Do a lot of states sign Alternate highways?

Started by OCGuy81, June 01, 2023, 03:06:49 PM

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OCGuy81

Spent a nice long weekend visiting friends and family in SE Wisconsin.  Being the roadgeek I am, I always enjoy seeing new signage, upgraded interchanges, etc.

Wisconsin is VERY good about signing alternate Interstate routes.  All over the Milwaukee area, basically every freeway is an alternate for another nearby freeway.  For example, I-43 is very well signed as an alternate to I-41, and I-94 in certain areas.  Apparently this is pretty widespread throughout the state.

Are there a lot of states that do this, especially with Interstates?  I know there's a lot of alternate US routes scattered about, but WisDOT seems pretty determined to sign the alternates.


hotdogPi

Massachusetts does not. It does have [number]A routes, but the routes they're alternates of are surface roads, not freeways.

New Hampshire has an "I-93 evacuation corridor" or similar wording on NH 28 near the Massachusetts state line, although the signs are extremely easy to miss. Interestingly, these signs continue across the state line to MA 213.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Dough4872

Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland have Alternate routes for US and state routes. New Jersey has Alternate routes for county routes. Don't have any alternate routes for Interstates though, although Pennsylvania has the color-coded detour routes for freeways that provide a similar function.

-- US 175 --

The only ALT highways that are signed/mapped in TX are US 77 (ALT is Hallettsville -> Refugio), US 90 (ALT is Seguin -> Houston), and US 281 (ALT is north of Campbellton -> south of Whitsett).  No interstates or TX state highways have signed ALTs.

GaryV

Michigan has no ALT bannered routes. They tried at least once, when the US-23 (and later I-75) freeway was built north of Bay City. They labeled the old road as ALT 23, but AASHO denied it and it became an extension of M-13.

We do have a lot of orange-bannered Emergency ("quasi-alternate") routes for some of our Interstates. These are sometimes on pre-freeway routings in rural areas and on urban/suburban arterials. Their purpose is to provide detours if the freeway is blocked.

Max Rockatansky

#5
California has a very poorly signed US Route 50A on CA 88 and Morman Emigrant Trail.  Prior to the 1964 Renumbering there was several posted US Route Alternates.  Several off the top of my head include:

-  US 40A on the Feather River Highway
-  US 101A on El Camino Real
-  US 101A on Pacific Coast Highway/Roosevelt Highway
-  US 66A north of downtown Los Angeles
-  US 66A in San Bernardino

Additionally there was some E/W splits that existed along US 99 and US 101.  There was a submission for a US 66A to Las Vegas but AASHO rejected it.

US 89

Alternate Interstates are really uncommon. The only one I can think of is Alt I-70 in Kansas City, which was occasionally signed along with I-670 (because 670 is actually a more direct route than 70 is). Unfortunately, looking at more recent streetview, this appears to no longer be a thing.

roadman65

Quote from: Dough4872 on June 01, 2023, 03:44:54 PM
Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland have Alternate routes for US and state routes. New Jersey has Alternate routes for county routes. Don't have any alternate routes for Interstates though, although Pennsylvania has the color-coded detour routes for freeways that provide a similar function.

NJ used to have alternate routes for US 1 and US  22.  They both were decommissioned in the early nineties.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

index

Quote from: US 89 on June 01, 2023, 06:21:14 PM
Alternate Interstates are really uncommon. The only one I can think of is Alt I-70 in Kansas City, which was occasionally signed along with I-670 (because 670 is actually a more direct route than 70 is). Unfortunately, looking at more recent streetview, this appears to no longer be a thing.

I have seen signs for I-81 ALT here in Northeast Tennessee:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4471157,-82.5211605,3a,15y,212.38h,89.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9-D0qbvE1kfPyNVJiUW86g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I am not sure about any other alternate designations that TDOT may have established. Not much data on them either from a quick search. If anyone has more info on them that would be much appreciated.
I love my 2010 Ford Explorer.



Counties traveled

wanderer2575

Michigan has some freeway detour routes posted along surface roads, mostly on the west side of the Lower Peninsula.  They are signed as "EMERGENCY (route shield)."

There is an ALTERNATE TO route signed as a bypass of Port Huron.  Not quite what the OP is asking.  It's signed as ALTERNATE TO M-25 northbound and ALTERNATE TO I-69 southbound.

catch22

Here's an example of Michigan's "emergency route" posting, on Michigan Avenue (Old US-12) east of Grass Lake for I-94.

https://goo.gl/maps/WyBeGxFoQN9bL7gn6

Rothman

Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 08:59:39 AM
Michigan has some freeway detour routes posted along surface roads, mostly on the west side of the Lower Peninsula.  They are signed as "EMERGENCY (route shield)."

There is an ALTERNATE TO route signed as a bypass of Port Huron.  Not quite what the OP is asking.  It's signed as ALTERNATE TO M-25 northbound and ALTERNATE TO I-69 southbound.
I don't know about permanent detour routes.  For some reason, I see the need for signed evacuation routes where applicable, but I think permanent detour routes just end up getting "fuzzed out" psychologically by local drivers due to their rare use.  Makes me think of the various colored route detours in Pennsylvania.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

wanderer2575

Quote from: Rothman on June 02, 2023, 09:19:28 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 08:59:39 AM
Michigan has some freeway detour routes posted along surface roads, mostly on the west side of the Lower Peninsula.  They are signed as "EMERGENCY (route shield)."

There is an ALTERNATE TO route signed as a bypass of Port Huron.  Not quite what the OP is asking.  It's signed as ALTERNATE TO M-25 northbound and ALTERNATE TO I-69 southbound.
I don't know about permanent detour routes.  For some reason, I see the need for signed evacuation routes where applicable, but I think permanent detour routes just end up getting "fuzzed out" psychologically by local drivers due to their rare use.  Makes me think of the various colored route detours in Pennsylvania.

They're not meant for local drivers; they're meant for longer-distance drivers who would have no clue where to go if they had to exit the freeway.  (These signs of course predate Waze and Google Maps, which automatically point you along a detour route.)  I'm guessing that's also the reason Michigan chose to use the word EMERGENCY instead of DETOUR, and to use an orange background.

GaryV

Quote from: catch22 on June 02, 2023, 09:16:57 AM
Here's an example of Michigan's "emergency route" posting, on Michigan Avenue (Old US-12) east of Grass Lake for I-94.

https://goo.gl/maps/WyBeGxFoQN9bL7gn6

Here's an example on 16 Mile (Big Beaver) at the turn onto Dequindre.

https://goo.gl/maps/akCW27po4mGGtc3z9

Note that here you are now about 2 miles from the nearest I-75 exit (Rochester Road) and 3-1/2 miles from the Big Beaver exit. Local drivers would have had several shorter choices of alternate routes. I'd guess these "Emergency Route To" routings were chosen because they are most suitable for long-distance travel including trucks.

tchafe1978

Wisconsin's ALT routes are meant to be an alternative in the event of a closure due to a crash or bad weather, etc. They're not meant to be an everyday bypass or something like that. They're signed to help you get around the closure and get back to the main highway.

hbelkins

Quote from: tchafe1978 on June 02, 2023, 10:23:24 AM
Wisconsin's ALT routes are meant to be an alternative in the event of a closure due to a crash or bad weather, etc. They're not meant to be an everyday bypass or something like that. They're signed to help you get around the closure and get back to the main highway.

This was my interpretation of the OP's post, especially since he mentioned Wisconsin.
Quote from: index on June 02, 2023, 07:29:17 AM
Quote from: US 89 on June 01, 2023, 06:21:14 PM
Alternate Interstates are really uncommon. The only one I can think of is Alt I-70 in Kansas City, which was occasionally signed along with I-670 (because 670 is actually a more direct route than 70 is). Unfortunately, looking at more recent streetview, this appears to no longer be a thing.

I have seen signs for I-81 ALT here in Northeast Tennessee:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4471157,-82.5211605,3a,15y,212.38h,89.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9-D0qbvE1kfPyNVJiUW86g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I am not sure about any other alternate designations that TDOT may have established. Not much data on them either from a quick search. If anyone has more info on them that would be much appreciated.


Back during one of the major incidents on I-75 across Pine Mountain (referred to by Kentuckians as "Jellico Mountain") Tennessee signed "ALT I-75" trailblazers along US 25E. It's been a few years since I was on the route, so I'm not sure if any of the signs have remained or not.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

CovalenceSTU

Oregon hasn't had a bannered Alternate route in a very long time, every special route is a business route except for US-30 Bypass and US-95 Spur.

Business US-101 from Astoria-Warrenton was an alternate route from 1964-1976 and is still listed on a sign, Wikipedia lists a long-gone US-30A and 99A, and OR-104S is erroneously signed as "Alt Hwy 101" but never had the designation.

Amaury

Washington has three, all of which are signed. US Route 97 Alternate, US Route 101 Alternate, and Washington State Route 141 Alternate. Those are the only ones I know about, anyway. I don't know if there are other alternate alignments in general.
Quote from: Rean SchwarzerWe stand before a great darkness, but remember, darkness can't exist where light is. Let's be that light!

Wikipedia Profile: Amaury

Rothman



Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 09:27:37 AM
Quote from: Rothman on June 02, 2023, 09:19:28 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 08:59:39 AM
Michigan has some freeway detour routes posted along surface roads, mostly on the west side of the Lower Peninsula.  They are signed as "EMERGENCY (route shield)."

There is an ALTERNATE TO route signed as a bypass of Port Huron.  Not quite what the OP is asking.  It's signed as ALTERNATE TO M-25 northbound and ALTERNATE TO I-69 southbound.
I don't know about permanent detour routes.  For some reason, I see the need for signed evacuation routes where applicable, but I think permanent detour routes just end up getting "fuzzed out" psychologically by local drivers due to their rare use.  Makes me think of the various colored route detours in Pennsylvania.

They're not meant for local drivers; they're meant for longer-distance drivers who would have no clue where to go if they had to exit the freeway.  (These signs of course predate Waze and Google Maps, which automatically point you along a detour route.)  I'm guessing that's also the reason Michigan chose to use the word EMERGENCY instead of DETOUR, and to use an orange background.

Eh, just put up temporary signage when needed rather than wasting money maintaining permanent signage that's rarely used.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

ClassicHasClass

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 01, 2023, 05:53:47 PM
California has a very poorly signed US Route 50A on CA 88 and Morman Emigrant Trail.  Prior to the 1964 Renumbering there was several posted US Route Alternates.  Several off the top of my head include:

-  US 40A on the Feather River Highway
-  US 101A on El Camino Real
-  US 101A on Pacific Coast Highway/Roosevelt Highway
-  US 66A north of downtown Los Angeles
-  US 66A in San Bernardino

Additionally there was some E/W splits that existed along US 99 and US 101.  There was a submission for a US 66A to Las Vegas but AASHO rejected it.

There's a locally posted ALT I-10 in the Coachella Valley that the county erects shields and banners for, and there used to be one along Redlands Blvd in Loma Linda (not sure who posted that, and it disappeared about 20 years ago).

SkyPesos

Indiana signs US 52 between Lebanon and Lafayette as Alternate I-65. There's most likely other examples in the state, but that's the one I'm most familiar with.

wriddle082

Quote from: index on June 02, 2023, 07:29:17 AM
Quote from: US 89 on June 01, 2023, 06:21:14 PM
Alternate Interstates are really uncommon. The only one I can think of is Alt I-70 in Kansas City, which was occasionally signed along with I-670 (because 670 is actually a more direct route than 70 is). Unfortunately, looking at more recent streetview, this appears to no longer be a thing.

I have seen signs for I-81 ALT here in Northeast Tennessee:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4471157,-82.5211605,3a,15y,212.38h,89.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9-D0qbvE1kfPyNVJiUW86g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I am not sure about any other alternate designations that TDOT may have established. Not much data on them either from a quick search. If anyone has more info on them that would be much appreciated.


I heard that TDOT has recently (or will be soon) signing ALT I-65 along US 31W and connecting routes north of Nashville.  This is mainly due to the widening construction from the KY state line frown to TN 25, which will eventually extend further south to Goodlettsville.

As for other states with ALT interstates signage, NC seems to have it in place just about everywhere now, and even for beltways like I-485, but they only say "TO I-xx (arrow)"  with no ALT or EMERGENCY banner (which can be slightly misleading IMO).  And along I-85 in Gaston County, the arrow signs are now electronic, such that they direct traffic either back to I-85 or to remain on the parallel alternate route, based on real time traffic conditions.

Terry Shea

Quote from: Rothman on June 02, 2023, 11:04:59 PM


Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 09:27:37 AM
Quote from: Rothman on June 02, 2023, 09:19:28 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 02, 2023, 08:59:39 AM
Michigan has some freeway detour routes posted along surface roads, mostly on the west side of the Lower Peninsula.  They are signed as "EMERGENCY (route shield)."

There is an ALTERNATE TO route signed as a bypass of Port Huron.  Not quite what the OP is asking.  It's signed as ALTERNATE TO M-25 northbound and ALTERNATE TO I-69 southbound.
I don't know about permanent detour routes.  For some reason, I see the need for signed evacuation routes where applicable, but I think permanent detour routes just end up getting "fuzzed out" psychologically by local drivers due to their rare use.  Makes me think of the various colored route detours in Pennsylvania.

They're not meant for local drivers; they're meant for longer-distance drivers who would have no clue where to go if they had to exit the freeway.  (These signs of course predate Waze and Google Maps, which automatically point you along a detour route.)  I'm guessing that's also the reason Michigan chose to use the word EMERGENCY instead of DETOUR, and to use an orange background.

Eh, just put up temporary signage when needed rather than wasting money maintaining permanent signage that's rarely used.
I believe they are temporary, at least in the Grand Rapids area, but they're still a waste of money.  Grand River Ave, which parallels I-96 is signed in places as Emergency I-96, but there is no signage on I-96 itself, so what's the point?  Someone traveling on I-96 who is not familiar with the area is not going to know that Grand River Ave is the official emergency or alternate route.  And where and when to return to I-96 is also poorly marked, if at all.

roadman65

Quote from: CovalenceSTU on June 02, 2023, 05:04:16 PM
Oregon hasn't had a bannered Alternate route in a very long time, every special route is a business route except for US-30 Bypass and US-95 Spur.

Business US-101 from Astoria-Warrenton was an alternate route from 1964-1976 and is still listed on a sign, Wikipedia lists a long-gone US-30A and 99A, and OR-104S is erroneously signed as "Alt Hwy 101" but never had the designation.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51352379935/in/album-72157719515990111/ In 2021 it was still signed.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

TheHighwayMan3561

Minnesota has signed alternate routes for I-35 south of the Twin Cities and I-94 northwest of the metro, but not for I-90 (as far as I know) or for I-35 between MSP and Duluth.

What's more interesting though is there are a couple spots where MN signs the continuation of a Wisconsin alternate route (US 10 from I-94 in St. Paul to the border at Prescott is one).
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running



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