control cities

[MattCollopy]

I was on rte 6 in willimantic, CT yesterday and there was a part of the 6 that is a 4 lane highway, and the control city was providence, so that got me wondering, what are the control cities for these short highways?

[signalman]

what

[Brandon]

As I've stated to the mods, this is best under "General Highway Talk".

[Alps]

I am not even putting it there until I know what a short highway is. 6 is not a short highway.

[ET21]

Do you mean short stubs where the road turns from a two lane to a 4 lane divided?

[jp the roadgeek]

You're referring to the Willimantic bypass portion of US 6 that is one of only two pieces built (I-384 being the other) of I-84 to Providence.  US 6 used to follow what is now CT 66 through Willimantic.  When the project was scrapped, I-84 returned to its Sturbridge route that was I-86, I-384 was created, US 6 was moved onto the bypass, and CT 66 was extended east from its old terminus in Columbia at the west end of the bypass.  Historically, Providence has always been used as a control city for both I-384 East and for the US 6 bypass, with Hartford being used westbound on both pieces.  There really aren't any viable control cities on I-384 or US 6 between Hartford and Providence other than Willimantic (I wish they would add Willimantic to the BGS's for Exit 59 on I-84; eastbound would be Willimantic/Providence, while WB would be Bolton/Willimantic).  However, there are quicker ways between Hartford and Providence than taking I-384 to US 6 (I prefer I-84/CT 74/US 44/CT&RI 101/US 6). 

[NE2]

I bet Matt thinks it's weird when a freeway doesn't go to its control city. Matt is wrong.

[MattCollopy]

Do you mean short stubs where the road turns from a two lane to a 4 lane divided?

yes

[MattCollopy]

I bet Matt thinks it's weird when a freeway doesn't go to its control city. Matt is wrong.

Nope, I don't think that I worded this post correctly or maybe I just don't understand something... 

[MattCollopy]

You're referring to the Willimantic bypass portion of US 6 that is one of only two pieces built (I-384 being the other) of I-84 to Providence.  US 6 used to follow what is now CT 66 through Willimantic.  When the project was scrapped, I-84 returned to its Sturbridge route that was I-86, I-384 was created, US 6 was moved onto the bypass, and CT 66 was extended east from its old terminus in Columbia at the west end of the bypass.  Historically, Providence has always been used as a control city for both I-384 East and for the US 6 bypass, with Hartford being used westbound on both pieces.  There really aren't any viable control cities on I-384 or US 6 between Hartford and Providence other than Willimantic (I wish they would add Willimantic to the BGS's for Exit 59 on I-84; eastbound would be Willimantic/Providence, while WB would be Bolton/Willimantic).  However, there are quicker ways between Hartford and Providence than taking I-384 to US 6 (I prefer I-84/CT 74/US 44/CT&RI 101/US 6).

Thank you for answering my question, I know it wasn't worded very well. But i'm very glad that the project failed because US 6 and US 44 from Hartford to Providence is a very nice drive, you come across many different small cool towns, that you don't get to see on a highway.

[vdeane]

Had the project been done, the old road would still exist, just like it does for the portion through Willimantic.

[ET21]

Do you mean short stubs where the road turns from a two lane to a 4 lane divided?

yes

Whatever largest city/interchange is ahead of that stub will be your control. Or sometimes if there is multiple large cities it'll just have the route #, direction of travel, and road name.

[bzakharin]

I'm still not sure about what the question means. Do you mean a destination *for* the 4-lane stub from another highway? If so, I'd imagine most interchanges would list a destination regardless of what kind of road the exit leads to. If you mean a pull-through on the highway itself, I'd imagine it could be anything from nothing (no pull-through at all) to a destination along the non-divided continuation of the highway to a destination along one of the divided highways interchanged with before the stub ends.
Type 1: no pull-through https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9451886,-74.9829023,3a,75y,40.38h,92.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYVYmAEPtFytvUxzSIZDZLw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1
Type 2: NJ 15 is a 2-lane road in Lafayette https://www.google.com/maps/@41.04094,-74.6300309,3a,75y,294.18h,85.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVDxiEWPCzjVSSCghuLCwNA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1
Type 3: US 130 never enters Trenton. The I-295 exit is the signed route to Trenton from 130. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9332279,-75.0821265,3a,75y,346.59h,91.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHaiGhT3M4yFLaD5yeC5m7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[RobbieL2415]

This is why US 6 really needs to be signed over I-384.  I-384 doesn't go to Providence, but US 6 does.  If that is the de-facto through route to Providence, why can't you sign it on the fastest and most direct alignment?  No one in Manchester is going to care if the duplex through the Center is gone.

And I know US 44 to CT/RI 101 to US 6 is faster but the majority of traffic heading that way will use US 6.

[D-Dey65]

Old topic, but I just though of something tonight; Should BGS signs use neighborhoods as control cities? Like if I'm driving north on the Bronx River Parkway would a sign that says "Exit 9/Gun Hill Road/Van Cortland Park/Co-Op City" be better than simply "Gun Hill Road?"

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

Old topic, but I just though of something tonight; Should BGS signs use neighborhoods as control cities? Like if I'm driving north on the Bronx River Parkway would a sign that says "Exit 9/Gun Hill Road/Van Cortland Park/Co-Op City" be better than simply "Gun Hill Road?"

I would be in favor of neighborhoods being listed on supplemental signs, but the street name alone is probably sufficient and less is more with guide signage.

[Rothman]

Not much room for more than Gun Hill Road through there.  Haven't been through there since they worked on the intersection, though.

[kphoger]

Old topic, but I just though of something tonight; Should BGS signs use neighborhoods as control cities? Like if I'm driving north on the Bronx River Parkway would a sign that says "Exit 9/Gun Hill Road/Van Cortland Park/Co-Op City" be better than simply "Gun Hill Road?"

I don't think so.  Anybody familiar enough with the area to know the names of its neighborhoods is also going to know the names of its roads.  Anybody unfamiliar with the area will likely know what road they're supposed to exit at even if they don't know the name of that neighborhood.  A road name on the BGS assists both groups of people, whereas a neighborhood name on the BGS only assists one group–and that group is the one least likely to need any signage at all.