Question

[leroys73]

 

Even numbered 2 digit interstate highways are marked east-west even if they run north and south for awhile.  I have always assumed, yes I know what happens when a person assumes, that US highways follow the same pattern. 

Question: 
US 62 is signed east-west until somewhere near the eastern end in Niagara Falls.  Why does it change?  Yes, it runs north but why change it there since the overall direction is east-west from El Paso to Niagara Falls.  I ran into a similar thing on US 68 near the OH and KY border.  I am sure there are others.

I just find it interesting.

I-44 from OKC to Wichita Falls runs SW then S and ever SSE towards its present end in Wichita Falls but it still carries east west signage.  I am sure it will continue west eventually.  I haven't read anything for certain but I don't follow the latest highway construction news.     

[MisterSG1]

I can assume this regarding US-62, remember in Niagara Falls, the route that started from El Paso is now running west when it was originally running east. And well, when we reach the Amherst area where US 62 is going directly south, it doesn't very well make sense to refer to it as WEST now. it would be even more jarring as that you are heading East in Niagara Falls and now all of a sudden when you reach Amherst, it wouldn't very well make sense to have a complete 180 switch of direction, it would be confusing I think.

If you see the Horseshoe Shape of the QEW in Ontario, this is precisely why the QEW is exclusively signed as control cities and generally does not use directions.

[cpzilliacus]

If you see the Horseshoe Shape of the QEW in Ontario, this is precisely why the QEW is exclusively signed as control cities and generally does not use directions.

I-64 in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia for the same reason.

[cpzilliacus]

Question: 
US 62 is signed east-west until somewhere near the eastern end in Niagara Falls.  Why does it change?  Yes, it runs north but why change it there since the overall direction is east-west from El Paso to Niagara Falls.  I ran into a similar thing on US 68 near the OH and KY border.  I am sure there are others.

U.S. 52 between Ohio and "eastern" terminus in Charleston, S.C.

U.S. 33 in its entirety.

Even parts of U.S. 1 (across Connecticut and much of Maine, and sections between Baltimore and Philadelphia) runs more E-W than N-S; and U.S. 101 between Los Angeles and its sharp turn to the north west (north) of Santa Barbara also runs more E-W than N-S.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 41 changes to east/west once it hits Naples along the Tamami Trail.  Basically the route from Naples is almost a straight eastern shot that just makes sense, despite US 41 being a north/south route.  You got to understand that most people following highways have no idea that there is a difference in orientation for odd/even number federal highways.  Hell most people don't even know the difference between an Interstate, US Route, State Highway or even a signed County Highway but I'm fairly certain most...well most normal people know what direction signage means.

[KEVIN_224]

Also mention US Route 4. I believe it's signed as NORTH/SOUTH from where it begins outside of Albany, NY to the VT border. It's then signed as EAST/WEST from there to its eastern terminus in Portsmouth, NH.

[GaryV]

A couple examples:

US-24 switches directional signing somewhere around Toledo.

I-69 switches at Lansing.

[hbelkins]

Lots of examples --

US 35, signed N-S in West Virginia, E-W in Ohio.

US 52 has been mentioned, as has US 68.

US 42 is signed E-W in Kentucky, N-S in Ohio.

US 250 is signed E-W in Virginia, N-S in West Virginia.

[tdindy88]

U.S. 33 in its entirety.

U.S. 33 in Indiana is north-south, it changes at the Ohio line and remains east-west for the remainder of the route. U.S. and state highways there pretty much follow odd=north/south and even=east/west to a tee.

[froggie]

U.S. 52 between Ohio and "eastern" terminus in Charleston, S.C.

As well as Minnesota and Iowa.

[Super Mateo]

Lots of examples --

US 35, signed N-S in West Virginia, E-W in Ohio.

US 52 has been mentioned, as has US 68.

US 42 is signed E-W in Kentucky, N-S in Ohio.

US 250 is signed E-W in Virginia, N-S in West Virginia.

Xenia, OH has three US routes nearby, and all three are signed the opposite of what you'd expect based on the number.  I may not like it, but I can see the reasoning behind US 35 and 68. But US 42 puzzles me because it runs just as much east-west as north-south, so why not sign it east-west because it's an even number?

[rarnold]

US 54 and US 84 are signed north-south in New Mexico.

[JCinSummerfield]

US-24 switches directional signing somewhere around Toledo.

Specifically, US-24 switches directions at the state line.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I know US 321 does a 'U-turn' in Elizabethton TN. IMO it should be East-West in TN. US 101 in WA also U-turns, but at least has an East-West section atop the Olympic peninsula.

[PurdueBill]

Indiana is anal retentive about odd=N/S and even=E/W for state and US routes which results in routes like US 35 and US 33 changing at the Ohio line.  Ohio, on the other hand, has tons of US routes that are off 90 degrees from the direction their number would imply, most of which were good candidates for N-West/S-East type designations when those existed.

Near Xenia, you can be on US 35 westbound and exit for US 68 north or south!  Total madness!

US 42 is a severe example of off directionality; its partner Interstate is I-71. 

[leroys73]

MisterSG1,  I don't get your answer.  I am talking about the US highway system. Canada can do what they want.



Thanks for all the input.  However, if the signage is to be consistent as in the Interstate signage, as I stated, it is irrelevant as to the geographic direction of a highway if the general direction is east-west or north-south.

I know there are many US highways signed as in the ones I mentioned.  I wasn't asking for more examples.  I guess the short answer is that the 2-digit US highways do not follow the same logic as interstates. 

[MisterSG1]

I don't get the attack I just got. Yes I am aware we are talking about the US highway system, I am not an idiot, and I know what a US route is.

What I was saying, although US-62 is an east-west route, if we are to be heading EAST from Texas, when we get to the last few miles in Niagara Falls, NY, we are heading WEST. That's the point I was trying to make, I would assume it's confusing for motorists, as the direction of the route would not be the same direction they travel, or worse the opposite direction they are traveling.

Similarly, with my I-290 example, it wouldn't make much since to go on US-62 West (if we were to head on Niagara Falls Blvd south) if we are heading east on I-290 and Niagara Falls Blvd/US 62 clearly interchanges it exactly perpendicular.

And just because I used an example in my home province, you seem to have played the xenophobic card on me, we are supposed to be better than that here.

[MisterSG1]

On top of that, the shifting of directions is not unique to the US highway system, Interstate 69 rings a bell, as I used to commonly use that in the middle of the last decade. I-69 was clearly signed as east-west as the portion I was on at least. And really it makes sense, even though you are heading due west all the way to Lansing, why should the sign be saying you are going south, it doesn't make sense and this is why I-69 changes directions.

Just try to understand what I'm saying, imagine, I cross the border at Port Huron, and I need to go to Lansing, I take I-69 south, even though on the map, Lansing is basically directly west from Port Huron. Now do you understand.

[Mapmikey]

Some of the US routes have changed over the years their cardinal direction signing:

SC has signed US 52 both E-W and N-S
VA used to sign US 52 as E-W
VA used to sign US 258 as E-W from now-interstate 64 to Fort Monroe (now it is signed N-S right through its curl around to Ft. Monroe).

Mike

[Buffaboy]

I can assume this regarding US-62, remember in Niagara Falls, the route that started from El Paso is now running west when it was originally running east. And well, when we reach the Amherst area where US 62 is going directly south, it doesn't very well make sense to refer to it as WEST now. it would be even more jarring as that you are heading East in Niagara Falls and now all of a sudden when you reach Amherst, it wouldn't very well make sense to have a complete 180 switch of direction, it would be confusing I think.

If you see the Horseshoe Shape of the QEW in Ontario, this is precisely why the QEW is exclusively signed as control cities and generally does not use directions.

US 62 goes directly south from Amherst all the way out to Hamburg, and beyond. It doesn't just go south, it's literally at 0 degrees.

Yet you still have to refer to "north" as east and "south" as west, which is somewhat nonsensical.

[Brandon]

I can assume this regarding US-62, remember in Niagara Falls, the route that started from El Paso is now running west when it was originally running east. And well, when we reach the Amherst area where US 62 is going directly south, it doesn't very well make sense to refer to it as WEST now. it would be even more jarring as that you are heading East in Niagara Falls and now all of a sudden when you reach Amherst, it wouldn't very well make sense to have a complete 180 switch of direction, it would be confusing I think.

If you see the Horseshoe Shape of the QEW in Ontario, this is precisely why the QEW is exclusively signed as control cities and generally does not use directions.

US 62 goes directly south from Amherst all the way out to Hamburg, and beyond. It doesn't just go south, it's literally at 0 degrees.

Yet you still have to refer to "north" as east and "south" as west, which is somewhat nonsensical.

Sort of like I-94 in Illinois.

[leroys73]

I don't get the attack I just got. Yes I am aware we are talking about the US highway system, I am not an idiot, and I know what a US route is.

What I was saying, although US-62 is an east-west route, if we are to be heading EAST from Texas, when we get to the last few miles in Niagara Falls, NY, we are heading WEST. That's the point I was trying to make, I would assume it's confusing for motorists, as the direction of the route would not be the same direction they travel, or worse the opposite direction they are traveling.

Similarly, with my I-290 example, it wouldn't make much since to go on US-62 West (if we were to head on Niagara Falls Blvd south) if we are heading east on I-290 and Niagara Falls Blvd/US 62 clearly interchanges it exactly perpendicular.

And just because I used an example in my home province, you seem to have played the xenophobic card on me, we are supposed to be better than that here.

WOW!  Are you ever sensitive!  I was not attacking you.  I didn't imply or say you were an idiot.  If you were an idiot you probably would be running our government.  I just did not get your answer.  You are the one insulting me.  Just because I am from the US don't start calling me names.  Who is xenophobic???  Now if you want to call names I will be glad to enter into the contest. 

As I have always said no one race, religion, country, or region has a monopoly on demonstrating their ability to be complete jerks.  That said, I also have always stated most people are good, friendly, and helpful regardless of race, religion, country, or region.

The reference to the way another country signs their highways or does their business is their business.  I don't care how they run their country.  I will respect that country's customs and laws while visiting.  That is why I enjoy visiting other countries and regions.

My question was basically why doesn't the US routes follow the east west, north south signage our US interstates do and I gave two examples.  I am sure there are many more.  If there is a two digit interstate that does not follow that "rule" I have not seen it.  Although I have traveled more than a million miles of interstates I could have missed one or two.   

I have spent many miles all across US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe both by car and motorcycle.  I have lived with the locals in my travels. 

I don't understand why you must resort to name calling just because I did not get your statement as it was not made clear to me.  I am glad all the other people from the great country of Canada are not as sensitive as you are.  Hell, even the Canadian border guards are more fun than the US border guards.       

[jp the roadgeek]

US 202 is signed N/S from DE through PA and NJ to the NY border, where it switches to E/W for its path through NY and CT, then becomes N/S again in MA, only to become E/W once again through NH and ME

[vdeane]

I don't get the attack I just got. Yes I am aware we are talking about the US highway system, I am not an idiot, and I know what a US route is.

What I was saying, although US-62 is an east-west route, if we are to be heading EAST from Texas, when we get to the last few miles in Niagara Falls, NY, we are heading WEST. That's the point I was trying to make, I would assume it's confusing for motorists, as the direction of the route would not be the same direction they travel, or worse the opposite direction they are traveling.

Similarly, with my I-290 example, it wouldn't make much since to go on US-62 West (if we were to head on Niagara Falls Blvd south) if we are heading east on I-290 and Niagara Falls Blvd/US 62 clearly interchanges it exactly perpendicular.

And just because I used an example in my home province, you seem to have played the xenophobic card on me, we are supposed to be better than that here.

WOW!  Are you ever sensitive!  I was not attacking you.  I didn't imply or say you were an idiot.  If you were an idiot you probably would be running our government.  I just did not get your answer.  You are the one insulting me.  Just because I am from the US don't start calling me names.  Who is xenophobic???  Now if you want to call names I will be glad to enter into the contest. 

As I have always said no one race, religion, country, or region has a monopoly on demonstrating their ability to be complete jerks.  That said, I also have always stated most people are good, friendly, and helpful regardless of race, religion, country, or region.

The reference to the way another country signs their highways or does their business is their business.  I don't care how they run their country.  I will respect that country's customs and laws while visiting.  That is why I enjoy visiting other countries and regions.

My question was basically why doesn't the US routes follow the east west, north south signage our US interstates do and I gave two examples.  I am sure there are many more.  If there is a two digit interstate that does not follow that "rule" I have not seen it.  Although I have traveled more than a million miles of interstates I could have missed one or two.   

I have spent many miles all across US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe both by car and motorcycle.  I have lived with the locals in my travels. 

I don't understand why you must resort to name calling just because I did not get your statement as it was not made clear to me.  I am glad all the other people from the great country of Canada are not as sensitive as you are.  Hell, even the Canadian border guards are more fun than the US border guards.       

If you were looking for an AASHTO policy or something like that as to why the systems aren't the same, that could have been more clear.  "Why does it change" can also be interpreted to mean "why does this route do that", for which an answer was given, and then a more extreme example illustrating the point was given.

[tidecat]

US 98 is signed North/South in the Tampa area, and is signed East/West in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.