US Highways that AASHTO probably want to murder

[Bickendan]

201 - 156 miles, Maine only
6N - Suffixed route, 28 miles, Pennsylvania
9W - Suffixed route, New Jersey and New York
11W - Suffixed route, Tennessee and Virginia
11E - Suffixed route, Tennessee and Virgina
211 - 53 miles, Virginia
311 - 67 miles, North Carolina
117 - 115 miles, North Carolina
19W - Suffixed route, Tennessee and North Carolina
19E - Suffixed route, Tennessee and North Carolina
25W - Suffixed route, Tennessee and Kentucky
25E - Suffixed route, Tennessee and Kentucky
130 - 85 miles, New Jersey
341 - 227 miles, Georgia
45W - Suffixed route, Tennessee
45E - Suffixed route, Tennessee
46 - 74 miles, New Jersey
48 - 12 miles(!), Virginia
49W - Suffixed route, Mississippi
49E - Suffixed route, Mississippi
350 - 79 miles, Colorado
57 - 100 miles, Texas
(158 breaks the 300 mile minimum for intrastate at 349 miles, North Carolina)
360 - 219 miles, Virginia
264 - 217 miles, North Carolina
266 - 44 miles, Oklahoma
70S - Suffixed route, Tennessee
70N - Suffixed route, Tennessee
171 - 178 miles, Louisiana
175 - 110 miles, Texas
181 - 137 miles, Texas
290 - 275 miles, Texas
92 - 185 miles, Florida
192 - 76 miles, Florida
96 - 167 miles, Texas

Soooo... remind me. Why were the likes of 126, 299, 466 and 399 decommed? I see far more egregious violations than them...

I also suspect that if, say, ODOT were to reestablish 126 and AASHTO had a conniption, there's a nice, long list of violations that ODOT could rub AASHTO's nose in...

Note, in the list, there was exactly ONE intrastate US highway that met the 300 mile minimum rule. (99 in California would too, but CalTrans... yeah).

[oscar]

223 - 47 miles, Michigan only except for a tiny bit in OH uselessly multiplexed at its south end with US 23.

48 in Virginia will eventually be joined by a longer stretch in West Virginia.

[KEK Inc.]

US-199 since its parent doesn't exist anymore.

Oh, and the state of Oregon for flipping all of their east-west federal highways. 

What's wrong with suffixed routes? 

[froggie]

I also suspect that if, say, ODOT were to reestablish 126 and AASHTO had a conniption, there's a nice, long list of violations that ODOT could rub AASHTO's nose in...

Your list is not violations, per se.  AASHTO policy points out that no *NEW* routes that are split or single-state or less than 300 miles should be established.  While their policy prefers elimination or consolidation of existing routes meeting those criteria, it does not expressly prohibit the existing routes from remaining.

48 in Virginia will eventually be joined by a longer stretch in West Virginia.

Indeed.  In fact, the soon-to-open stretch of Corridor H between Moorefield and Forman has US 48 shields posted.

What's wrong with suffixed routes? 

AASHTO policy discourages split routes (E/W or N/S).  Alternate or Business routes that are suffixed (i.e. US 82B or US 31A) instead of bannered are allowable.

[oscar]

What's wrong with suffixed routes? 

One explanation I found, digging through AASHTO's files for something else, is the fear of motorist confusion, such as that motorists would think "US 99 West" referred not to the western branch of US 99, but rather the westbound direction of US 99.  Of course, if motorists refer to a suffixed route by only the number and suffix, rather than the word the suffix stands for (like "99W" rather than "99 West"), that issue should disappear.

[mightyace]

I guess Tennessee is the king of suffixed US routes, eh?

One more pair to add to the list 31E and 31W Tennessee and Kentucky.

The thing, to me, that makes the 70N and 70S east of Nashville especially odd it that US 70 also exists.  So, you have US 70N, US 70 and US 70S all running parallel to each other.

[TheStranger]

I guess Tennessee is the king of suffixed US routes, eh?

11, 19, 25, 31, 45, and 70 all spend some time in Tennessee as a suffixed route.  In fact, the only current suffixed US routes that do not spend time in that state are 9, 6, and 49.

Also note that 70 and 70S actually run concurrent for a few blocks in Nashville!!

US-199 since its parent doesn't exist anymore.

Non-existent route parents don't result in the three-digit routes being renumbered: i.e. US 138, 266, 191.

---

311 - 67 miles, North Carolina

Which was recently extended to a terminus at a state route, IIRC!

[agentsteel53]

Non-existent route parents don't result in the three-digit routes being renumbered: i.e. US 138, 266, 191.

91 still exists.  Barely.  It happens to not intersect 191, though.

[TheStranger]

Non-existent route parents don't result in the three-digit routes being renumbered: i.e. US 138, 266, 191.

91 still exists.  Barely.  It happens to not intersect 191, though.

IIRC, 191 was rerouted to not intersect 91 (or even historic 91) over time, but originally comprised the segment of I-15 that did not supplant the remaining US 91.

[US71]

I think at the very least, 96 needs to truncated to US 69 at Lumberton.

US 287 needs to be terminated at Woodville.

<snark> unless Texas gets 3 times the highway money for having 3 designations on one road </snark>

[mgk920]

Most of US 11 could be eliminated - essentially serving as various local access roads for paralleling interstates.

I would also eliminate US 18 east of Dodgeville, WI.

Mike

[bugo]

One explanation I found, digging through AASHTO's files for something else, is the fear of motorist confusion, such as that motorists would think "US 99 West" referred not to the western branch of US 99, but rather the westbound direction of US 99.  Of course, if motorists refer to a suffixed route by only the number and suffix, rather than the word the suffix stands for (like "99W" rather than "99 West"), that issue should disappear.

That doesn't make sense, as a spur route (US xxS) could be confused with "South."

[agentsteel53]

That doesn't make sense, as a spur route (US xxS) could be confused with "South."

has there ever been a signed US spur route with S suffix?  I've never seen one.  Spur 95 in Idaho has a banner-in-shield configuration.

[bugo]

I guess Tennessee is the king of suffixed US routes, eh?

11, 19, 25, 31, 45, and 70 all spend some time in Tennessee as a suffixed route.  In fact, the only current suffixed US routes that do not spend time in that state are 9, 6, and 49.

Do you not consider xxA, xxB, xxS, etc as suffixed routes?  Arkansas is full of xxB and xxS routes.

[bugo]

has there ever been a signed US spur route with S suffix?  I've never seen one.  Spur 95 in Idaho has a banner-in-shield configuration.

Yes.  US 62S in northern Arkansas for example.

There also used to be a US 82T (Truck) in south Arkansas.  I haven't been there in a few years so I'm not sure if it's still signed or not.

Combined posts. ~S

[TheStranger]

I guess Tennessee is the king of suffixed US routes, eh?

11, 19, 25, 31, 45, and 70 all spend some time in Tennessee as a suffixed route.  In fact, the only current suffixed US routes that do not spend time in that state are 9, 6, and 49.

Do you not consider xxA, xxB, xxS, etc as suffixed routes?  Arkansas is full of xxB and xxS routes.

I was referring specifically to directional suffixes, as opposed to alternates and business routes - the nearest area to where I live that uses suffixed alternates would be Arizona.

[agentsteel53]

Yes.  US 62S in northern Arkansas for example.

didn't know such a thing existed.  got a photo for us?

I don't recall seeing an 82T in Arkansas in 2008.  I drove 82 from 71 to the Mississippi state line, so if it exists, it must be in the very western part of the state.  I did see state route 133T.

[SEWIGuy]

I would also eliminate US 18 east of Dodgeville, WI.

Between Cambridge and Waukesha, US-18 would be deserving of a WI highway status.  So all you would be doing is replacing a USH with a WIH, and the cost and confusion that would involve, for the sake of getting rid of a couple duplexes totalling about 65 miles.  Is that really worth it?

[bugo]

Yes.  US 62S in northern Arkansas for example.

didn't know such a thing existed.  got a photo for us?

David (US 71) does:

I don't recall seeing an 82T in Arkansas in 2008.  I drove 82 from 71 to the Mississippi state line, so if it exists, it must be in the very western part of the state.  I did see state route 133T.

I think it might have been in Stamps.  Seems like I remember it being decommissioned, but I'm not sure.

[US71]

I don't recall seeing an 82T in Arkansas in 2008.  I drove 82 from 71 to the Mississippi state line, so if it exists, it must be in the very western part of the state.  I did see state route 133T.

82T is/was old US 82 in Stamps, partially co-signed with AR 53. Along mainline 82 it was posted as 82B, but when you turned onto it from WB 82, it became 82T. I had a photo of it, but it's AWOL at the moment. It's been 8-10 years ago, at least.

A quick look at Google Maps seems to indicate 82T no longer exists. 82B also appears to be gone.

For SPUR Routes, there used to be US 65S (now part of I-530 at Pine Bluff).

Arkansas has quite a few STATE Spur Routes: 16S, 14S, 112S, 282S, 365S, 367S to name a few.

Though none are posted in the wild, Arkansas also has US "Y" Routes (such as 412Y at Paragould). There is a AR 176Y near Jacksonville, AR, but it's the only Y route I know that's posted in the field.

[Bickendan]

I also suspect that if, say, ODOT were to reestablish 126 and AASHTO had a conniption, there's a nice, long list of violations that ODOT could rub AASHTO's nose in...

Your list is not violations, per se.  AASHTO policy points out that no *NEW* routes that are split or single-state or less than 300 miles should be established.  While their policy prefers elimination or consolidation of existing routes meeting those criteria, it does not expressly prohibit the existing routes from remaining.

You're right. The restrictions really only apply to new routes. But with this many routes grandfathered in, it makes the restrictions rather ridiculous.

[TheStranger]

You're right. The restrictions really only apply to new routes. But with this many routes grandfathered in, it makes the restrictions rather ridiculous.

What intrigues me is that I've read that AASHO/AASHTO has looked down upon the suffixed-directional routes since the early 1930s - yet state DOTs have actively resisted the national organization's mandates on several occasions, in this regard and in others!

[bugo]

What intrigues me is that I've read that AASHO/AASHTO has looked down upon the suffixed-directional routes since the early 1930s - yet state DOTs have actively resisted the national organization's mandates on several occasions, in this regard and in others!

If DOTs would only ignore the MUTCD like they ignore AASHTO...

[TheStranger]

What intrigues me is that I've read that AASHO/AASHTO has looked down upon the suffixed-directional routes since the early 1930s - yet state DOTs have actively resisted the national organization's mandates on several occasions, in this regard and in others!

If DOTs would only ignore the MUTCD like they ignore AASHTO...

California does sometimes!

Looking at Robert Droz's site, AASHO attempted to create alternative designations for the suffixed-directional routes in 1934, but it appears no state DOT ever went along:
http://www.us-highways.com/usdiv.htm

EDIT: I was mistaken, judging from the amount of 1934-era redesignations, as noted by Froggie below

[froggie]

Looking at Robert Droz's site, AASHO attempted to create alternative designations for the suffixed-directional routes in 1934, but it appears no state DOT ever went along:

Not true.  Plenty of states went along with it (for example, what used to be US 10S becoming part of US 52 in Minnesota).  It's just that the more egrarious examples remain.