Control "cities" that aren't cities

[Greybear]

On I-430 at its interchange with I-630 in western Little Rock, the BGSs had listed as control cities for I-630 as: "Baptist Med Center - University Ave."

[Henry]

"Kentucky" is used in a few places along the freeways in Cincinnati.

The ramp from US 50 to I-275 in Indiana uses "Ohio" and "Kentucky."

Probably the most clever signing method out there!

[agentsteel53]

similarly, I-710 northbound alternates its control city between the pipe dream of Pasadena, and its actual terminus of Valley Blvd.  

[SSOWorld]

"Airport" seems to be a pretty common one.

Some parts of I-70 in Columbus have "Downtown".

"Downtown" is seen a lot on signs leading to interstate spurs.

More Chicago examples:
I-80, I-90, I-94 East: Indiana
I-90, I-94 West: Wisconsin

At least they were there from my childhood there.

They still are.

I-94 at I-90 (Skyway)
Chicago Skyway
To Indiana Toll Rd

Any Chicago Expressway inside the Tri-State says Chicago Loop (Especially if you're inside the Chicago city limits.)

I-90 West at I-294/I-190
Chicago - O'Hare (on the same line)

I-90 at I-290 north terminus:
Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs

I-90/94 at I-290 east terminus:
West Suburbs
Chicago Loop (even though you're right there) - NOTE: Congress Pkwy is also shown

Tri-State west at I-80 west
Iowa

I-80/94 at Indiana Toll Road (Can't remember, but I believe I-65 has it too):
Indiana Toll Road

I-90/94 at I-55
Eastbound has "Lake Shore Dr", but the expressway is NOT Lake Shore Drive.

In Dubuque, IA
US 20 West at US-52/US-61/US-151 has Illinois for US 20.  US-52/US-61/US-151 has no control point in either direction.

PA Turnpike:
Used to have signs saying "Ohio and West" (They really do hate Cleveland)

Ohio Turnpike:
Main roadway shows "THRU TRAFFIC"
Exit lane shows "Exit Only"
NOTE: This is on older signs.

[Michael in Philly]

"Airport" seems to be a pretty common one.

Some parts of I-70 in Columbus have "Downtown".

"Downtown" is seen a lot on signs leading to interstate spurs.

More Chicago examples:
I-80, I-90, I-94 East: Indiana
I-90, I-94 West: Wisconsin

At least they were there from my childhood there.

They still are.

I-94 at I-90 (Skyway)
Chicago Skyway
To Indiana Toll Rd

Any Chicago Expressway inside the Tri-State says Chicago Loop (Especially if you're inside the Chicago city limits.)

I-90 West at I-294/I-190
Chicago - O'Hare (on the same line)

I-90 at I-290 north terminus:
Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs

I-90/94 at I-290 east terminus:
West Suburbs
Chicago Loop (even though you're right there) - NOTE: Congress Pkwy is also shown

Tri-State west at I-80 west
Iowa

I-80/94 at Indiana Toll Road (Can't remember, but I believe I-65 has it too):
Indiana Toll Road

I-90/94 at I-55
Eastbound has "Lake Shore Dr", but the expressway is NOT Lake Shore Drive.

In Dubuque, IA
US 20 West at US-52/US-61/US-151 has Illinois for US 20.  US-52/US-61/US-151 has no control point in either direction.

PA Turnpike:
Used to have signs saying "Ohio and West" (They really do hate Cleveland)

Ohio Turnpike:
Main roadway shows "THRU TRAFFIC"
Exit lane shows "Exit Only"
NOTE: This is on older signs.

Who hates Cleveland?  There's actually a "Pittsburgh, Cleveland" for through traffic where I-70 leaves the Turnpike at New Stanton.
That "Ohio and West" was paired with "New Jersey and East" (or "New Jersey and New York," which boils down to the same thing if you're far enough north; if you're not, you get wet.)
Westbound entrances, well at least one of them, in the Philadelphia area used to say "Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Ohio."  After that, the "Harrisburg" they use today just seems inadequate.

[SSOWorld]

haha - that's supposed to be a joke (You'd get it if you were a Steelers fan)

[shadyjay]

In Vermont, the only control city that is an actual city is Newport.  Brattleboro and St J are not classified as "cities", and White River Junction is an "unincorporated village/CDP".

(perhaps I've read too much into the definition of a "city")

On I-89, Montpelier, Barre, Burlington, and St Albans are all cities.  WRJ to the south (same as above), and of course, CANADA is used further up.

[FreewayDan]

similarly, I-710 northbound alternates its control city between the pipe dream of Pasadena, and its actual terminus of Valley Blvd. 

I-280 in San Francisco (east of US 101) has its northbound control city as "Sixth Street"

"Mountain Resorts" can be found on eastbound Route 210 and for northbound Route 330 in San Bernardino.

While in Texas, I-45 in Galveston has "East Beach" as its control City in addtion to Downtown.  In San Antonio, some freeways leading into downtown have "The Alamo" as a supplemental control city.  SH 151 has "Sea World" as its westbound control city.

[SP Cook]

Not a "control city" but many old mileage signs in SW Virginia use "W VA Turnpike" as an upcoming "city", rather than "Princeton".  You still see these on US 460, US 52, and US 19 throughout the area.  A remnant from the era when, if you were traveling in SW Virginia (and through traffic did not, much) the then two lane Turnpike was actually better than the local roads you were on.  An era that ended in the very early 70s.

[cjk374]

^^^Arkansas does the same thing also.  They will use SR, US, and interstate junctions on their mileage signs.

[mightyace]

I know Ohio uses route number on mileage signs as well.

Here are some examples:

20091224 I-71 N @ MM 29-C by mightyace, on Flickr


20091224 I-71 N @ MM 38-C by mightyace, on Flickr


20091224 I-71 N @ MM 45-C by mightyace, on Flickr


20091224 I-71 N @ MM 80-C by mightyace, on Flickr

[TheStranger]

Considering CalTrans's love of using the city name within city limits as control city (in lieu of "downtown") it is actually more surprising when downtown IS used as the control city itself, as is the case with Route 163 south in San Diego!

Other examples in this state:

- Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge on I-80 and US 101 respectively in San Francisco
- "Port of SF" and downtown for I-280 north at the Alemany Maze
- Civic Center for US 101 in San Francisco
- Echo Park for Route 2 north in Los Angeles
- LAX Airport for I-105 west
- SF International Airport for I-380 east
- "Other Desert Cities" on I-10 east
- San Mateo Bridge on Route 92 and Dumbarton Bridge on Route 84

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

For I-110 in Baton Rouge at I-10:

Downtown (formerly "Business District")
Metro Airport

In New Orleans, US 90B uses "Westbank" (as in west bank of the Mississippi River) as a control point.
LA 47/Paris Road northbound at I-10 uses "Little Woods" which is a neighborhood of eastern New Orleans as opposed to a separate city.
Also "Huey P Long Bridge" is used in various places around the area, most prominently at Clearview Parkway @ I-10.

[Grzrd]

I haven't been to New Orleans in a while, but I think "Vieux Carre" is still used for the French Quarter on I-10 westbound.

[mightyace]

The exits for Briley Parkway (TN 155) on I-65 and on the east side of town on I-40 used to have "Opryland" on them before recent rebuilding projects, IIRC.

Of course, the Opryland theme park has been gone for many years now, though the Opryland Hotel and Grand Old Opry still exist.

[Scott5114]

How's this for one? The control city is another Interstate!

[english si]

In Great Britain, we have a list of "primary destinations", which function as control destinations on major roads. Because of the legal differences between city status in the UK (a royal charter is needed, and not often given - normally some special event is needed, like the year 2000 or 50 years of the Queen's reign, which were the last two times city status was granted - and they gave it to an unprecedented 7 places, bringing the total to 66), I'll count those places that have town charters as cities and because I can't be bothered to see whether small welsh and Scottish places have town charters, I'll leave off those places that are small settlements that are at road junctions

de jure: Channel Tunnel, Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport, Manchester Airport, Dartford Crossing, Tyne Tunnel, Humber Bridge, Tay Bridge, Forth Bridge, Erskine Bridge, Scotch Corner.
de facto: Birmingham Airport & National Exhibition Centre, Glasgow Airport, Liverpool Airport, Blackwall Tunnel
possible de facto (includes Northern Ireland as there's no list I've seen for there): East Midlands Airport, Prestwick Airport, Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport.

In addition, we have regional destinations, a lot of which are compass points (The NORTH, The NORTH EAST, The NORTH WEST, The SOUTH, The SOUTH WEST, The WEST, The EAST), so function a bit like the cardinal directions on US signage, however there are others that don't: NORTH WALES, SCOTLAND, SOUTH WALES, The LAKES, The MIDLANDS, Mid WALES (unofficial) and ENGLAND (unofficial and only appears on a couple of signs).

----

Reading the Irish Road sign manual earlier, they use 'terminal destinations' (and on more minor roads, such as those that go around the coast, additional intermediate destinations). On Motorways and National Roads, the following aren't settlements or roads: Dublin Port, Dublin Airport, Cork Airport, Belview Port (near Waterford).

[Scott5114]

AASHTO maintains an official list of control cities over here too, but not for three-digit interstates. Plus, if states wish to deviate from the official list, nothing happens...

[RustyK]

How's this for one? The control city is another Interstate!

I actually don't understand this one - is it to avoid confusion, or some other reason?  Why not just a "to 270" next to the 255 shield?

Edit:  Okay, I think I understand it at least a little bit:  255 loops around to 270, but to the south of the city.  Some few miles back the upper half of 270 had exited, so a "to 270" there might be confusing.  But so would the "Interstate 270" control city.   Ugh.

[Scott5114]

Maybe it's because Memphis is in one direction and I-270 is the other? Kind of silly if they only did that to guarantee one control point in each direction...

[74/171FAN]

I totally forgot about my current school 

[hobsini2]

Years ago at the entrance ramp from Business US 20 State St. in Rockford to I-90 NW Tollway, there used to be signs that said 'Wisconsin and North' and 'Chicago and East'.  I am sure they have been changed when I-90 was rebuilt thru there.

Also, when I-355 was extended, the first signs for the control cities on I-55 just said 'Suburbs'.  They (IDOT) have since covered that in a green blank.  At the  actually exit, they now say 'Northwest Suburbs' and 'Southwest Suburbs'.

On IL 50 Cicero Ave Southbound at I-294, there are 2 different signs. The one on the gantry says 'West Suburbs' and the one posted on the ground says 'Wisconsin'.

The Indiana Toll Road uses 'Ohio' for it's eastbound control city and not South Bend or Toledo or Cleveland.

The control cities for I-794 in Milwaukee are 'Lakefront' and 'Port of Milw.'

[Brandon]

I actually don't understand this one - is it to avoid confusion, or some other reason?  Why not just a "to 270" next to the 255 shield?

Edit:  Okay, I think I understand it at least a little bit:  255 loops around to 270, but to the south of the city.  Some few miles back the upper half of 270 had exited, so a "to 270" there might be confusing.  But so would the "Interstate 270" control city.   Ugh.

I-270 is where IL-255 becomes I-255.  I favor "Alton" as the control city for Nbd traffic (and "Collinsville" for Sbd IL-255).  Right now, it switches from "Interstate 270" to "Wood River" at I-270 for Nbd traffic, and from "Interstate 270" to "Memphis" for Sbd traffic.

[Brandon]

Also, when I-355 was extended, the first signs for the control cities on I-55 just said 'Suburbs'.  They (IDOT) have since covered that in a green blank.  At the  actually exit, they now say 'Northwest Suburbs' and 'Southwest Suburbs'.

Yeah, that one's struck me as bizarre from the beginning.  You'd think "Schaumburg" and "New Lenox" might make better controls at I-55.

[hobsini2]

Also, when I-355 was extended, the first signs for the control cities on I-55 just said 'Suburbs'.  They (IDOT) have since covered that in a green blank.  At the  actually exit, they now say 'Northwest Suburbs' and 'Southwest Suburbs'.

Yeah, that one's struck me as bizarre from the beginning.  You'd think "Schaumburg" and "New Lenox" might make better controls at I-55.

I agree with Schaumburg but i would have used South Suburbs instead of New Lenox because New Lenox is not that big and more people use the "extension" as an alternate way to get to Indiana and I-57.  But, if 355 is ever extended to I-57, then make it Kankakee.