no:
And whatever happened to future I-13 serving the Eastern Nevada megalopolises?
Quote from: jlam on April 02, 2022, 04:06:23 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 02, 2022, 03:06:55 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 02, 2022, 11:53:04 AM
The Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 Wikipedia pages have not been updated yet, so it remains to be seen whether this proposal will come to fruition.
Always an open opportunity for someone here to edit the page.
Also, someone needs to update the CA 58 page to reflect its future Interstate corridor status. Come on people, we are better than this as a community...need to stay current. :no:
And whatever happened to future I-13 serving the Eastern Nevada megalopolises?
Proposal only, effectively killed when this whole high speed rail between Victorville and Las Vegas deal came up.
Good April fool's joke! It would be nice if MNDoT decided to entertain drivers on the combined freeway with some of Chino Latino's most inappropriate billboards, like:
If our food were any more authentic, your dog would be on the menu
The freshest meat outside of a prison
Get Lucky....or Jerk Chicken
Mommy, Mr. Whiskers didn't come home last night
Hotter than your Booty Call
Wok your dog
Note to people outside the Twin Cities: Chino Latino was a restaurant in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood that for many years promoted itself with billboards that were intentionally shocking and crude. Although many people, with good reason, were VERY offended by Chino Latino's billboards, the billboards provided a lot of free publicity for the restaurant.
The hardest part to believe was that a major news outlet would describe a highway renumbering as "stunning".
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
Do I need to explain the joke? (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DontExplainTheJoke) or can you figure it out for yourself?
Never believe anything you see on April 1st, or at least don't believe it on face value. The jokes are so prevalent on the 1st that I had to put a disclaimer on Gribblenation that the CA 47/Vincent Thomas Bridge article was authentic.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
Don't tell me what to do.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
I'm surprised that so many people missed the April Fool's aspect of this. I guess that explains the success of so many conspiracy theories these days.
Quote from: midwesternroadguy on April 05, 2022, 06:31:15 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
I'm surprised that so many people missed the April Fool's aspect of this. I guess that explains the success of so many conspiracy theories these days.
Since I was in on the joke I threw in a "conspiracy" reference from California that a lot of people actually believe (CA 58 becoming I-40). This thread was definitely the best April Fools this year because it was well written and semi-plausible at first glance. RGT screwed up early on with the "Modest Proposal" thread having zero subtly.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 05, 2022, 07:48:26 AM
Quote from: midwesternroadguy on April 05, 2022, 06:31:15 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
I'm surprised that so many people missed the April Fool's aspect of this. I guess that explains the success of so many conspiracy theories these days.
Since I was in on the joke I threw in a "conspiracy" reference from California that a lot of people actually believe (CA 58 becoming I-40). This thread was definitely the best April Fools this year because it was well written and semi-plausible at first glance. RGT screwed up early on with the "Modest Proposal" thread having zero subtly.
What about the Baltimore one (that even linked to a video of a song called Highway Star) and mine that was a different topic altogether (not a news article)?
Quote from: 1 on April 05, 2022, 07:56:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 05, 2022, 07:48:26 AM
Quote from: midwesternroadguy on April 05, 2022, 06:31:15 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
I'm surprised that so many people missed the April Fool's aspect of this. I guess that explains the success of so many conspiracy theories these days.
Since I was in on the joke I threw in a "conspiracy" reference from California that a lot of people actually believe (CA 58 becoming I-40). This thread was definitely the best April Fools this year because it was well written and semi-plausible at first glance. RGT screwed up early on with the "Modest Proposal" thread having zero subtly.
What about the Baltimore one (that even linked to a video of a song called Highway Star) and mine that was a different topic altogether (not a news article)?
I don't think that I saw that one.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 05, 2022, 07:58:23 AM
Quote from: 1 on April 05, 2022, 07:56:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 05, 2022, 07:48:26 AM
Quote from: midwesternroadguy on April 05, 2022, 06:31:15 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 04, 2022, 06:08:12 PM
Is this really going to happen? If not, LOCK THE THREAD! No more April Fools Day jokes.
I'm surprised that so many people missed the April Fool's aspect of this. I guess that explains the success of so many conspiracy theories these days.
Since I was in on the joke I threw in a "conspiracy" reference from California that a lot of people actually believe (CA 58 becoming I-40). This thread was definitely the best April Fools this year because it was well written and semi-plausible at first glance. RGT screwed up early on with the "Modest Proposal" thread having zero subtly.
What about the Baltimore one (that even linked to a video of a song called Highway Star) and mine that was a different topic altogether (not a news article)?
I don't think that I saw that one.
This is the Baltimore one:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=31289.0
Mine was the NFT thread; it's been deleted.
In an attempt to turn this April Fool's thread into a more substantive discussion, let me say this: I think making 494/694 one number would make sense all along, given the common set of exit numbers. It may have been posted as a joke, but I believe MNDOT should make it real.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 04, 2022, 06:27:20 PM
Never believe anything you see on April 1st, or at least don't believe it on face value. The jokes are so prevalent on the 1st that I had to put a disclaimer on Gribblenation that the CA 47/Vincent Thomas Bridge article was authentic.
Jokes are very prevalent on April 1 on any community, regardless of the topic the community focuses on.
Someone on an airline industry group I'm a member of posted that American Airlines would begin flying from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica; the flight would be the first international flight from Ocho Rios. Although the post was factual, because it was posted on April 1, people automatically (incorrectly) assumed it was a joke.
Quote from: Papa Emeritus on April 05, 2022, 10:38:03 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 04, 2022, 06:27:20 PM
Never believe anything you see on April 1st, or at least don't believe it on face value. The jokes are so prevalent on the 1st that I had to put a disclaimer on Gribblenation that the CA 47/Vincent Thomas Bridge article was authentic.
Jokes are very prevalent on April 1 on any community, regardless of the topic the community focuses on.
Someone on an airline industry group I'm a member of posted that American Airlines would begin flying from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica; the flight would be the first international flight from Ocho Rios. Although the post was factual, because it was posted on April 1, people automatically (incorrectly) assumed it was a joke.
Considering the financial and other woes of American Airlines, I can understand the story not being believed.
I thought about including a nod to Beltway, who criticized 494/694 multiple times as being bad for I-35 traffic. I was going to write a Minnesota-esque quip from MnDOT that "we won't get any more angry emails from this guy in Virginia", but I decided to scrap some elements I felt weren't working like claiming the FHWA was involved in the decision.
April Fool's Day was five days ago, so time to lock it!
Why does everyone have a case of moderator complex?
Quote from: kphoger on April 06, 2022, 10:24:39 AM
Why does everyone have a case of moderator complex?
I'm befuddled in general by the polarized reaction to April Fool's threads this year...I don't recall that happening last year.
(Also FWIW, the 2 threads that were locked were done by a regional mod within his designated region, and not by an admin or global mod.)
Quote from: kphoger on April 06, 2022, 10:24:39 AM
Why does everyone have a case of moderator complex?
And why don't they use the "Report to Moderator" function instead of posting publicly? Public "lock it up" comments are 100x more annoying than slightly off topic postings.
Quote from: jmacswimmer on April 06, 2022, 10:38:19 AM
Quote from: kphoger on April 06, 2022, 10:24:39 AM
Why does everyone have a case of moderator complex?
I'm befuddled in general by the polarized reaction to April Fool's threads this year...I don't recall that happening last year.
I think it's because, in the past, there were one or two April Fools threads. This year, there were several hundred.
I didn't notice that much of an increase this year compared to previous ones.
Almost every road page on the internet is doing them now. It really got over saturated this year.
I didn't notice much of an increase this year - if anything, it looked like there were fewer than in prior years. Were more deleted beyond just the NFT thread? I was driving to a roadmeet that day, so I didn't get to sign on until the evening after that one was already killed.
Of course, it seems like the holiday was practically dead outside this forum, so maybe that made it seem worse?
No others were outright deleted.
Quote from: SEWIGuy on April 06, 2022, 10:42:37 AM
Public "lock it up" comments ...
All I could think of:
https://twitter.com/DanHanzus/status/804759543007674368