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[empirestate]

I guess it's not completely non-sensical, but it's not like there's any reason why the section over the bridge needs to be I-787. It's already NY 7.

I'm pretty sure the reason is to have an Interstate designation serving Troy. (And not just being fussy about city limits–you literally have to cross the river to get to Troy there, so that's why they would have sent the Interstate that way.) And also, NY 787 was not yet a thing when these designations were dreamed up, so there would have been no reason not to end it in Troy.

If it happened today, it may well be different, but it was some years ago, and those decisions were never undone. So it remains to this day!

There's certainly plenty of examples where the through roadway makes a turn and another route continues straight, but this has to be one of the only examples where the route that makes the turn and the route that continues have the same number. This means that technically three of the four approaches to the NY 7/I-787/NY 787 interchange have the same number.

It's a quirk, to be sure. But you do also have a similar situation with I-890/NY 890. I'm not sure exactly where FHWA thinks I-890 ends, but I'd bet it's not a seamless thru transition onto NY 890.

And then there's I-790…

Technically it starts where the exit 23 toll booths were (the lanes to US 9W where the Southside Route was supposed to be are reference route 912S).

I know NYSDOT made that swap. FHWA's map suggests they eventually did too, but that seems to make their mileage figure just a bit high.

[Bruce]

I'm guessing there aren't any interstates in Hawaii that aren't all in one county.

Right. And all of Hawaii's Interstates are entirely in Honolulu County. When Hawaii became a state, it asked for approval of an Interstate entirely in Hawaii County (which would've been longer than Interstate H-1), but that proposal was rejected.

Got more details? Sounds like an interesting rabbit hole to investigate.

[Dirt Roads]

I'm guessing there aren't any interstates in Hawaii that aren't all in one county.

Right. And all of Hawaii's Interstates are entirely in Honolulu County. When Hawaii became a state, it asked for approval of an Interstate entirely in Hawaii County (which would've been longer than Interstate H-1), but that proposal was rejected.

Got more details? Sounds like an interesting rabbit hole to investigate.

There's only two shipping ports on the coast of the Big Island (Hilo on the east coast, and Kawaihae on the west coast) and the Interstate highway was proposed to connect the two.  Hawai'i route H-19 (part of the Hawai'i Belt) almost connects the two ports, but H-19 turns south at a T-bone intersection with H-270 as you get the coast overlooking the port.  The town of Kawaihae is old and industrial (perhaps the only place on the Big Island that fits that description), but all of the restaurants and diners are quaint and friendly.

The path of H-200 Saddle Road (Daniel Inouye Highway) takes a more direct path between the west coast and east coast.  We saw a few big trucks heading over the "saddle" between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but it is a steep road with very few services.  That was a problem for this boy from West Virginia.

[Rothman]

Heh.  WV is filled with steep roads with few services.

[vdeane]

I guess it's not completely non-sensical, but it's not like there's any reason why the section over the bridge needs to be I-787. It's already NY 7.

I'm pretty sure the reason is to have an Interstate designation serving Troy. (And not just being fussy about city limits–you literally have to cross the river to get to Troy there, so that's why they would have sent the Interstate that way.) And also, NY 787 was not yet a thing when these designations were dreamed up, so there would have been no reason not to end it in Troy.

If it happened today, it may well be different, but it was some years ago, and those decisions were never undone. So it remains to this day!

There's certainly plenty of examples where the through roadway makes a turn and another route continues straight, but this has to be one of the only examples where the route that makes the turn and the route that continues have the same number. This means that technically three of the four approaches to the NY 7/I-787/NY 787 interchange have the same number.

It's a quirk, to be sure. But you do also have a similar situation with I-890/NY 890. I'm not sure exactly where FHWA thinks I-890 ends, but I'd bet it's not a seamless thru transition onto NY 890.

And then there's I-790…

Technically it starts where the exit 23 toll booths were (the lanes to US 9W where the Southside Route was supposed to be are reference route 912S).

I know NYSDOT made that swap. FHWA's map suggests they eventually did too, but that seems to make their mileage figure just a bit high.

It's worth noting that NY 7 originally followed what is now NY 2 in Albany County, so the bridge would have been I-787 alone.  Additionally, that freeway was planned to become part of I-88; had I-88 been built as planned, it's likely I-787 would have been truncated and the north end at least would have matched the signage.

Regarding I-890, it takes the exit 1B ramps to end at Thruway exit 26.  Oddly enough, I-690 isn't shown doing the same at exit 39; it ends as the signage implies.

[empirestate]

Regarding I-890, it takes the exit 1B ramps to end at Thruway exit 26.  Oddly enough, I-690 isn't shown doing the same at exit 39; it ends as the signage implies.

Perhaps this is due to I-690's former Thruway interchange being a non-freeway connection?

Also while we're on the subject, I-590 doesn't end at I-490–it ends under I-490, where it just becomes NY 590, I think at the city line. The distinction seems trifling, but the point is that the notion that an Interstate designation should physically touch another at its terminus is something of an invention.

[vdeane]

Regarding I-890, it takes the exit 1B ramps to end at Thruway exit 26.  Oddly enough, I-690 isn't shown doing the same at exit 39; it ends as the signage implies.

Perhaps this is due to I-690's former Thruway interchange being a non-freeway connection?

Good point.  Especially since while NY 890's bridge over the Mohawk River was long planned, NY 890 itself is even more recent than I-690's extension to present-day exit 39.

[cpzilliacus]

You can make a case for I-83 in MD, since Baltimore City is technically not a county (36 miles)

No.  Baltimore City is an independent city or county equivalent) and is not part of Baltimore County or Anne Arundel County (the only counties that have borders with Baltimore City).  It is the only independent city in Maryland (Virginia has the most of any state).

An easy way to make this determination is to look at the FIPS code (officially withdrawn but still widely used) for a suspected independent city - if it is five numeric characters, then it qualifies as a county-equivalent jurisdiction.

Baltimore County FIPS code:  24005
Baltimore City FIPS code:  24510