When the Road You Turn/Merge on Is NOT the Road Mentioned in the Exit Sign

[1995hoo]

Unnumbered exit from the I-95/I-495 Inner Loop "Thru" carriageway has a BGS listing Eisenhower Avenue but actually puts you onto Mill Road, which intersects Eisenhower.

[pianocello]

A lot of the examples mentioned are simply roads that are basically extensions of the ramps that eventually intersect the road mentioned in the sign (Example: US-127 and Grand River Ave/Saginaw St in Lansing, MI). Either that, or the ramp goes to a road parallel to the Interstate on its way to the road mentioned in the sign (Example: I-94 and Capital Ave in Battle Creek, MI).

Here's something completely different: The I-496/US-127 exit for Jolly Rd in Lansing, MI is a full interchange with, well, not Jolly Rd.

[Roadrunner75]

I-78 just after the barrier toll in Jersey City exiting the Turnpike system at 14C used to have this exit signed for Grand Street if I recall correctly.  The ramp actually begins over top of Grand Street, and working your way back to Grand requires a long loop back around in the other direction.  They now have it signed more accurately for Columbus Drive (although it still exits to Center Street for one block to Columbus).  Also glad they added Jersey City to the sign to highlight the fact that it's not just the Holland Tunnel after those tolls.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7145422,-74.0548814,3a,66.8y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZQdVjoWALFW6aaWL5xkVxA!2e0?force=lite

Also, this 'blink and you miss it' exit on I-280 in downtown Newark is signed for MLK Blvd. although it dumps you off on a side street (State St.) with no further guidance to MLK.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7477917,-74.1711735,3a,66.8y,314.39h,81.85t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRaDljdVw3unUGWYmsunpvw!2e0?force=lite

[mvak36]

The interchange at I-435 and Lackman Rd. used to not go directly to Lackman Rd. WB 435 traffic would go on to W 101st Terrace and EB435 would go on to W 105th st. But this is being fixed with the Johnson County Gateway Project. EB435 traffic is connected directly to Lackman now and there is no more ramps off of the 105th Street.

The WB435 to Lackman ramp is going to be connected to Lackman Road by the end of the year. However, 101st Terrace will still be used to connect to Lackman Rd for traffic that uses the new collector-distributor road from SB I-35 to WB K-10/NB I-435. The C-D road will also be completed at the end of the year.

[Rothman]

This idiocy has bugged me since I've lived in this general area.

You exit onto Water Street.  No one cares about Colonie Street, which doesn't take anyone anywhere, except a defunct warehouse, and Columbia Street is a decent way down Water Street...for all those people looking for Columbia Street.

[ftballfan]

The EB off-ramps from I-96 to Fruit Ridge Ave (exit 26) and Alpine Ave (exit 30) both end at (parallel to I-96) Three Mile Rd.

Also, the Cedar St interchange on I-96 south of Lansing (a trumpet) actually dumps drivers onto Edgewood Blvd (Cedar is the second intersection; the first intersection is for Pennsylvania Ave).

[Beeper1]

The exit off RI-146 that is signed for RI-5/RI-102 is actually a few miles from either of those roads.  The exit puts you onto RI-146A which you have to take north at least 2 miles to reach 5 or 102.   Even worse is that 146A is not mentioned on signage for this exit at all.

[JustDrive]

405 at Getty Center Drive in both directions. The ramps put you on Sepulveda Blvd, well north of the actual Getty Center. But it was worse in the 80s. It used to be signed "Moraga Drive" SB (1.5 miles north of the actual street) and "Chalon Road" NB, which didn't even intersect the 405.

[GaryV]

Westbound I-696 exit to Lahser puts you onto 11 Mile Rd.  Eastbound (actually it's SB M-10 by that time) puts you onto Berg Rd.

[PurdueBill]

Seems to be fairly common where the existing street grid is used to complete a job that would have taken more property taking just for the sake of a ramp direct to the named street.  For example, I-76 EB to Arlington St. uses 5th Ave to finish the trip to Arlington, and I-77 NB to Vernon Odom/SR 261 uses Frederick Blvd to actually get to Vernon Odom.  But in most such cases, the trip on the other road is short on the way to the one on the big sign.

[jwolfer]

Former case In Jacksonville Florida the i10 westbound only exit 359 was in the past signed for Edgewood Ave/Cassatt Ave.  A few years ago the signs were changed to "Luna St. To Edgewood Ave/Cassatt Ave.

Luna St is a short residential street not really busy except for being part of exit

[marleythedog]

The former I-75 exit 60 in Ohio was Little York Rd / Stop Eight Rd. Southbound, you were dumped onto Miller Lane, a sort-of frontage road, and turned right or left respectively to get to the signed roads (and there was probably almost a mile from the exit ramp to Stop Eight Rd). Northbound was the same deal but the ramp dumped to Poe Ave (and NB actually was signed Poe Ave / Little York Rd / Stop Eight Rd). NB ramp was also far from Stop Eight Rd *and* you had to take a connector road to get to it from Poe Ave.

They were replaced with exit 59, Benchwood Rd / Wyse Rd, about 10 years ago. It's actually much closer to Stop Eight Rd than the former exit with that name.

[MisterSG1]

ON 401, Exit 366 Bathurst Street:

The exit is signed solely as Bathurst Street but the ramp spits you out onto Wilson Avenue, and requires you to turn right to reach Bathurst Street, there is no mention of Wilson Avenue anywhere on the signs on the freeway.

https://goo.gl/maps/JbkQQFWjcp12

https://goo.gl/maps/231h3igyboy

[Brian556]

Orlando, FL: I-4 EB Exit 71 says " Sea World", but does not mention Central Florida Pkwy, the street it's for.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Orlando,+FL/@28.4042347,-81.4804259,3a,75y,31.55h,89.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1stsCHiDhB5yisZng0y-yr5w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DtsCHiDhB5yisZng0y-yr5w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D9.5132427%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x88e773d8fecdbc77:0xac3b2063ca5bf9e!8m2!3d28.5383355!4d-81.3792365!6m1!1e1

[CapeCodder]

The EB  I-70 exit for Shreve Ave. in St. Louis. It actually dumps you onto Bircher Blvd. Going straight will put you onto Marcus Ave.

[Marc_in_CT]

CT Turnpike / I-95 exit 63 northbound - signed for CT-81 but puts you onto North High St. A left turn at the end of the ramp will then bring you to CT-81.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2876287,-72.5287816,183m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

The ramp did used to split. If you were to bear left, you would go directly to 81. Bearing right would take you to North High. If you look at historic aerials, and flip to the 1970 view, you can see the split still in use. I don't know when the direct connection to 81 was decommissioned but by the time I moved to town in 1983 it was covered by grass.

In the mid 90's, when Clinton Crossing was under construction, ConnDOT widened the ramp, and North High, to their current configurations. They used the former ramp area for construction storage, and in doing so, re-exposed the pavement. I had hoped they would reopen the ramp to 81 to accommodate the Clinton Crossing traffic, but instead they widened the ramp to North High, as well as North High itself. After that project, they re-planted the grass. I'm not sure if the pavement is still under there.

[paulthemapguy]

I-88's exit for Naperville Rd used to put you right on Naperville Rd until about 5 years ago.  I have no idea why, but ISTHA reconfigured the interchange so that it puts you on a new road constructed to the west, ironically called Freedom Drive...as you wish you were free to just get to Naperville Rd already.  If you want to get to Naperville Rd, you have to exit on Freedom Drive and then take either Warrenville Rd or Diehl Rd to Naperville Rd.  The configuration is now so inefficient that I avoid the interchange altogether at this point.  At least the BGS's say "TO" Naperville Rd on them.

[paulthemapguy]

Pretty much every exit in Texas 

[bdmoss88]

I-85 Exit 50 in Alabama is signed as Auburn Technology Parkway but the road is Cox Rd. There is a Technology Parkway off of US-29/College St near it's intersection with Cox Rd. but is much easier to get to from Exit 51.

[PHLBOS]

Another one for NJ: the exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound off I-295 southbound places one onto Nixon Dr. on an access road near the Moorestown Mall.  Though, there are TO prefixes in front of the NJ 73 shields.

Note: this ramp has only existed for about 20 years or so.  The original exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound was closer to the cloverleaf (the interchange was previously a traditional, symetrical full-cloverleaf).

[SP Cook]

In Charleston WV, Exit 58A is signed for Oakwood Road, which is an insignificant side street.  When the interstate was built, the exit ramp actually connected to it, but it is now the exit is the junction with US 119/Corridor G.  Oakwood Road can only be reached by turning off the Corridor onto another insignificant side street (Cantley Drive) and then making a left turn across traffic to it or by proceding a mile on the Corridor to where Oakwood crosses it and turn making, again, a left turn against traffic.  Some people actually refer to US 119 as Oakwood Road, but it is not.

Similarly in Huntington, Exit 15 is signed as 29th Street East.  It actually puts you on US 60, outside the city limits and outside its street grid system at a point where 60 is running truly E-W which would make it an "avenue" not a "street" in the Huntington system.  After more than a mile the road turns N-S and becomes, not 29th Street but, after a reworking of roads that has been finished for at least 20 years, 31st Street.  To actually reach 29th Street one would have to follow 60 for almost 2 miles than then turn onto an avenue and then turn onto 29th.  29th being of no more or less significance than 28th or 30th since the reworking.  Some people refer to US 60 as "29th Street Road" but actually the acceptable Post Office address is either "Midland Trail" or "US 60" with street numbers based on a theoretical extension of the street grid system it is not a part of.

Similarly, Exit 6 is signed as 17th Street West. It actually is the ramp for a bridge to Ohio.  To reach 17th Street W, one would have to exit, then exit the ramp to the bridge, which would put you on Madison Avenue and then make a left turn across traffic and go a block to reach 17th.  The bridge has been there since 1970 but the old signage for the previous direct connection to 17th is still used.

[bzakharin]

Another one for NJ: the exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound off I-295 southbound places one onto Nixon Dr. near the Moorestown Mall. 

Note: this ramp has only existed for about 20 years or so.  The original exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound was closer to the cloverleaf (the interchange was previously a traditional, symetrical full-cloverleaf).

I was thinking of mentioning that one, but it does say TO 73, so there isn't a problem. It also technically does not put you on Nixon Drive as Nixon Drive is perpendicular to the exit ramp, which continues past it to provide direct access to the mall and the loop around it.

I am curious, though, why this exit was rebuilt. Is it because most southbound traffic only takes the exit to get to the mall (as opposed to Northeast Philly as one would think)? Because you need to pass three traffic lights (two if you cut through shopping centers) to get to 73 versus one to get to the same point on 73 had there been a direct ramp. Of course you can also take the exit ramp onto 73 South, then the ramp to 295 North, then the ramp to 73 North, but it seems like a pain to have to do that. Plus, if the exit was already there, why couldn't they just add another one to access the mall instead of replacing it?

[PHLBOS]

Another one for NJ: the exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound off I-295 southbound places one onto Nixon Dr. on an access road near the Moorestown Mall.  Though, there are TO prefixes in front of the NJ 73 shields.

Note: this ramp has only existed for about 20 years or so.  The original exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound was closer to the cloverleaf (the interchange was previously a traditional, symetrical full-cloverleaf).

I was thinking of mentioning that one, but it does say TO 73, so there isn't a problem.

I forgot about the TO in front of the NJ 73 shield for that exit good call.  I've since edited my earlier post to reflect such. 

I am curious, though, why this exit was rebuilt. Is it because most southbound traffic only takes the exit to get to the mall? 

That would be my guess.  It was At a glance, it appeared to be designed in mind for improved access to the mall.  Jeffandnicole could possibly confirm/elaborate.

[jeffandnicole]

Another one for NJ: the exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound off I-295 southbound places one onto Nixon Dr. on an access road near the Moorestown Mall.  Though, there are TO prefixes in front of the NJ 73 shields.

Note: this ramp has only existed for about 20 years or so.  The original exit ramp for NJ 73 northbound was closer to the cloverleaf (the interchange was previously a traditional, symetrical full-cloverleaf).

I was thinking of mentioning that one, but it does say TO 73, so there isn't a problem.

I forgot about the TO in front of the NJ 73 shield for that exit good call.  I've since edited my earlier post to reflect such. 

I am curious, though, why this exit was rebuilt. Is it because most southbound traffic only takes the exit to get to the mall? 

That would be my guess.  It was designed in mind for improved access to the mall.  Jeffandnicole could possibly confirm/elaborate.

Actually, it had nothing to do with the mall.  It was a pitiful excuse of an agreement as part of the East Gate Square Shopping District.

When they built the East Gate shopping center around the mall area, the developers were able to buy convince NJDOT to have a ramp lead directly to and from the shopping center area, which of course benefited the mall as well.  NJDOT also agreed that there wouldn't be enough weave distance between the on-ramp from Nixon and the then-existing off-ramp directly to 73 North.  Thus, all motorists would have to exit 295 South towards Nixon, turn left, and go thru a few lights that always appeared to be timed as such that you hit red lights, in order to make their way to 73 North.  So very convenient...for the shopping center developer and tenants.  Not so convenient for traffic.

What's 'funny' is that the weave between those two ramps would've been longer than the exit weave in the cloverleaf between 295 & 73.  But the ramps were deemed to be too close for traffic to safely use. 

I wouldn't be surprised that NJDOT got the developer to pay for a number of road improvements (and "improvements" is probably an exaggeration) in exchange for this access.

[Brian556]

quote from paulthemapguy:

Pretty much every exit in Texas

Texas is way better than other places, esp Florida and Tenn. Their BGS's have the needed info, and they don't so partial interchanges, or no access grade separations like Florida so frequently does.

Florida sometimes leaves off the street name (Sea World Exit off I-4), or the route number (I-4 at Fairbanks/SR 426), and Tenn is horrible about omitting US highway shields from BGS's. For example, on I-75 at US 41/76, only US 41 is mentioned. Also, US 27 SB at I-24, US 27 is omitted, even though it continues on all the way to Miami.