Quite a few in Kansas:
US 69:
https://goo.gl/maps/HC3V3AH2HpfRRw1RA
By definition I-435 should not have a control city. It is a loop.
I was in DC area, and saw Tysons Corner on signs for the Capitol Beltway, I-495. Also, Baltimore.
There are generally 3 schools of thought for control cities for loops (and possibly extrapolated to other 3di):
1) No control cities. As these are suburban loops, they do not pass through large cities, so no city should be listed at all.
2) Use different suburban points that the roadway passes through as the controls. The west side of the Capitol Beltway was given as an example utilizing Tysons Corner, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and College Park in parts. [The east side as being both 495 and 95 does follow the 2di convention of large cities and generally uses Baltimore or Richmond as the control for the entire stretch.]
3) Use control cities for the 2dis that the belt route will intersect with. This is common in the south and the midwest. Example, is Atlanta's I-285 where the control cities of the next approaching 2di are used (Greenville, Augusta, Macon, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Chattanooga). To an extent there is some nuance involved in picking the right control, and you'd prefer a control where most of the traffic would like to go, and would provide for little backtracking.
As a general manner, I prefer #3, but I could see #2 being more meaningful in certain circumstances. But in my view, control cities are likely more helpful than not, and simply being a loop is not a good enough reason to leave out the controls.
For the specific example posted of I-435 westbound at US 69 in Overalnd Park, KS, I beleive a good control would be Lawrence, since I-435 is basically east-west at this point, and most traffic heading west will continue west and default onto KS-10. Other possibilities also include Wichita (if traffic bound for I-35 south uses I-435 as a short cut) or St. Joseph (ditto for I-29 north traffic). As Wichita is signed for I-435 west in Missouri at the I-49/US 71/ I-470 interchange, it is very appropriate and probably should be mentioned here as well. Another factor for including Wichita is that I-435 westbound is also US 50 westbound. While US 50 does not itself go to Wichita, the hidden designation in this area follows I-435 west to I-35 south, which does head to Wichita.
Given all of the above, my preference is dual controls of Lawrence and Wichita, but if only once can fit, Wichita should be the primary control.
Author
Topic: Highway signs with NO control cities (Read 13469 times)