Biggest Routing Misconceptions In Your State

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

As the title states, what are some of the biggest misconceptions in terms of highways/interstates in your state and where they go? For my current home in North Carolina, a pretty big misconception in my region is that I-77 was supposed to be routed up US-21 through Sparta and Speedwell, Virginia en route to Wytheville. And for my future home state of Georgia, a pretty big one is that of I-75 being routed through Rome on the way to Chattanooga.

(Mod note: If this fits better in Fictional Highways, feel free to move it there)

Virginia did have I-77 routed further west 1960-65, though not as far as US 21 below Wytheville.  It would've crossed into NC where NC 89 is.  Virginia re-evaluated after NC approved the eastern path it takes now.

Mhm. I've seen the maps of that routing. An even further west routing going up the mountains to Sparta would have been fun, though

[epzik8]

The Highway to Nowhere in Baltimore was supposed to be part of I-70 and not I-170.

[zachary_amaryllis]

NJ Turnpike = I-95 for its entire length.

I was BORN in NJ, and for the longest time thought this.

[zachary_amaryllis]

Maybe for Colorado is that I-70 is the only way to get to the mountains? Or at least touristy stuff? I probably end up taking US285 more often when I go to the high country.

I don't care for I-70 in the mountains, though that might change since I bought an SUV that's capable of climbing hills faster than 30 mph. Not dissing the Camry, but it's just not great on hills, at least, not the 4-banger version.

We go to Glenwood Springs twice a year, and I avoid a decent chunk of it, using CO 14, US 40, and CO 131. It's a much less frenetic drive, and by the time you hit I-70 at Wolcott, most of the ski drama is well behind you, only the Glenwood Canyon drama is ahead of you.

[Quillz]

A minor California example. People who visit from out of state sometimes assume that Pacific Coast Highway is equivalent to CA-1. When they are not. PCH is between Dana Point and Point Mugu, with a short extension just past Ventura. The rest of CA-1 is Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway. This might be because in other states, it's often the case that the highway names match with the highway number. I was recently talking to someone who moved to California from another state and they were talking about how they wanted to drive on Pacific Coast Highway to see the redwoods. (In reality they were referring to the Redwood Highway portion of US-101, CA-1 doesn't even go that far north).

[Bruce]

I guess these two could qualify as Washington's "biggest" in terms of how long their highways are: US 2 and I-90 both don't end at I-5 but extend to a state highway a short distance west: SR 529 in Everett and SR 519 in Seattle, respectively.

I-90 was planned to reach SR 99 (when it was still the Alaskan Way Viaduct), hence why the mileposts start at 2.

[Quillz]

I guess these two could qualify as Washington's "biggest" in terms of how long their highways are: US 2 and I-90 both don't end at I-5 but extend to a state highway a short distance west: SR 529 in Everett and SR 519 in Seattle, respectively.

I-90 was planned to reach SR 99 (when it was still the Alaskan Way Viaduct), hence why the mileposts start at 2.

For years, the Wikipedia page on I-90 kept saying the western terminus was at I-5. I changed it to its proper western terminus, uploaded a map proving it extended beyond I-5, but it kept getting changed back. I think it's finally accurate now.

[Streetman]

Even many longtime Connecticut residents call the Wilbur Cross Parkway the Merritt Parkway. It's probably due to CT-15 being signed "Merritt Parkway" as well as 15 from the NY line to the Housatonic River. The name changes there, but there are no "Wilbur Cross Parkway" signs.

[webny99]

Amongst non-roadgeeks, that the Thruway is the fastest route between upstate NY and NYC. That's true of Albany and the North Country, but anywhere along or west of I-81 would go through Binghamton (and usually I-81>I-380>I-80>GWB to get to Manhattan, which also throws people off).

More localized to the Rochester area, that NY 332 is the best route to anywhere south/east of Canandaigua. I've increasingly found staying on the Thruway to NY 21 and taking one of various routes south to bypass Canandaigua to be faster, in no small part due to how built up NY 332 has become in the past ~two decades and how poorly timed the traffic lights are (much like NY 250 here in Penfield, it doesn't even feel like a 55 mph highway because you're always stuck behind someone, slowing down/stopping for a traffic light, or both).

[ran4sh]

The Pennsylvania welcome center for I-81 south has several signs at the info desk clarifying that it is indeed along the fastest route to NYC (I don't remember the exact text but it was something like "yes, you are on the fastest route to NYC" as if they get a lot of confused NY people who exit to the welcome center when they see the Pennsylvania sign.)

Edit: Found it https://goo.gl/maps/oLWQTZvN8bD7UAfs8 (The rightmost sign on the desk: "Yes, this is the way to New York City")

[gonealookin]

For Nevada, probably that staying on US 95 and US 93 are the quickest north-south routes through the state.

From Winnemucca to Tonopah, US 95 is 303 miles, part of which being on the duplex with Interstate 80.  However, the route through Battle Mountain and Austin via eastbound I-80, SR 305, US 50, SR 376 and US 6 is only 259 miles, and those are all high-speed highways except for the short mountain pass on US 50 just east of Austin.

Likewise, Ely to Crystal Springs is 173 miles via US 93, but 135 miles via US 6 and SR 318.

US 95 and US 93 were designated on those alignments because they were the first north-south routes in the state that were paved.  In fact, US 95 used to be even longer, as it dodged west to Fernley and then backtracked to Fallon to avoid the unpaved road between then-US 40 and Fallon.

[Bruce]

I guess these two could qualify as Washington's "biggest" in terms of how long their highways are: US 2 and I-90 both don't end at I-5 but extend to a state highway a short distance west: SR 529 in Everett and SR 519 in Seattle, respectively.

I-90 was planned to reach SR 99 (when it was still the Alaskan Way Viaduct), hence why the mileposts start at 2.

For years, the Wikipedia page on I-90 kept saying the western terminus was at I-5. I changed it to its proper western terminus, uploaded a map proving it extended beyond I-5, but it kept getting changed back. I think it's finally accurate now.

A lot of crap gets added to the national Interstate pages and has to be purged. I keep a close eye on I-90's since I rewrote the whole thing and got it up to a high quality rating (Featured article).

[michravera]

A minor California example. People who visit from out of state sometimes assume that Pacific Coast Highway is equivalent to CA-1. When they are not. PCH is between Dana Point and Point Mugu, with a short extension just past Ventura. The rest of CA-1 is Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway. This might be because in other states, it's often the case that the highway names match with the highway number. I was recently talking to someone who moved to California from another state and they were talking about how they wanted to drive on Pacific Coast Highway to see the redwoods. (In reality they were referring to the Redwood Highway portion of US-101, CA-1 doesn't even go that far north).

Maybe it was a remnant, but I've seen a road styled as "Pacific Coast Hwy" near Pismo Beach.

[Quillz]

A minor California example. People who visit from out of state sometimes assume that Pacific Coast Highway is equivalent to CA-1. When they are not. PCH is between Dana Point and Point Mugu, with a short extension just past Ventura. The rest of CA-1 is Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway. This might be because in other states, it's often the case that the highway names match with the highway number. I was recently talking to someone who moved to California from another state and they were talking about how they wanted to drive on Pacific Coast Highway to see the redwoods. (In reality they were referring to the Redwood Highway portion of US-101, CA-1 doesn't even go that far north).

Maybe it was a remnant, but I've seen a road styled as "Pacific Coast Hwy" near Pismo Beach.

It's possible, although the "Cabrillo Highway" is generally the name used for the central coast portion. I'm not sure of the historical extent of PCH, maybe it did go slightly farther. But it certainly did not extend past the Golden Gate Bridge. My suspicion is it may have historically reached San Luis Obispo, as that's the point where long portion of CA-1 begins (and travels through Big Sur). CA-1 between its historic southern terminus and SLO has been realigned a few times, so local names may have changed.

[DTComposer]

A minor California example. People who visit from out of state sometimes assume that Pacific Coast Highway is equivalent to CA-1. When they are not. PCH is between Dana Point and Point Mugu, with a short extension just past Ventura. The rest of CA-1 is Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway. This might be because in other states, it's often the case that the highway names match with the highway number. I was recently talking to someone who moved to California from another state and they were talking about how they wanted to drive on Pacific Coast Highway to see the redwoods. (In reality they were referring to the Redwood Highway portion of US-101, CA-1 doesn't even go that far north).

Maybe it was a remnant, but I've seen a road styled as "Pacific Coast Hwy" near Pismo Beach.

It's possible, although the "Cabrillo Highway" is generally the name used for the central coast portion. I'm not sure of the historical extent of PCH, maybe it did go slightly farther. But it certainly did not extend past the Golden Gate Bridge. My suspicion is it may have historically reached San Luis Obispo, as that's the point where long portion of CA-1 begins (and travels through Big Sur). CA-1 between its historic southern terminus and SLO has been realigned a few times, so local names may have changed.

I know part of CA-1 around Oceano (south of Pismo) is Pacific Blvd., but I don't ever recall seeing any PCH reference there, so if there was something, it was likely a tourist/marketing piece.

Even for the parts that locals think of as PCH (Oxnard to San Juan Capistrano), big sections are not. PCH is only "officially" from Pt. Mugu to Santa Monica, El Segundo to Huntington Beach, and Dana Point to I-5 (noting that the small section of former US-101 north of Ventura was named in 1980). Further, big chunks of those sections (particularly El Segundo to Seal Beach) aren't even in view of the coast.

It's of interest that, of the three sections of CA-1 that get associated/mis-associated with the "Pacific Coast Highway" name (North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast), the "actual" PCH section wasn't CA-1 (was CA-3, then Alt-US-101) until the 1964 renumbering.

[Max Rockatansky]

I personally always associated PCH/Roosevelt Highway more with US 101A than CA 1.  Much of PCH (outside the Malibu coast especially) doesn't fit the motif of the rest of CA 1 but definitely fits that of a former US Route segment.

Also the segment of CA 1 has gone by several other names such "Coast Road"  and "Carmel-San Simeon Highway."

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/02/california-state-route-1-cabrillo.html?m=1

The Shoreline Highway segment of CA 1 is often referred to as "Coast Highway"  historically:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/02/california-state-route-1-shoreline.html?m=1

[DTComposer]

Drifting off-topic, but I would love to see the name PCH be reassigned as a touring route, independent of actual street names and/or route designations. Start at the border, hew as close to the coast as reasonable, really pick up more of the feel of the California coast. For example, use Silver Strand Blvd., historic US-101 in San Diego County, 2nd Street/Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Palos Verdes Drive, etc., etc. Guide signs to connect drivers to and from freeways.

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

Another one I've heard about my future home state is that I-16 was originally supposed to be routed further north, following or utilizing US-80 through Jeffersonville, Swainsboro and Statesboro en route to Savannah. Would have made sense over a route that serves no major cities between Macon and Savannah directly (apart from Dublin), but I've yet to see proof of this anywhere. I've also heard of a further south route of I-16 that would have paralleled US-23 to Eastman, then more or less following US-280 to Vidalia and Claxton en route to Savannah, but again, I've never seen evidence of this route being considered.

[michravera]

A minor California example. People who visit from out of state sometimes assume that Pacific Coast Highway is equivalent to CA-1. When they are not. PCH is between Dana Point and Point Mugu, with a short extension just past Ventura. The rest of CA-1 is Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway. This might be because in other states, it's often the case that the highway names match with the highway number. I was recently talking to someone who moved to California from another state and they were talking about how they wanted to drive on Pacific Coast Highway to see the redwoods. (In reality they were referring to the Redwood Highway portion of US-101, CA-1 doesn't even go that far north).

The term "The Central Coast" is flexible enough for people to use it as far north as southern Mendocino County and as far south as northern Ventura county (as well as central in other states), so I always refer either to county names or a park name. That's about an 8-hour trip along CASR-1.

Large numbers of roads (from footpaths to megafreeways) in California have been dedicated (often to fallen CHP officers) or rebranded (to make an historical statement) by law with few of the names gaining widespread acceptance. Most of the names that HAVE gained widespread acceptance are old names of the of the roads that were upgraded or bypassed. Vis: "Pearblossom", "Nimitz", "Hollywood", etc. -- even "Grapevine".

Maybe it was a remnant, but I've seen a road styled as "Pacific Coast Hwy" near Pismo Beach.

It's possible, although the "Cabrillo Highway" is generally the name used for the central coast portion. I'm not sure of the historical extent of PCH, maybe it did go slightly farther. But it certainly did not extend past the Golden Gate Bridge. My suspicion is it may have historically reached San Luis Obispo, as that's the point where long portion of CA-1 begins (and travels through Big Sur). CA-1 between its historic southern terminus and SLO has been realigned a few times, so local names may have changed.

[roadman65]

That FL A1A is a state alternate of US 1.

In fact FL State Road A1A is to be SR 1 in the grid( as Florida does use a grid) but to avoid ambiguity with US 1 they added a prefix and a suffix with the letter A to give it a separate identity.

Though now it don't matter as you have US 17 and FL 17 intersect in Haines City. Plus a US 23 and FL 23 both exist in Duval County. However back then it mattered.

[Max Rockatansky]

Drifting off-topic, but I would love to see the name PCH be reassigned as a touring route, independent of actual street names and/or route designations. Start at the border, hew as close to the coast as reasonable, really pick up more of the feel of the California coast. For example, use Silver Strand Blvd., historic US-101 in San Diego County, 2nd Street/Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Palos Verdes Drive, etc., etc. Guide signs to connect drivers to and from freeways.

Or just bring back the Pacific Highway name but modernize it actually follow the coast completely.  That wasn't possible to do during the Auto Trail era, it is now.

[Max Rockatansky]

That FL A1A is a state alternate of US 1.

In fact FL State Road A1A is to be SR 1 in the grid( as Florida does use a grid) but to avoid ambiguity with US 1 they added a prefix and a suffix with the letter A to give it a separate identity.

Though now it don't matter as you have US 17 and FL 17 intersect in Haines City. Plus a US 23 and FL 23 both exist in Duval County. However back then it mattered.

But it did matter when US 27 and FL 27 intersected.  Apparently drivers became confused (somehow) which led to FL 997 and FL 9336 being reassigned over FL 27.

[Max Rockatansky]

Referencing "Grapevine"  in michravera's post, that has a trackable history:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/03/when-did-people-begin-to-refer-to-ridge.html?m=1

[Mapmikey]

Another one I've heard about my future home state is that I-16 was originally supposed to be routed further north, following or utilizing US-80 through Jeffersonville, Swainsboro and Statesboro en route to Savannah. Would have made sense over a route that serves no major cities between Macon and Savannah directly (apart from Dublin), but I've yet to see proof of this anywhere. I've also heard of a further south route of I-16 that would have paralleled US-23 to Eastman, then more or less following US-280 to Vidalia and Claxton en route to Savannah, but again, I've never seen evidence of this route being considered.

There is an Oct 1957 map in the AASHO database that shows I-16 to run north of its actual construction from Jeffersonton, north of Dublin to just below Stillmore and north of Metter, passes much closer to Statesboro, then angling southeast back to actual I-16 near the GA 119 interchange.

This map also shows I-95 futher east in the Brunswick area and I-85 using today's I-985 and crossing into SC much closer to Toccoa.

First, go to the database:  https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default

Then to this link: https://na4.visualvault.com/app/AASHTO/Default/documentviewer?DhID=7bdc3ae2-36e6-ea11-a98a-ff9beffbfef8&hidemenu=true

It is the second 1958 interstate document if you end up looking at Georgia's list of documents.

[TheStranger]

Large numbers of roads (from footpaths to megafreeways) in California have been dedicated (often to fallen CHP officers) or rebranded (to make an historical statement) by law with few of the names gaining widespread acceptance. Most of the names that HAVE gained widespread acceptance are old names of the of the roads that were upgraded or bypassed. Vis: "Pearblossom", "Nimitz", "Hollywood", etc. -- even "Grapevine".

The Nimitz Freeway name was assigned in the 1950s and is not derived from a parallel boulevard (unlike MacArthur). 

Likewise, Hollywood Freeway is the limited-access replacement for...Cahuenga Boulevard.  (wasn't it Cahuenga Parkway initially?)