Worst control city on an interstate in your state

[SouthEast176]

I think Port Matilda is the worst control city on I 99, even though it doesn't appear on overhead signs. It could be because PennDOT focuses more on local traffic like some other states like North Carolina.


At least Breezewood is an interstate junction

[US20IL64]

Where do I start in Illinois?  Do I start with "Interstate 57"  on I-24, "Suburbs"  for I-355, or Sterling-Rock Falls for I-88 east from I-80?

I think I hate I-355's "control cities" worst of all.  "Suburbs" is such a weak excuse for a control.  Just as bad is "Rockford" for I-355 along I-80.......I-355 doesn't go to Rockford.

I know it's not really an Interstate but signing IL-394 as the way to Danville from I-80 is pretty funny to me.

The "Suburbs" BGS on I-80, to 355 exit northbound is now "Rockford", but Aurora could be added too. And no one takes IL 394 to Danville, kind of goes nowhere actually. I don't mind "Iowa" as west I-80, since most are heading there anyway.

'Indiana' works since Gary has shrunk. Most want to know how to get to IN traveling through the region, then they can decide to go to Indy, Toledo or Detroit direction once past the border.

[LM117]

Since I'm originally from NC, I'd say this crap on I-587/US-264 East takes the cake there:



There's absolutely ZERO reason for Kenly to be a control city for I-795 South. Heading in this direction from points west of Wilson, you reach I-95 before the I-795 split. Anybody going to Kenly would simply hop on I-95 South since it's a straight shot.

I-795 is intended to be a shortcut to Wilmington, so Wilmington needs to take Kenly's spot.

IIRC isn't the I-95 South Benson Control City sign in the same area? Idk why they chose Benson as a Control City outside of maybe meeting I-40. It should be Smithfield, then Fayetteville.

Yeah, I-40 is the only reason Benson is used. Before I-795 was built, I-95 to I-40 was the only decent route to Wilmington from points north of Wilson. I-795's future extension to I-40 near Faison would negate that route, and even now, continuing on US-117 after passing I-795's current endpoint isn't bad once you get past Goldsboro (Mar-Mac area is still a mess).

IMO, the only area along I-95 now that still makes sense to use Benson as a control city is between Smithfield and Fayetteville.

[JayhawkCO]

I was driving to KC this weekend and spotted this beauty which certainly qualifies for Missouri:

[kirbykart]

I was driving to KC this weekend and spotted this beauty which certainly qualifies for Missouri:

image removed

Are you kidding me?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_City,_Missouri
Even Limon, Colorado is bigger than this.

[JayhawkCO]

I was driving to KC this weekend and spotted this beauty which certainly qualifies for Missouri:

image removed

Are you kidding me?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_City,_Missouri
Even Limon, Colorado is bigger than this.

I think every other sign around there had Council Bluffs for I-29 North, but not that one. It's where US59 meets I-29 (just south of Mound City).

[amroad17]

I was driving to KC this weekend and spotted this beauty which certainly qualifies for Missouri:

This is similar to seeing Woodstock on some signs at the I-81 interchanges in Virginia.

[thenetwork]

I was driving to KC this weekend and spotted this beauty which certainly qualifies for Missouri:

And a Frankenarrow to boot!

[JoePCool14]

Here's a typical IDOT I-94 Wisconsin sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/xHF664gMRHV3QXLN8

Nothing about it seems too out of the ordinary. It's a stupid choice, but typical...until you realize this is Stony Island Ave and you're still south of the Chicago Loop.

[hobsini2]

Here's a typical IDOT I-94 Wisconsin sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/xHF664gMRHV3QXLN8

Nothing about it seems too out of the ordinary. It's a stupid choice, but typical...until you realize this is Stony Island Ave and you're still south of the Chicago Loop.

Minor details. The next 94 BGS shows Chicago Loop anyway.

[thspfc]

Here's a typical IDOT I-94 Wisconsin sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/xHF664gMRHV3QXLN8

Nothing about it seems too out of the ordinary. It's a stupid choice, but typical...until you realize this is Stony Island Ave and you're still south of the Chicago Loop.

Memphis and Wisconsin on the same gantry made me double take. I-57 south out of Chicago should be Champaign.

[ilpt4u]

Here's a typical IDOT I-94 Wisconsin sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/xHF664gMRHV3QXLN8

Nothing about it seems too out of the ordinary. It's a stupid choice, but typical...until you realize this is Stony Island Ave and you're still south of the Chicago Loop.

Memphis and Wisconsin on the same gantry made me double take. I-57 south out of Chicago should be Champaign.

I would make it Arkansas there. Keep the "state"  theme

And no, Missouri wouldn't make sense. I-57 gets you to the Boot Heel, I-55 is your better path to most of the Show Me State

I would be OK with Kentucky or Tennessee, also. I-57 is a fine route to both Memphis and Nashville from Chicago. I-57 just doesn't actually go to Tennessee, Kentucky, nor Arkansas (yet). But it doesn't go to Memphis, either

Maybe once I-57 connects to Little Rock and near I-30, Texas or Dallas would be OK here

[epzik8]

I wonder if Maryland signs New York instead of Wilmington or Philadelphia because a direct route to New York (via the NJ Turnpike) was completed before I-95 in either of the latter two cities - indeed, before the rote for I- 95 was even finalized. Or, it could indeed be a thing against Pennsylvania.

Post-2018, it's both a vestige of I-95's New Jersey gap and the fact that a lot of northbound through traffic past Baltimore going to NYC or beyond tends to use the turnpike, thus bypassing both Wilmington and Philly.

[bluecountry]

1.  Trenton on the NJTP vs Philadelphia

[Dirt Roads]

Since I'm originally from NC, I'd say this crap on I-587/US-264 East takes the cake there:



There's absolutely ZERO reason for Kenly to be a control city for I-795 South. Heading in this direction from points west of Wilson, you reach I-95 before the I-795 split. Anybody going to Kenly would simply hop on I-95 South since it's a straight shot.

I-795 is intended to be a shortcut to Wilmington, so Wilmington needs to take Kenly's spot.

Except you missed something here.  I-795 is the shortcut to Kenly, as [new] Exit 23 (I-587 numbering) will take you to Exit 5 (I-795 numbering) to US-301 southbound (to Kenly) faster than continuing on I-587 to [new] Exit 24A for US-301 southbound (for local traffic).  So NCDOT is technically correct, as [new] Exit 23 is the Kenly exit off of I-587 (with Kenly being an exit destination rather than a control city).  That would be easier to understand if the shields said "South I-795" and "To South US-301".  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wilson,+NC/@35.6749976,-77.9593967,3593m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89ac26f39c8c910d:0x43df22c9c9c44d21!8m2!3d35.7212689!4d-77.9155395

[thspfc]

Here's a typical IDOT I-94 Wisconsin sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/xHF664gMRHV3QXLN8

Nothing about it seems too out of the ordinary. It's a stupid choice, but typical...until you realize this is Stony Island Ave and you're still south of the Chicago Loop.

Memphis and Wisconsin on the same gantry made me double take. I-57 south out of Chicago should be Champaign.

I would make it Arkansas there. Keep the "state"  theme

Apples to oranges.

1), Wisconsin is 50 miles away and borders Illinois. Arkansas is 460 miles away and does not border Illinois.

2), a far larger percentage of Chicago traffic is headed to Wisconsin than Arkansas.

3), also a big part of why IDOT goes with 'Wisconsin' is because there's two pretty much equally significant ways that traffic enters Wisconsin from Chicago (I-90 and I-94). They could sign Milwaukee but that would be unhelpful for all I-90 traffic, or they could sign Rockford but that would be unhelpful for all I-94 traffic.

[3467]

I think Future 57 labeling in Chicago was discussed in the 57 designation thread. Texas makes sense when 69 is finished in Texas but for now I go with Dallas.

[roadman65]

Since I'm originally from NC, I'd say this crap on I-587/US-264 East takes the cake there:



There's absolutely ZERO reason for Kenly to be a control city for I-795 South. Heading in this direction from points west of Wilson, you reach I-95 before the I-795 split. Anybody going to Kenly would simply hop on I-95 South since it's a straight shot.

I-795 is intended to be a shortcut to Wilmington, so Wilmington needs to take Kenly's spot.

I agree it's not relevant to use Kenly here. A TO US 301 SOUTH would be most appropriate here. Goldsboro should be only used here and if Kenly is to be used have it on a supplemental sign with info regarding US 301 South as well.

[Flint1979]

I'm pretty sure that I can come the conclusion that Kenly is signed because of US-301. Goldsboro is fine as I-795 looks to be a spur to Goldsboro.

[roadman65]

It's mostly an advertisement that you can use I-795 as a shortcut to reach 301.  The strange thing is it's not fulfilling the usual display of control city placement as it's directing people to a place on another road that is not that prominent and could be reached via a previous exit much easier.

Many states won't sign this that way and if you should have to go to the next exit for US 301 it's not like you're going several miles out of your way.

[hbelkins]

Fulton is obviously a remnant of when the Purchase Parkway wasn't I-69 (and the Pennyrile, too) but having Fulton posted as far away as Madisonville or Henderson is just goofy. Even though the freeway isn't complete yet, I'd be good with signing Memphis already.

Not an interstate, but the new signs for the Mountain Parkway as it exits I-64 have Campton listed. It might make sense, since Campton is the decision point for traffic continuing east on the Mountain Parkway (Salyersville/Paintsville/Prestonsburg/Pikeville) or going south on KY 15 (Jackson/Hazard/Whitesburg), but Prestonsburg would probably be a better choice.

[interstate73]

Obligatory Del Water Gap on I-80 W here in North Jersey, but another one that particularly bothers me is on I-280 E at Exit 4 (Eisenhower Parkway), the control city is Kearny instead of the state's largest city which the highway serves before Kearny! Really need NJDOT to put a little more thought into the control cities on new signs than "municipality where highway ends".

[Flint1979]

Obligatory Del Water Gap on I-80 W here in North Jersey, but another one that particularly bothers me is on I-280 E at Exit 4 (Eisenhower Parkway), the control city is Kearny instead of the state's largest city which the highway serves before Kearny! Really need NJDOT to put a little more thought into the control cities on new signs than "municipality where highway ends".

Is Kearny used because it's the end of the I-280?

[MATraveler128]

Obligatory Del Water Gap on I-80 W here in North Jersey, but another one that particularly bothers me is on I-280 E at Exit 4 (Eisenhower Parkway), the control city is Kearny instead of the state's largest city which the highway serves before Kearny! Really need NJDOT to put a little more thought into the control cities on new signs than "municipality where highway ends".

Is Kearny used because it's the end of the I-280?

Probably since that's also where it meets the Turnpike, but I don't get why they also don't use Jersey City since that's bigger even though it's beyond I-280's eastern terminus and you have to take CR 508 to get there.

[interstate73]

Obligatory Del Water Gap on I-80 W here in North Jersey, but another one that particularly bothers me is on I-280 E at Exit 4 (Eisenhower Parkway), the control city is Kearny instead of the state's largest city which the highway serves before Kearny! Really need NJDOT to put a little more thought into the control cities on new signs than "municipality where highway ends".

Is Kearny used because it's the end of the I-280?

I believe so, it seems to be NJDOT standard practice for control cities now. The new BGS on NJ-10 W at I-287 uses Roxbury since that's where it terminates, even though the signs on 287 for 10 W use Dover, and Roxbury is rarely referred to in everyday conversation locally anyway (people instead refer to two constituent neighborhoods of the township, Ledgewood and Succasunna, same as Hanover with Whippany/Cedar Knolls).