Highways sometimes called by an incorrect (not former) name

Started by Streetman, November 15, 2024, 07:53:52 PM

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Streetman

To be clear, this is not about a road, or bridge, etc., referred to by a former name (Tappan Zee / Mario Cuomo) but by a name it never had.
Not too long ago, a newspaper had a headline about an accident on the Merritt Parkway in Woodbridge, CT:
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/State-police-One-dead-in-crash-on-Merritt-16338355.php
It should, of course, be the Wilbur Cross Parkway. I've seen it often referred to as the Merritt in social media.
The problem may be that there are prominent "Welcome to the Merritt Parkway" signs at each end and "Merritt Parkway" shields along with the Route 15 reassurance markers, but no Wilbur Cross signs or markers.
Are there any other often misnamed roads, and any ideas why they are misnamed?
Apologies if this has been asked before. I tried searching for the question.


hotdogPi

128 has occasionally been applied to the standalone portions of I-95, such as in Attleboro. These were never part of 128.
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jp the roadgeek

CT SR 695 being identified as I-695

I've seen maps where CT and RI 2 are connected via a concurrency with US 1 from Pawcatuck to Charlestown. 
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Max Rockatansky

The segments of CA 1 north of the Rincon Causeway are consistently called "Pacific Coast Highway."  The actual designation are Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway.

Henry

I've often seen and heard IL 394 being referred to as I-394.
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PNWRoadgeek

Read the post incorrectly, was gonna say I-84 and I-5 with their technical freeway names in Portland. But names that a highway never had.. I can't really think of any over here.
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vdeane

"Alternate Route 7" north of Albany - it's actually just NY 7.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Mr. Matté

Philly traffic reports: "The 42 Freeway heading into the Walt Whitman Bridge." I can't tell if 42 was ever applied to the freeway north of I-295, it seems to have been in construction contracts / state laws that the North-South Freeway all the way to Camden, but don't know if when it opened it was signed as such or if it started out as 80S or 76.

The traffic report mistakes are just logical inaccuracies though.

Rothman

Quote from: vdeane on November 15, 2024, 09:58:40 PM"Alternate Route 7" north of Albany - it's actually just NY 7.

But it was ALT 7 previously.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Rothman

People get I-690 and NY 695 mixed up in the Syracuse area just because of the numbers being close together.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

vdeane

Quote from: Rothman on November 15, 2024, 10:16:59 PM
Quote from: vdeane on November 15, 2024, 09:58:40 PM"Alternate Route 7" north of Albany - it's actually just NY 7.

But it was ALT 7 previously.
Wasn't it NY 7 from the time it opened?  Although a look at the wiki does show the source of the confusion:
Quote from: AARoads WikiThe initial plan was for the highway to be labelled as a true alternate to the surface alignment, but this was later changed to have the old surface alignment designated as an extension of NY 2. On December 12, 1985, NY 7 "Alternate" opened, becoming part of a realigned NY 7.[35] The old alignment still bore NY 7 signs through 1986 with the intent to ease the transition, but the change only caused more confusion for motorists in the interim.[36]
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

TheStranger

I've seen before online that people refer to the part of I-90 between I-71 and the Shoreway/OH 2 in Cleveland as part of I-71, but not sure the source of that (I've only been to that city and through that setion once) - I recall this may be a side effect of that segment originally being planned as a portion of 71.

Would need confirmation if this was or is how that north-south freeway stretch is referred to.

Chris Sampang

epzik8

I've heard people call MD 24 north of the Bel Air Bypass "924" which is the post-1987 numbering of old MD 24 south of the bypass, but part of the same continual roadway.
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LilianaUwU

I've seen people use "Route 136" to refer to A-720. I don't know why.
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Quillz

In California, almost everyone I know will refer to CA-1 as "PCH." That has only ever applied to the SoCal alignment (and historically was the original CA-3). The NorCal segments are Cabrillo Highway (SLO to SF) and Shoreline Highway (Bay Area to Redwood Curtain).

1995hoo

A surprising number of people swear that the entire New Jersey Turnpike is I-95.
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epzik8

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 16, 2024, 07:55:44 PMA surprising number of people swear that the entire New Jersey Turnpike is I-95.

Poor Philly
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Rothman

#17
Quote from: epzik8 on November 17, 2024, 11:36:25 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 16, 2024, 07:55:44 PMA surprising number of people swear that the entire New Jersey Turnpike is I-95.

Poor Philly

It really isn't surprising since before the gap was completed I-95 either was just not marked or a couple of shields in the median of the NJTP turned up (1990s), so the NJTP certainly seemed like I-95 given the actual function of the road and despite the stretch through Wilmington and Philly (long distance travellers didn't really care about that and Trenton functioned as a "dead end").
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

bing101

How about CA-60 Moreno Valley and Pomona Freeways get mistaken for a former alignment for US-60. As mentioned here we talked about the San Bernardino Freeway I-10 as a former alignment of US-60, US-99 and US-70 prior to the 1964 renumbering and CA-60 is on a completely different alignment from US-60. 



https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27406.msg2523862#msg2523862

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32984.0

Also we mentioned about a hidden CA-10 at the East LA interchange but most drivers ID this road as either US-101 or I-10 due to the fact that they saw signs on this route as I-10 or US-101. 

kurumi

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 15, 2024, 08:35:54 PMI've seen maps where CT and RI 2 are connected via a concurrency with US 1 from Pawcatuck to Charlestown. 

I've wondered about that. There's a (possibly false) childhood memory about 1 and 2 signed at the border on the RI side. And, in the "Other_RI_1933__" doc at https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default, there are handwritten markings on a 1933 state map about a proposed change in Westerly:
* US 1 is routed along 1A
* RI 2 is extended along 1 to nearly the border

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TheHighwayMan3561

This seems to have died down in recent years, but the standalone US 12 freeway west of I-494 was often labeled as "I-394" in Minnetonka.
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roadman65

#21
In Merit Island, FL the part of SR 528 there is called the Beachline when in reality it's the Emory L. Bennet Causeway.

Traffic reporters like to refer to FL TOLL 417 as the Greeneway when the Seminole County part is The Seminole Expressway and the part south of Exit 6 is the Southern Connector.


Then there is the West Side Highway in NYC above 72nd street which is actually the Henry Hudson Parkway.
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TheStranger

Quote from: bing101 on November 17, 2024, 12:33:17 PMHow about CA-60 Moreno Valley and Pomona Freeways get mistaken for a former alignment for US-60. As mentioned here we talked about the San Bernardino Freeway I-10 as a former alignment of US-60, US-99 and US-70 prior to the 1964 renumbering and CA-60 is on a completely different alignment from US-60.



https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27406.msg2523862#msg2523862

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32984.0

Also we mentioned about a hidden CA-10 at the East LA interchange but most drivers ID this road as either US-101 or I-10 due to the fact that they saw signs on this route as I-10 or US-101.

1. This thread is about the public referring to roads by an incorrect name, not misconceptions from road enthusiasts
2. That being said, the Moreno Valley Freeway is a former US 60 alignment (especially near the Jackrabbit Trail intersection), contrary to what you posted. (As for the Pomona Freeway, the section from Riverside to I-15 does parallel the 1962-era alignment of US 60, see https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239531~5511854:State-Highway-Map,-California,-1962 )  Only the portion of freeway from around I-15 west to near Monterey Park represents true new-terrain alignment that was never signed as US 60 in any form.  (The portion of Valley Boulevard near Monterey Park was a state legislative highway but not sure this was ever signed US 60)
3. IIRC, the FHWA considers "CA 10" as just a segment of the interstate.  That portion of freeway has been signed in-the-field as I-10 since the 1960s.

Chris Sampang

bing101

Quote from: TheStranger on November 17, 2024, 04:52:21 PM
Quote from: bing101 on November 17, 2024, 12:33:17 PMHow about CA-60 Moreno Valley and Pomona Freeways get mistaken for a former alignment for US-60. As mentioned here we talked about the San Bernardino Freeway I-10 as a former alignment of US-60, US-99 and US-70 prior to the 1964 renumbering and CA-60 is on a completely different alignment from US-60.



https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27406.msg2523862#msg2523862

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32984.0

Also we mentioned about a hidden CA-10 at the East LA interchange but most drivers ID this road as either US-101 or I-10 due to the fact that they saw signs on this route as I-10 or US-101.

1. This thread is about the public referring to roads by an incorrect name, not misconceptions from road enthusiasts
2. That being said, the Moreno Valley Freeway is a former US 60 alignment (especially near the Jackrabbit Trail intersection), contrary to what you posted. (As for the Pomona Freeway, the section from Riverside to I-15 does parallel the 1962-era alignment of US 60, see https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239531~5511854:State-Highway-Map,-California,-1962 )  Only the portion of freeway from around I-15 west to near Monterey Park represents true new-terrain alignment that was never signed as US 60 in any form.  (The portion of Valley Boulevard near Monterey Park was a state legislative highway but not sure this was ever signed US 60)
3. IIRC, the FHWA considers "CA 10" as just a segment of the interstate.  That portion of freeway has been signed in-the-field as I-10 since the 1960s.


Now I seen details of former US-60 east of Pomona going on the current CA-60 for the Moreno Valley Segment. 

Quillz

A minor example: many people also refer to "Mulholland Drive" as being the entire thing from the Pacific Ocean to the Hollywood Hills. In fact, the specific drive is relatively short, less than 10 miles or so. The much longer segment is "Highway," and also thinly populated. They are two distinct roads but obviously sharing the same first name leads to confusion. (It also doesn't help the highway terminates at the drive).



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