Control Cities on Interstate 287

Started by roadman65, November 17, 2025, 03:38:56 PM

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roadman65

Cant help notice that the state of New Jersey has not updated the control cities on I-287, particularly the Edison and Piscataway area of Central  Jersey..

Since NJ 18 got completed, the old Centennial/ Possumtown Roads control cities still are used.  No one has figured out that New Brunswick should be added or better yet Highland Park removed.  Still New Brunswick's main exit is CR 527 (Easton Avenue) which served good until NJ 18 got extended. 

Also, at NJ 27 (Northbound) the control city has always been New Brunswick.  Considering US 1 south from Exit 1B to NJ 18 north is much easier (and quicker) that should be signed there instead of Trenton. For NJ 27 south maybe Highland Park should be used.

IMO NJDOT hasn't kept up with the times.  They just recently added Newark to Exit 14A and removed New York as it seemed that its more appropriate to not list the big city being that I-78 nearby offers a more free flow into Manhattan.  Plus, Staten Island is part of NYC, and is south on I-287 to NJ 440.

Is this a fair assessment to have NJDOT take an inventory of all present control cities and update them instead of using cities chosen from five or six decades ago?  Not only New Jersey roads, but the Parkway and the Turnpike as well.  Garden State Parkway in Union uses Springfield of a holdover when I-78 was incomplete between Exits 41 to 48 and I-78 ended at Route 24 for a while at Exit 142B (I-78 West).  Clinton should have been added when I-78 became open at Exit 48 westward.   
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe


Rothman

Quote from: roadman65 on November 17, 2025, 03:38:56 PMIs this a fair assessment to have NJDOT take an inventory of all present control cities and update them instead of using cities chosen from five or six decades ago? 

No.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

roadman65

Actually other states have ( and are using still) outdated control cities on signs. 

It is something state road departments dont see for years.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

storm2k

Quote from: roadman65 on November 17, 2025, 03:38:56 PMCant help notice that the state of New Jersey has not updated the control cities on I-287, particularly the Edison and Piscataway area of Central  Jersey..

Since NJ 18 got completed, the old Centennial/ Possumtown Roads control cities still are used.  No one has figured out that New Brunswick should be added or better yet Highland Park removed.  Still New Brunswick's main exit is CR 527 (Easton Avenue) which served good until NJ 18 got extended. 

Also, at NJ 27 (Northbound) the control city has always been New Brunswick.  Considering US 1 south from Exit 1B to NJ 18 north is much easier (and quicker) that should be signed there instead of Trenton. For NJ 27 south maybe Highland Park should be used.

IMO NJDOT hasn't kept up with the times.  They just recently added Newark to Exit 14A and removed New York as it seemed that its more appropriate to not list the big city being that I-78 nearby offers a more free flow into Manhattan.  Plus, Staten Island is part of NYC, and is south on I-287 to NJ 440.

Is this a fair assessment to have NJDOT take an inventory of all present control cities and update them instead of using cities chosen from five or six decades ago?  Not only New Jersey roads, but the Parkway and the Turnpike as well.  Garden State Parkway in Union uses Springfield of a holdover when I-78 was incomplete between Exits 41 to 48 and I-78 ended at Route 24 for a while at Exit 142B (I-78 West).  Clinton should have been added when I-78 became open at Exit 48 westward.   

They're likely never getting updated. The Exit 8 signs were always designed to have the 18 shields even when installed in 1994, it just took several decades for 18 to make it to there.

Newark is the right control city for Exit 14A, as that's where 22 ends (and then you can continue on 1-9 to Ne York). Of course they've never updated the BGS's throughout the Bridgewater/Somerville area. Signs are of various vintages going back to 1987 but they all show New York as the control city. So I'm not even sure why NJDOT made that change in the first place.

Ted$8roadFan

I would doubt that NJ will change the control cities on 287. Northeastern states can be quite parochial in so many ways, which extends to not changing control cities or even signs themselves.