US-50 Routing Question: Chillicothe, OH

[I-55]

Growing up I would regularly take US-35 to get from Indiana to West Virginia, and I was always confused in Chillicothe, OH, with US-50's routing. There were multiple inconsistencies that I saw, including:

- US-50 signed on US-35 EB at Main St.

- US-50's exit off US-35 WB at Eastern Ave.

- Google Maps and Rand McNally (still) have US-50 routed on Main St.

- US-50 is actually signed on Eastern Ave.

My question is this: Was US-50 signed on Main St. at one point, and if so when and why did it change? Also, why is US-50 (still) signed on US-35 EB at Main St?

[dfilpus]

Yes, US 50 was rerouted from Main Street/US 35 to South Bridge/Eastern Avenue some time in the 2000's. The signs in error are left over from the incomplete resigning of the route.

[GCrites]

I don't remember them doing it but it does make sense from a "flow" standpoint to spend more time on divided and low-density roadway. Also to not make people enter then immediately exit a freeway.

[Bitmapped]

I don't remember them doing it but it does make sense from a "flow" standpoint to spend more time on divided and low-density roadway. Also to not make people enter then immediately exit a freeway.

I don't like the change as it introduces several additional turns to the routing, and the routing itself is very poorly signed. The first time I tried it, I missed the turn onto Bridge Street because it wasn't signed. A straight shot on Main Street seems to make more sense to me.

[BrianP]

It's too bad Ohio doesn't move US 50 to bypass Chillicothe.  I think from east to west it would follow US 35 and exit here which is even signed as 'To US 50'.
https://goo.gl/maps/d9gTT9rvCLiKY8Mb9
It's the fastest route according to Google. 

[GCrites]

I don't remember them doing it but it does make sense from a "flow" standpoint to spend more time on divided and low-density roadway. Also to not make people enter then immediately exit a freeway.

I don't like the change as it introduces several additional turns to the routing, and the routing itself is very poorly signed. The first time I tried it, I missed the turn onto Bridge Street because it wasn't signed. A straight shot on Main Street seems to make more sense to me.

Finding one's way around Chillicothe (both on freeways) and in town is difficult no matter what. It has a lot of nodes.

[hbelkins]

For a small town of its size, Chillicothe certainly has a complex freeway system.

[GCrites]

Yes. I suppose it's got something to do with 3 2DUS routes meeting in the same place. Frankly, it should be even more complex since you cannot access WB US 35 from SB US 23 without leaving the freeway. In order to do so, you must either exit US 23 at two-lane OH-207 (which you couldn't do at all until about 15 years ago), travel a couple miles, get on OH-104 for a couple more miles then get on US35 north of town. Or exit at OH-159 and take a street full of lights and retail to the Bridge St./US 35 interchange -- a total Breezewood situation considering both 35 and 23 are fully divided highways with no at-grade intersections in the vicinity.

[Buck87]

Yes. I suppose it's got something to do with 3 2DUS routes meeting in the same place. Frankly, it should be even more complex since you cannot access WB US 35 from SB US 23 without leaving the freeway. In order to do so, you must either exit US 23 at two-lane OH-207 (which you couldn't do at all until about 15 years ago), travel a couple miles, get on OH-104 for a couple more miles then get on US35 north of town. Or exit at OH-159 and take a street full of lights and retail to the Bridge St./US 35 interchange -- a total Breezewood situation considering both 35 and 23 are fully divided highways with no at-grade intersections in the vicinity.

Though how much traffic would actually want to make that move? Surely it would almost be entirely local traffic, and probably not worth the money to put that ramp in?

[GCrites]

That's something that would have to be studied. As someone from out of town, I've found it difficult and slow to get to the parts of town I was supposed to be in from SB US 23 without that WB 35 connection. A lot of times I would just take 104 all the way from Columbus so that way I'd be in town without dealing with the rest. But how many others feel that way? That's when the study kicks in.