CT Unsigned State Roads

[TMETSJETSYT]

Hi, so on Google Maps I have noticed that in CT, (my home state) that there are a lot of unsigned state roads. Some of which I live near. My first theory was that they are the old county routes (before CT got rid of county government), but then why are they showing up on maps as state roads that aren't even signed on the road? I will leave some pictures of this on a google doc.
Btw on Apple maps is shows up as a state route but on google maps it shows up on a county route. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hh9FnX6GPe0UhFmKrHqqVdMiW9Z8NL-gyVk60EhUW5E/edit?usp=sharing

[formulanone]

They're secret state routes.

Formally, they're Connecticut secondary state routes, and are rarely signposted. So if you actually find one in the field, take a photo.

[TMETSJETSYT]

Well I couldnt find anything about that on google. I also coundn't find anything about the county roads either. Can you provide a link or explaination of what the secondary roads are?

[jp the roadgeek]

Google Maps is notorious for erroneously signing state routes as county routes.  CT in its history has never had county routes.  For years, I put in corrections to try and fix an error on a signed route: CT 31 north of US 44.  It was signed correctly south of 44; but for some reason, the section multiplexed with 44 and the rest of it up to Rockville was signed CR 31.  I sent error report after error report, even included imagery showing a state route sign on the stretch, and they rejected it.  It looks like they have finally fixed the error.  A couple of  SR's in my neck of the woods (SR 536 and SR 555) have the correct shields in Google Maps, but are not labeled in Apple Maps.

There are 2 types of unsigned routes: SSR's and SR's.  SSR's are 400 series routes that usually serve state facilities (eg SSR 450 is the Hammonasset Connector.  Google signs it correctly, but Apple doesn't sign it). SR's are 500-900 series.  While it is true that they are usually organized by region (500 in Hartford and Tolland; 600 in Middlesex, New London and Windham; 700 in New Haven and part of Fairfield; and 800 in the rest of Fairfield and all of Litchfield; 900's are random stubs), they were never county routes per se.  They are almost never signed, but CTDOT, in recent signing projects, have let a few sneak out.  The Spencer St overpass of I-384 has an LGS that says SR 502.

[TMETSJETSYT]

Thanks for the explanation, and also, there are a few mistakes I know about on apple maps only, one of which is on Sands Creek Road, in Hancock, NY, north of the Junction with NY-17, it is showed as US-67 on apple maps, but on google maps it says CR-67. The second one is in Hedding, NJ and it is on Hedding Road, and it says US-671 and US-206, and I checked and it is not an alternate to US-206 and it is supposed to be CR-671. These mistakes are so weird and stupid, as they are million dollar companies that can't just fix 1 simple issue.

[formulanone]

Google Maps tends to assign "lesser" or "non-primary" state-maintained roads/routes rectangles/squares to all sorts of roads. Some states have several different classifications of routes while others might have just one or two.

For example, West Virginia's so-called fractional routes, Texas' Farm/Ranch-to-Market road systems, as well as Virginia and North Carolina's secondary routes also get rectangles in Google Maps, and they're all state-maintained. On the flip side, I have seen many circles or ovals used for seemingly unmarked county roads.

[shadyjay]

Kurumi has quite a bit of information on the "secret" routes/service roads/etc. 

https://kurumi.com/roads/ct/ct-secrets.html

Basically if there's a long exit ramp, its got a number.  Its more of an internal state designation.  Some of these roads were meant for something greater (the Flatbush Avenue ramps off I-84 were meant for the Flatbush Freeway, etc).  Some were former signed routes (SR 602 is one I travel daily in my hometown and was once a former routing of CT 80).  They still get state maintenance/funding/plowing/etc, but just don't have a publically-signed number. 

The secret's coming out more and more lately.  As previously stated, CT is moving away from overpass indicators actually being on the overpass to being at ground level.  This is leading to the SR designation to be posted on said sign.  Here's an example, on I-91 North at Exit 23 in Rocky Hill:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6505139,-72.6721104,3a,15y,54.08h,91.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sELy-afNK1ONIhvCLJC4sTw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Press releases involving a secret route are including the number in the press release.  Ask anyone in my town and I bet very few, if any, refer to Main St/Warsaw St as SR 602.
https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Construction-Advisories/2022/Milling-and-Resurfacing-State-Route-602-in-Essex-and-Deep-River

So maybe they should stay hidden to the public, as their designation may cause confusion.  But people just do what their GPS tells them to do, regardless of what the signs say. 

[abqtraveler]

Kurumi has quite a bit of information on the "secret" routes/service roads/etc. 

https://kurumi.com/roads/ct/ct-secrets.html

Basically if there's a long exit ramp, its got a number.  Its more of an internal state designation.  Some of these roads were meant for something greater (the Flatbush Avenue ramps off I-84 were meant for the Flatbush Freeway, etc).  Some were former signed routes (SR 602 is one I travel daily in my hometown and was once a former routing of CT 80).  They still get state maintenance/funding/plowing/etc, but just don't have a publically-signed number. 

The secret's coming out more and more lately.  As previously stated, CT is moving away from overpass indicators actually being on the overpass to being at ground level.  This is leading to the SR designation to be posted on said sign.  Here's an example, on I-91 North at Exit 23 in Rocky Hill:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6505139,-72.6721104,3a,15y,54.08h,91.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sELy-afNK1ONIhvCLJC4sTw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Press releases involving a secret route are including the number in the press release.  Ask anyone in my town and I bet very few, if any, refer to Main St/Warsaw St as SR 602.
https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Construction-Advisories/2022/Milling-and-Resurfacing-State-Route-602-in-Essex-and-Deep-River

So maybe they should stay hidden to the public, as their designation may cause confusion.  But people just do what their GPS tells them to do, regardless of what the signs say.

Perhaps a lot of why the "secret" state routs are not signed is that most locals in Connecticut refer to roads by their local street name. For example, in Shelton SR-714 is also known as Bridgeport Avenue. You don't hear anyone mentioning "Route 714" but instead they refer to it as "Bridgeport Avenue."  Likewise, a lot of folks in Connecticut, particularly in the more urbanized areas refer to signed state routes by their local street name.  More often I hear folks refer to Route 1 as the Post Road rather than Route 1.

[TMETSJETSYT]

Forgot about that one. Honestly, when I was younger, I looked on maps and I thought 714 was a real SR, but then I realized, and for a while when I was younger I called it that too.

[TMETSJETSYT]

And thanks for all the info guys.

[TMETSJETSYT]

By the way, does anyone here have any pictures of the Unsigned SR's? If you guys do, can you post them here? I'd be interested to see what they look like and if they are still even here.

[shadyjay]

By the way, does anyone here have any pictures of the Unsigned SR's? If you guys do, can you post them here? I'd be interested to see what they look like and if they are still even here.

Not sure what you're looking for.  An unsigned SR/SSR/etc looks exactly like a signed route, just no number.  They typically feature a double yellow line and shoulder/brakedown lane markings.  Generally (but not always) town roads use a single yellow line down the middle and (usually) no white lines.

[jp the roadgeek]

By the way, does anyone here have any pictures of the Unsigned SR's? If you guys do, can you post them here? I'd be interested to see what they look like and if they are still even here.

Not sure what you're looking for.  An unsigned SR/SSR/etc looks exactly like a signed route, just no number.  They typically feature a double yellow line and shoulder/brakedown lane markings.  Generally (but not always) town roads use a single yellow line down the middle and (usually) no white lines.

Of course, there are SR 571, SR 695, and SR 796, which are actual limited access highways with exits.  SR 500, 501, 503, 504, and 597 are exit ramps.