CA 86S and Airport Blvd Exit Number

[Interstate Trav]

I was driving 86S North the other day and passing the New Airport Blvd Interchange and there was a an exit number sign that said exit 16.  How did they get that number I wonder?  It should be a lot higher if it is supposed to be part of CA 86.

[Bigmikelakers]

That is strange. Seems like they went by CA 86S's mileage in Riverside County. According to Wikipedia, Riverside County mile marker 16 is at Airport Bl. But you're right, I would think it would be exit 80-90 in that range since 86S is supposed to be CA 86 in the future.

[cahwyguy]

Sometimes, on exit numbers, Caltrans starts the numbering from where the freeway section begins, not where the route begins. This is best seen with Route 14, if I recall correctly, which goes to 1 at the I-5 junction, even though the route legislatively continues further. On the other hand, Route 170 starts at 5 at the junction with US 101, even though it really isn't signed S of that point.

[TheStranger]

Sometimes, on exit numbers, Caltrans starts the numbering from where the freeway section begins, not where the route begins. This is best seen with Route 14, if I recall correctly, which goes to 1 at the I-5 junction, even though the route legislatively continues further. On the other hand, Route 170 starts at 5 at the junction with US 101, even though it really isn't signed S of that point.

I wonder when the Route 170 trailblazers on Highland Avenue got put up - I don't think they were there originally...

I-380 starts at 5 or so at I-280, accounting for the still-unbuilt (and likely never to be) extension to Pacifica.

There's also the case of US 395's exit numbers starting in the low range for the second segment, north of Reno.

[roadfro]

There's also the case of US 395's exit numbers starting in the low range for the second segment, north of Reno.

It's a single exit (for CA 70 at exit 8 "Hallelujah Junction") before 395 reduces to two lanes. Restarting the exit numbering for this segment of US 395 makes logical sense, though, given that the route has traveled over 80 miles through Nevada and most of the southern segment's lead-up to Nevada is also two-lane. I suppose Caltrans could have continued the Nevada numbering and made it exit 91.

[myosh_tino]

There's also the case of US 395's exit numbers starting in the low range for the second segment, north of Reno.

It's a single exit (for CA 70 at exit 8 "Hallelujah Junction") before 395 reduces to two lanes. Restarting the exit numbering for this segment of US 395 makes logical sense, though, given that the route has traveled over 80 miles through Nevada and most of the southern segment's lead-up to Nevada is also two-lane. I suppose Caltrans could have continued the Nevada numbering and made it exit 91.

I like the idea of continuing exit numbers based on Nevada's mileage because it's highly unlikely 395 would be converted into a freeway north of CA-70.

Regarding the southern portion of US 395, I was under the impression (from looking at Google Maps satellite view) that significant portions of 395 have been converted into a 4-lane expressway.  I do recall seeing a project on the Caltrans website that calls for building a 4-lane bypass around Bishop.

[andy3175]

Myosh is right, south of Bishop a substantial section of 395 is expressway, including a newly widened stretch through Independence. There are a few interchanges as well, including the 395/178 interchange (where 395 is a super 2 freeway), the 395/14 interchange, Crowley Lake interchange, and Mammoth Lakes interchange (395/203 junction). None of these four interchanges were given exit numbers in Cal Nexus, but arguably they should. Planned improvements include efforts to widen 58 through San Bernardino County, which will result in a new interchange with 395, but 58 will be the high speed route (at least initially). My opinion is that all of 395 within California should have uniform exit numbering, meaning Exit 8 at California 70 should account for the southern half. This would be consistent for other examples where a route exits and reenters a state in other parts of the country (I-86/NY 17 and I-24 come to mind, although those are much shorter than the gap 395 has through Nevada).

Regards,
Andy

[roadfro]

My original comment about the "southern segment's lead up to Nevada" was commenting on the fact that much of the route north of Bishop getting closer to Nevada is two-lane--i.e. between Topaz Lake and Mono Lake--although looking at a map, more of it's 4-lane undivided than I remember.

Having exit number continuity on both stretches of 395 in California seems kinda silly to me. There's well over 100 miles between the last exit on the south leg and the only exit on the north leg--when you count the 83 or so miles that 395 travels through Nevada between these two segments, I hardly think it worth it, IMO.

[agentsteel53]

I don't have a problem with exit 7 for CA-70.  it is quite unlikely to cause confusion.

even if all of 395 were a freeway, one would have to go out of their way to confuse CA-70 with the southern exit 7, which would be about 400 miles south!

it would be easier to confuse a CA and an NV exit of the same number, and no one is doing that.  generally speaking, people seem to be quite adept with the idea that exit numbers reset at state lines.

[Interstate Trav]

Sometimes, on exit numbers, Caltrans starts the numbering from where the freeway section begins, not where the route begins. This is best seen with Route 14, if I recall correctly, which goes to 1 at the I-5 junction, even though the route legislatively continues further. On the other hand, Route 170 starts at 5 at the junction with US 101, even though it really isn't signed S of that point.

But With Route 14, there are no plans to extend it any further south.  I don't think it will ever happen.  On the 86S, it would just be confusing for someone driving straight through, considering that 86S was supposed to be renamed 86, and having the exit number reset at the County line is not the best thing to do.

The US 395 is different considering it does cross a State Line. 

[kendancy66]

Does anyone know what the "S" in 86S stands for?

[NE2]

Does anyone know what the "S" in 86S stands for?

The "S" suffix identifies spurs