OH-315 numbered exits?

[6a]

Haven't been down the northern end of 315 in some time until today. I knew there was a general sign replacement in the works, since most of the existing ones are older than god. Heading southbound I noticed the new signs have numbered exits. Is this a new thing in general for Ohio state routes, is it a one-off thing here, or is just a goof up?  I tend not to think mistake, since these numbers had to come from somewhere.

[rawmustard]

Although it's curious why in your photo the next exit in line doesn't yet have a tab, ODOT in general has numbered exits as signs are due to be replaced–even if the ramps don't originate from freeways.

[dfilpus]

Ohio has been numbering the exits on OH 2 for a couple of years now, usually as part of a refurbishment project.

[thenetwork]

Ohio has used exit numbers on non-interstate freeways for quite a while now (+/- 10 years).

The earliest example, though, is an odd one:  SR-2 in Lorain County.  It is odd because the exit numbers corresponded to the distance from the Lorain/Erie County line, and not the Ohio/Indiana state line.  Plus the exit numbers were only used between just east of SR-61 in Vermilion to SR-58 in Lorain - a distance of about 10-12 miles.

[6a]

So basically I need to drive north more often   This is a new arrangement in central Ohio, although there are incremental mile markers in the medians here that measure from the state line (US 33).

[keithvh]

In the Cincinnati area ----- the Norwood Lateral (OH-562) and OH-129 (the expressway that connects I-75 and Hamilton) have numbered exits.

But the Reagan Cross-County expressway (OH-126) does not.

It's a mixed bag.

[Buck87]

Another one that's kinda odd is the Fremont, OH bypass. It got exit numbers sometime in the past 5-10 years, but the numbers appear only on the exit gore signs. Plus, 3 of the exits are based on US 6, while the other 3 are based on US 20. So the numbers are:

92 (signed only on US 6 east for US 20 west/State St),
94 (OH 19 north)
95 (OH 53 north)
102 (where US 6 east leaves US 20)
103 (OH 412)
105 (signed on US 20 west for State St)

Exits 95 and 102 are only 1.5 miles apart.

I suppose it's signed that way because they were only signing exits off the bypass, and the bypasses west end technically starts as 2 lane US 6, so they started the numbers as US 6 and had 20's take over where 6 left the bypass. It would make more sense IMO to sign all six exits based on US 20's mileage, with the westernmost exit being on US 20 for US 6 west/State street.

[thenetwork]

I think ODOT's method of assigning exit numbers on multiplexed highway is that lowest route number gets priority:  Interstate -> US-> State Route.

Exit numbers are based on I-76's mileage on the 76/77 multiplex through Akron.  Not sure in the days of I-80S if the western leg of the Akron Expressway had sequential exit numbers, and if so were the exits based on I-77's sequential numbers?

Over in Warren, mileage markers (and exit numbers when they get to them on the Warren Bypass) are based off of SR-5 when multiplexed with SR-82.  Once SR-5 leaves the bypass north of town, the mile markers jump to the SR-82 mileage from it's western terminus near Elyria.

[seicer]

SR 32 has exit numbers around Athens (eg SR 682/Athens is Exit 17 http://goo.gl/maps/FOCvT), and there is the odd SR 32 exit at Wellston (SR 327/Wellston is Exit 17 http://goo.gl/maps/XAacs) - based on county mileage.

[vtk]

Exit numbering practices on non-Interstates seem to vary by ODOT district.

SR 32 has exit numbers around Athens (eg SR 682/Athens is Exit 17 http://goo.gl/maps/FOCvT)

That's part of a string of exits numbered by US 33's in-county mileage, even though US 33 exits itself in both directions at one end of the overlap.  Also, those exit numbers appear only on exit direction guide signs, not advance guide signs or gore signs.



OH 315 exit list:

• Mound—Sandusky Interchange: Three southbound "exits" to I-70 E/W and I-71 S. ODOT will probably leave these unnumbered. In my headcanon they are 1A—C, though I have no firm preference for which is which.
• Rich—Town(—Sullivant): In my headcanon this is 1D. ODOT will probably just make it Exit 1, maybe 1A for southbound (see next).
• Broad St: Only accessible by traffic entering SB 315 from the previous interchange, ODOT may leave this unnumbered, though I also see 1B as plausible. 1E in my headcanon.
• Spring—Sandusky Interchange: Obviously 2A—B, but ODOT could mess this up like they did with 4A—B on I-670.
• Goodale St: Probably 2C.
• Medical Ctr / Kinnear: Probably Exit 3, though doing NB as Exit 3A and SB as Exit 3B also makes some sense.
• Lane Ave: Obviously Exit 4.  No number signed yet.
• Ackerman Rd: Now signed as Exit 5, at least southbound.
• North Broadway: Now signed as Exit 6 southbound, and probably northbound too. I haven't observed if the northbound forks got suffices, but I'd guess probably not.
• Henderson Rd: Now signed as Exit 7.
• Bethel Rd: Now signed as Exit 8.
• 161: Now signed (northbound only) as Exit 10.
• 270: Should be 11A—B. I include both SB exits in this, including the low-speed right turn to enter 270 WB.
• Hard Rd: I think theoretically the NB left turn at a signal for Hard Rd could be given an exit number (11C or 12) considering the through lanes are still free-flowing here.  And if you think a left turn across oncoming traffic can't be an "exit", check out US 6 at I-75.  (The District 2 guy in charge of the new exit numbers several years ago didn't let his rules yield to common sense.)

The signage replaced in this project was the only extant example of button copy with non-reflective backgrounds I was aware of.

[Buck87]

It would make more sense IMO to sign all six exits based on US 20's mileage, with the westernmost exit being on US 20 for US 6 west/State street.

Well, that is now the case. I drove the Fremont bypass today for the first time in a while and noticed that exit 95 is now 101, exit 94 is now 100, and the western split between US 20 and US 6 is now exit 98 for US 20 (it previously didn't have a number on 20.) I didn't see whether or not the ramp from 6 east to 20 west/State St east is still exit 92, but I don't know why it wouldn't be. Also, there are now exit number tabs on the BGS for the entire US 20 part of the bypass, previously the exit numbers were only on the exit gore signs.

[6a]

North Broadway: Now signed as Exit 6 southbound, and probably northbound too. I haven't observed if the northbound forks got suffices, but I'd guess probably not.

Went up that way today, it's exit 6 A-B-C.

I also noticed exit 10's advance signage is still the old bgs with an exit tab added.

[vtk]

North Broadway: Now signed as Exit 6 southbound, and probably northbound too. I haven't observed if the northbound forks got suffices, but I'd guess probably not.

Went up that way today, it's exit 6 A-B-C.

Did you catch which is which?

Edit: happened to drive by on the job this morning. 6A is N Broadway west, 6B is Olentangy R Rd, 6C is N Broadway E. Signed as 6A—B—C on diverge from mainline.

[ctsignguy]

I think ODOT's method of assigning exit numbers on multiplexed highway is that lowest route number gets priority:  Interstate -> US-> State Route.

Exit numbers are based on I-76's mileage on the 76/77 multiplex through Akron.  Not sure in the days of I-80S if the western leg of the Akron Expressway had sequential exit numbers, and if so were the exits based on I-77's sequential numbers?

if i recall, in the days of I-80S, i dont think any of the exits were numbered at that time (Ohio was kind of a latecomer to the numbered exit party, so their sequential exits were only up a few short years before the mileage-based exits came in vogue)

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

That's a strange way for ODOT to replace the exit # tabs on US 23 north @ I-270. 

[Buck87]

The earliest example, though, is an odd one:  SR-2 in Lorain County.  It is odd because the exit numbers corresponded to the distance from the Lorain/Erie County line, and not the Ohio/Indiana state line.  Plus the exit numbers were only used between just east of SR-61 in Vermilion to SR-58 in Lorain - a distance of about 10-12 miles.

I drove that yesterday and noticed that some of these have been changed to OH 2's mileage. Going west, the first blue sign mile marker after the I-90 split was 168, and the first exit was 166 (former exit 10.) However, closer to Vermilion the exit numbers disappeared altogether and the blue mile markers went back to being 2, 1.8, etc down to 0 at the Erie County line. 

Seemed kinda odd that the mile marker system would change like that. Maybe they're in the middle of making the switch over this week and I just happened to go by on a day when it was only partly done.

[Buck87]

I was back up there again yesterday and saw that nothing had changed.

One thing I noticed was that the change over point is right at the Vermilion city limit, which is at the bridge over Baumhart Rd. The Baumhart Rd interchange is signed as exit 160 for westbound traffic, but for eastbound traffic there is no exit number at all. East of Baumhart the blue median mile markers appear every .2 miles, starting with 160.4 and counting up to 168 at the I-90 junction. West of Baumhart the mile markers are not consistent (some numbers are missing), but the ones that are there are all less than 3 and count down to the Erie County line. 

[JREwing78]

The mile-markers on OH 2 have been like that for quite some time. It's quite irritating.

Then again, not having an expressway/freeway segment for the Toledo/Port Clinton stretch is equally irritating.

[6a]

I found the signage plans for the southern half, so here's the full list:

Northbound:
1A: Rich/Town
1C: US 33
1D: I-670 E
2: Goodale
3: Medical Center/King
4: Lane/OSU
6A: North Broadway W
6B: Olentangy
6C: North Broadway E
7: Henderson
8: Bethel
10: SR 161
12A: I-270 E
12B: I-270 W

Southbound:
1A: Rich/Town
1B: Broad
1E: I-670 W
1F: I-670 E
2: Goodale
3: Kinnear/Olentangy
4: Lane/OSU
5: Ackerman
6: North Broadway
7: Henderson
8: Bethel
10: SR 161
12A: I-270 E
12B: I-270 W

[GCrites]

Ugh, state routes should use sequential numbering.

[vtk]

I found the signage plans for the southern half, so here's the full list:

Northbound:
1C: US 33 (I-670 W)
1D: I-670 E

Southbound:
1E: I-670 W
1F: I-670 E
12B: I-270 W

I'm surprised the 670 ramps aren't assigned in the 2X range, considering the centerline intersection is beyond mile 1.5, and mile 2 falls within the interchange.  Also, why aren't the exits to I-670 (eastbound, at least) the same for northbound and southbound traffic?  You're doing it wrong, ODOT. 

And southbound "exit" 12B... yeah, I actually called this one, but it's still silly.

Do the sign plans call for updating all the signs?  Most places I've seen where a non-Interstate gets exit numbers in Ohio, they miss one or more of: supplemental guide signs, advance exit guide signs, exit direction guide signs, exit gore signs.  Ideally, the logo service signs should have the exit numbers on them too, but I rather doubt that'll happen in the best case scenario.

I've actually been meaning to write ODOT asking them to review exit numbering on non-Interstates: not only to get exit numbers installed, but to do it thoroughly and consistently, and to assign the exit numbers in the most useful way possible.  It's starting to look like they're going forward with installing the exit numbers much more quickly than before, but not as I'd hoped.  I haven't yet seen (in the wild) exit numbers added except as part of a sign replacement plan that only covers some of the signs on part of a route, and I must say I disagree with some of the choices of exit numbers ODOT seems to be going with lately.  It seems good exit numbering is something of a lost art, at least to those in charge of such things.

[ctsignguy]

Ugh, state routes should use sequential numbering.

Let's see.....
Exit 1E  > I-70 East
Exit 1S > I-71 South
Exit 1W > I-70 west
Exit 2 > US 62/Ohio 3
Exit 3 > US 33 (north only)
Exit 4E> I-670 east
Exit 5 > Goodale
Exit 4W> I-670 west (S only)
Exit 6> Kinnear/Olentangy
Exit 7 > Lane
Exit 8 > Broadway/Olentangy
Exit 9 > Henderson/Olentangy
Exit 10 > Bethel
Exit 11 > Oh 161
Exit 12E > I-270 East
Exit 12W > I-270 west

*g* The New England roadgeek in me!

[6a]

I found the signage plans for the southern half, so here's the full list:

Northbound:
1C: US 33 (I-670 W)
1D: I-670 E

Southbound:
1E: I-670 W
1F: I-670 E
12B: I-270 W

Do the sign plans call for updating all the signs?  Most places I've seen where a non-Interstate gets exit numbers in Ohio, they miss one or more of: supplemental guide signs, advance exit guide signs, exit direction guide signs, exit gore signs.  Ideally, the logo service signs should have the exit numbers on them too, but I rather doubt that'll happen in the best case scenario.

It looks like they're replacing everything that's not Clearview, for lack of a better way to describe it. The signs that are already Clearview are just getting exit tabs:



But yeah, I don't see anything like the "OSU Schottenstein Center" sign getting tabs.

It's starting to look like they're going forward with installing the exit numbers much more quickly than before, but not as I'd hoped.  I haven't yet seen (in the wild) exit numbers added except as part of a sign replacement plan that only covers some of the signs on part of a route, and I must say I disagree with some of the choices of exit numbers ODOT seems to be going with lately.  It seems good exit numbering is something of a lost art, at least to those in charge of such things.

Oh yes, 315 is part of a much larger scheme:



There were comments from Marysville about the (I believe) 31/4 exit. They wanted it to be signed 92A-B and ODOT told them to take a leap because it was one ramp as far as they were concerned.

[vtk]

There were comments from Marysville about the (I believe) 31/4 exit. They wanted it to be signed 92A-B and ODOT told them to take a leap because it was one ramp as far as they were concerned.

Sure it's one ramp.  Just like I-670 EB's exit to US 23.   (Also note the 4A/4B eastbound don't match the 4A/4B westbound at that interchange )

[Buck87]

Regarding OH 2, there are now mile markers and exit numbers a little ways into Erie County. Green mile markers every 0.2 miles start at the Vermilion River and continue as far west as OH 61, which is now exit 148. OH 60 is now exit 156. I wonder how long it will take them to get all the way to Port Clinton with this, if that's even the plan.

It's now clear that the gap where the signs are inconsistent is entirely within the city limits of Vermilion (east of the Vermilion river, west of Baumhart Rd.) The only exits between OH 61 and I-90 that aren't numbered are the Vermilion/Sunnyside exit and the east bound half of the Baumhart Rd exit.