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MoDOT's Lettered Highways

Started by US71, November 14, 2019, 10:30:00 AM

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US71

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DaBigE

QuoteOnly one other state, Wisconsin, uses letters to mark its state highways.

:banghead:  Ironic how an article referencing confusion adds to the confusion.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

Scott5114

The question I have never seen answered is why X is not used. G, I, L, Q are not used, and it's stated that it's to prevent confusion with other letters and numbers. But none of these slow-news-day articles ever explain why they won't use X.
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Revive 755


X99

Quote from: Revive 755 on November 14, 2019, 10:30:25 PM
Technically Missouri does use X once (but not alone).
The sign is on a wooden post. I wonder why no one considered putting an ax head above the sign.
why are there only like 5 people on this forum from south dakota

ozarkman417

I am surprised it took this long to have a thread about this.
As someone who lives in MO, I prefer a system like this over quadruple-digit routes (LA), or routes with the same number divided in to completely different sections (AR). Once one realizes it's on a county-by-county basis, it makes a whole lot more sense.
As a kid I would say "We could take route (insert letter here)" back home.", despite being on the opposite side of the state.

US71

Quote from: X99 on November 14, 2019, 11:04:22 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on November 14, 2019, 10:30:25 PM
Technically Missouri does use X once (but not alone).
The sign is on a wooden post. I wonder why no one considered putting an ax head above the sign.

Metal post. Look closely and you can see where it attaches to the base.
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US71

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 14, 2019, 05:12:21 PM
The question I have never seen answered is why X is not used. G, I, L, Q are not used, and it's stated that it's to prevent confusion with other letters and numbers. But none of these slow-news-day articles ever explain why they won't use X.

One might ask MoDOT?
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ozarkman417

#8
Quote from: Revive 755 on November 14, 2019, 10:30:25 PM
Technically Missouri does use X once (but not alone).
The AX probably refers to the name of the road "Axtell Road", named after the basically non-existent establishment of the same name.  For some reason Google doesn't even show the route being "AX" but rather county road 630.
Like with X, MODOT appears to only use the letter 'R' when paired with an A.

US71

Quote from: ozarkman417 on November 14, 2019, 11:16:10 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on November 14, 2019, 10:30:25 PM
Technically Missouri does use X once (but not alone).
The AX probably refers to the name of the road "Axtell Road", named after the basically non-existent establishment of the same name.  For some reason Google doesn't even show the route being "AX" but rather county road 630.

Someone needs to correct them
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US71

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 14, 2019, 05:12:21 PM
The question I have never seen answered is why X is not used. G, I, L, Q are not used, and it's stated that it's to prevent confusion with other letters and numbers. But none of these slow-news-day articles ever explain why they won't use X.

Is R used besides RA or AR ?
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Scott5114

Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

ozarkman417

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.
So that explains why the three RA routes I've been on dead-end at or near a lake access point.

SM-G965U


US71

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.

There's one AR and I think only one AE
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X99

Quote from: US71 on November 14, 2019, 11:09:36 PM
Quote from: X99 on November 14, 2019, 11:04:22 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on November 14, 2019, 10:30:25 PM
Technically Missouri does use X once (but not alone).
The sign is on a wooden post. I wonder why no one considered putting an ax head above the sign.

Metal post. Look closely and you can see where it attaches to the base.
I wasn't actually referring to the sign in the link, I was referring to the first reassurance sign after turning onto the road. I should have clarified that.
why are there only like 5 people on this forum from south dakota

Scott5114

Quote from: US71 on November 15, 2019, 01:49:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.

There's one AR and I think only one AE


Isn't there an AR that connects a primary highway to the Arkansas line? Probably the only non-recreational use of R if so.

I have heard that St Louis County's Route BA is the only two-different-letter combo that does not start with A or R.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

US71

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 16, 2019, 01:35:19 AM
Quote from: US71 on November 15, 2019, 01:49:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.

There's one AR and I think only one AE


Isn't there an AR that connects a primary highway to the Arkansas line? Probably the only non-recreational use of R if so.

I have heard that St Louis County's Route BA is the only two-different-letter combo that does not start with A or R.

Yes. AR connects MO 101 to Arkansas 87.   15-20 years ago, it was just a county road.
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Revive 755

Rather than start a new thread, and since this may be relevant if anyone wants to hunt for odd letter combinations - I thought there was a Route RB somewhere in Missouri -  MoDOT appears to have added State System Maps to their website.

The 'NOS' label (I am assuming this means Not On System) seems misleading, and would appear to cover other roads with an agreement for local maintenance.  MoDOT is the lead on a few projects in St. Louis City for roads shown with this label.

skluth

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.

Wisconsin didn't use L and R for years because drivers might confuse it for left and right direction indicators. The CTH R between Green Bay and Manitowoc used to be US 141 and is a relatively recent change to the system. It was mentioned above that MO didn't L either because it could be confused with a number, but I wouldn't be surprised if L and R weren't used because one idiot somewhere might get confused.

jbrocato

Quote from: Scott5114 on November 15, 2019, 03:44:06 AM
Another article I've read states that R is reserved for recreational routes. So theoretically RB, RC, etc. could exist, but most counties don't have a need for more than one R road, so RA is the one you see the most.

Routes with two different letters are rarer than you might think.

There is a Highway RB in Montgomery County.  It runs into the I-70 South Outer Road west of the MO 19 exit.

ozarkman417

In the counties of Cedar and Hickory there are RB routes because there are also RA routes in that county. These counties host Stockton (Cedar) and Pomme de Terre (Hickory) Lakes.
There is an RB route in Stone County but I could not find an RA route. MoDOT may have done this because just across the border in Barry County is an RA route that's also on Table Rock Lake.

bjrush

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motorola870

#22
Quote from: DaBigE on November 14, 2019, 03:34:30 PM
QuoteOnly one other state, Wisconsin, uses letters to mark its state highways.

:banghead:  Ironic how an article referencing confusion adds to the confusion.

Hold up Texas has two lettered state highways. OSR and NASA ROAD 1. Old San Antonio Road and NASA obviously for Johnson Space Center. Everything is bigger in Texas we even have former and current farm to market road business loops lol. BR FM1187 was retired in 2016.

US71

Quote from: motorola870 on January 28, 2020, 04:59:21 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on November 14, 2019, 03:34:30 PM
QuoteOnly one other state, Wisconsin, uses letters to mark its state highways.

:banghead:  Ironic how an article referencing confusion adds to the confusion.

Hold up Texas has two lettered highways. OSR and NASA ROAD 1. Old San Antonio Road and NASA obviously for Johnson Space Center

I thought they had 3 or 4?
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motorola870

Quote from: US71 on January 28, 2020, 05:00:51 PM
Quote from: motorola870 on January 28, 2020, 04:59:21 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on November 14, 2019, 03:34:30 PM
QuoteOnly one other state, Wisconsin, uses letters to mark its state highways.

:banghead:  Ironic how an article referencing confusion adds to the confusion.

Hold up Texas has two lettered highways. OSR and NASA ROAD 1. Old San Antonio Road and NASA obviously for Johnson Space Center

I thought they had 3 or 4?

no it is just 2. To be fair these two are just renaming of farm roads.



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