AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Traffic Control => Topic started by: mcdonaat on April 30, 2014, 11:52:01 PM

Title: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: mcdonaat on April 30, 2014, 11:52:01 PM
Driving down I-49 in Alexandria, I noticed one thing - Opelousas is your control city between US 71 North and US 190. However, you randomly have "Lafayette" as a control city.

http://goo.gl/maps/3bG7a (http://goo.gl/maps/3bG7a)

Not only that, but apparently, no mention of US 167 South is made.

Also, on the Pineville Expressway (US 167), Alexandria is used as the destination for southbound traffic. However, in this one instance, Alexandria is replaced with Pineville. I think it's because Alexandria is more accessible via US 71 instead of US 167, but who knows?

http://goo.gl/maps/3vAr0 (http://goo.gl/maps/3vAr0)
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: Zeffy on May 01, 2014, 12:02:56 AM
I-295 SB, Hamilton Twp. NJ - Del Mem Br is listed on the I believe exit 64 gantry, and a few exits later the signs mention Camden. I'm pretty sure the Del Mem Br was either a disagreement on NJDOT's part about what the I-295 control cities are, or just an error. No pics though because the gantries are too new for GMSV.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: amroad17 on May 01, 2014, 01:48:10 AM
On I-70 East at Exit 129 in OH (Buckeye Lake/OH 79 exit), Pittsburgh appears on the BGS along with Wheeling.  This is the only mention of Pittsburgh between Columbus and Washington, PA. along I-70.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: bzakharin on May 01, 2014, 10:30:18 AM
Northbound I-287 in NJ randomly lists "Pompton Lakes" instead of the usual Mahwah on the pull-through somewhere around the I-78 interchange
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: PHLBOS on May 02, 2014, 08:39:55 AM
In Lexington, MA at the I-95 (MA 128)/MA 2 interchange: the exit BGS' for I-95 South list Attleboro for a control destination rather than the more commonly used Waltham (for that vicinity) or Providence, RI

Quote from: Zeffy on May 01, 2014, 12:02:56 AM
I-295 SB, Hamilton Twp. NJ - Del Mem Br is listed on the I believe exit 64 gantry, and a few exits later the signs mention Camden. I'm pretty sure the Del Mem Br was either a disagreement on NJDOT's part about what the I-295 control cities are, or just an error. No pics though because the gantries are too new for GMSV.
If that BGS is fairly new, one has to ask why even bother placing a pull-through BGS at all when that stretch of road is slated to become I-195 in the foreseable future?
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: amroad17 on May 02, 2014, 06:31:31 PM
Of course, in Petersburg, VA you have on the BGS's at the I-95/I-85 interchange with the control cities of Miami and Atlanta.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: sbeaver44 on May 02, 2014, 07:52:03 PM
I-81 South, Hagerstown, MD - At the I-70 Interchange, "81 South... Roanoke"

Roanoke is not seen again (outside of the remaining 4 miles in MD) until well into Virginia, IIRC.

Also, I-78 WB at the I-287 Interchange has "Easton PA" but I believe all the NJ exits to the west use Philliipsburg, until the last exit in NJ, Exit 3 (US 22/NJ 173), which uses "Penna"
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: amroad17 on May 03, 2014, 07:36:08 PM
I believe Roanoke is shown last on the mileage signs on SB I-81 once you drive into Virginia.  I know it is listed as the I-81 South control city at the I-66 interchange.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: Milepost61 on May 03, 2014, 10:52:41 PM
I-35 northbound from Des Moines, IDOT can't decide if Minneapolis, Ames or Mason City is the control city. Minneapolis is what is used at the I-80 interchange but then it's a mismash for what is the bottom line on distance signs; and Mason City is used at the US 20 interchange.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: Duke87 on May 03, 2014, 11:31:06 PM
The title of this thread makes me think...

Wild Control City appeared!
Roadgeek used drive!
It's super effective!
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: apjung on May 04, 2014, 01:32:43 AM
Quote from: mcdonaat on April 30, 2014, 11:52:01 PM
Driving down I-49 in Alexandria, I noticed one thing - Opelousas is your control city between US 71 North and US 190. However, you randomly have "Lafayette" as a control city.

http://goo.gl/maps/3bG7a (http://goo.gl/maps/3bG7a)

Not only that, but apparently, no mention of US 167 South is made.

When US 167 was shifted from the current LA 182 to the formerly semi freeway section North of I-10 (originally built similar to current US 90 East from Lafayette to Morgan City with room for future exits) it only reached Opelousas at US 190 and just ended there. That's why the control city is listed as Opelousas in Lafayette similar to I-10 East of Slidell listing Bay St. Louis as the next control city (I-10 ended at Exit 2 in Mississippi for many years until it was finally completed thru Mississippi in the early 1980s.)

IMHO, Louisiana need to revamp some of their control cities. Bay St. Louis should be changed to Gulfport. Opelousas should be changed to Alexandria. Morgan City on I-10 Exit 103A should be changed to New Iberia since New Iberia is the next closest city and has more than twice the population of Morgan City.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: mcdonaat on May 04, 2014, 01:37:16 AM
Quote from: amroad17 on May 03, 2014, 07:36:08 PM
I believe Roanoke is shown last on the mileage signs on SB I-81 once you drive into Virginia.  I know it is listed as the I-81 South control city at the I-66 interchange.

That's exactly what I was talking about! Lafayette appears once, and doesn't appear again for 60 miles.

Nexus 7

Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: pianocello on May 04, 2014, 02:03:10 PM
Quote from: Milepost61 on May 03, 2014, 10:52:41 PM
I-35 northbound from Des Moines, IDOT can't decide if Minneapolis, Ames or Mason City is the control city. Minneapolis is what is used at the I-80 interchange but then it's a mismash for what is the bottom line on distance signs; and Mason City is used at the US 20 interchange.

Likewise for I-80 east of Des Moines. In Des Moines itself, Davenport is used the majority of the time, but there's a pull-through sign for Chicago near the western end of the city. Going farther east (well out of the city), then the control city becomes Iowa City instead of Davenport.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: WashuOtaku on May 05, 2014, 12:44:50 AM
Virginia is a bad offender... at the I-85/I-95 split, in Petersburg, you'll see control cities of Miami and Atlanta, only there and not again.  :happy:

http://goo.gl/maps/Jm9ij (http://goo.gl/maps/Jm9ij)
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: Zzonkmiles on May 07, 2014, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: WashuOtaku on May 05, 2014, 12:44:50 AM
Virginia is a bad offender... at the I-85/I-95 split, in Petersburg, you'll see control cities of Miami and Atlanta, only there and not again.  :happy:

http://goo.gl/maps/Jm9ij (http://goo.gl/maps/Jm9ij)

I know the sign bridges you are talking about here. It's all messed up there, but I guess because I-95 is so heavily traveled, the long-distance travelers would be far better served by seeing Miami or Atlanta than they would by seeing Rocky Mount (NC) or South Hill (VA).

But yeah, the I-85 control cities of Durham and Atlanta randomly show up. But then on the very next sign, the control cities are South Hill and Blackstone (or maybe Durham and Blackstone).

On I-85 north in North Carolina, the control city can't decide whether it wants to be Richmond (VA), Petersburg (VA) or Oxford (NC).

On I-26 west in South Carolina, the control city of Spartanburg appears at the I-26/77 split, which is before I-26 even reaches Columbia (which is the control city for all if I-26 west from Charleston). I know this case is a little different from the spirit of this thread, but that's always been an irritation to me.

On the I-285 loop in Atlanta, you can see Tampa listed as a control city for I-75 south on at least one sign. But at least it is paired with Macon, which is a much more reasonable choice.
Title: Re: When a control city randomly appears...
Post by: roadman65 on May 07, 2014, 07:04:59 PM
I-95 in North Carolina north of Fayetteville it randomly changes constantly.   Sometimes Dunn is used.  There are some ramps that use Benson (since I-40 junctions there).  Then you have Smithfield, Wilson, Rocky Mount, and Roanoke Rapids.  There does not seem like any pattern here.

Then in NJ you have "Netcong" appear along I-80 entrance ramps.  Usually Delaware Water Gap (now co-signed with Stroudsburg, PA) is for WB and Paterson- New York (or should I say New York City) for EB signs in the norm.

Then here in Florida you have "Sanford" used in some places in Volusia County along I-4 Westbound and "Cocoa" is used on FL 407in Titusville for the entrance ramp to I-95 southbound when "Miami" is generally used for most Central Florida ramps to that particular interstate going SB.