Bypass US 6 in Scituate, RI

[bugo]

Does Bypass US 6 exist in Scituate? I was reading Kurumi's excellent Connecticut site and it mentioned that US 6 followed the old road while a Bypass US 6 runs to the north. Google Maps shows the bypass as mainline US 6 and the old road as a non-state highway. Signage at the western beginning of the bypass concurs.

[NE2]

Signage used to be inconsistent because Rhode Island, but it looks like US 6 is now on the bypass only. I don't remember if there was any business route signage other than the one that's still there at the west end.

Here are some old photos:




The last one was patched.

[Beeper1]

Yeah, until around 2000 or so, the southern route along Danielson Pike was signed sporadically as mainline US-6, while the northern route was signed as both Bypass 6 (at either end and on RI-116 NB), and as just US-6 on reassurance signs. 

I believe that, officially, the northern route has been considered US-6 by RIDOT since it was first built in the 1960s.  Finally in the early 2000s they fixed this by changing the bypass signs to regular US-6 signs and removing all numbered signage from the southern business route.  This was at the same time they truncated RI-101 back to eliminate the concurrency with US-6. 

There was never any "Business US-6" shields posted on the old route, just the "No. Scituate Business Route" phrasing on the LGS sign at the western split.   The older route, though no longer numbered, is still state maintained as is an interesting road. Some of it is still original (and bumpy) 1940s/50s concrete and there are clear signs (old billboards and rusted signs for long-gone motels) that this was once a more important road.

I believe the current US-6 freeway in Johnston/Providence was also signed at ByPass-6 when it was still signed as RI-195. I remember a few very old Bypass 6 shields posted westbound near the RI-128 exit.  Those were removed during a sign replacement contract about 5 years ago.   

[NE2]

I believe the current US-6 freeway in Johnston/Providence was also signed at ByPass-6 when it was still signed as RI-195. I remember a few very old Bypass 6 shields posted westbound near the RI-128 exit.  Those were removed during a sign replacement contract about 5 years ago.   

There are still (as of 2011) signs for US 1 Bypass and US 1 Business in Warwick.

[SectorZ]

Does Bypass US 6 exist in Scituate? I was reading Kurumi's excellent Connecticut site and it mentioned that US 6 followed the old road while a Bypass US 6 runs to the north. Google Maps shows the bypass as mainline US 6 and the old road as a non-state highway. Signage at the western beginning of the bypass concurs.

Per Rhode Island DOT maps, the bypass is plain old US 6, and the old US 6 is just a secondary road now.

[NE2]

Per Rhode Island DOT maps, the bypass is plain old US 6, and the old US 6 is just a secondary road now.

RIDOT is sloppy with everything, including maps. http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/RI_Highway_Map.pdf and http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/Traffic_Flow_Map.pdf both erroneously show RI 401 west of RI 2, while the former lacks RI 117A and the latter shows RI 103 on Vets Parkway. For fuck's sake, the sample image on http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/index.php is Rand McNally.

[SectorZ]

Per Rhode Island DOT maps, the bypass is plain old US 6, and the old US 6 is just a secondary road now.

RIDOT is sloppy with everything, including maps. http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/RI_Highway_Map.pdf and http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/Traffic_Flow_Map.pdf both erroneously show RI 401 west of RI 2, while the former lacks RI 117A and the latter shows RI 103 on Vets Parkway. For fuck's sake, the sample image on http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/index.php is Rand McNally.

Well I didn't have much faith in it for what it's worth.

[shadyjay]

Per Rhode Island DOT maps, the bypass is plain old US 6, and the old US 6 is just a secondary road now.

RIDOT is sloppy with everything, including maps. http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/RI_Highway_Map.pdf and http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/documents/maps/Traffic_Flow_Map.pdf both erroneously show RI 401 west of RI 2, while the former lacks RI 117A and the latter shows RI 103 on Vets Parkway. For fuck's sake, the sample image on http://www.tmc.dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/index.php is Rand McNally.

Whoever created or approved that state highway map on the RIDOT site must be from New Jersey, with all the non-cutout circle shields for state highways.  Also of interesting note, part of I-95 is still designated the "Kent County Expressway", though I've never seen that posted anywhere on I-95 itself.  Must be one of those old names, similar to how I-91 on 1980s maps was called the "Hartford - Springfield Expressway". 

And that sample image is actually from a Mapquest (paper) road atlas, similar to Rand McNally, but at a larger scale.

Regarding the US 6 "Bypass", I remember one of my first trips on that road in the mid 90s, which still referenced the "Connecticut Turnpike" on signs in Johnston, WB (no shields, though).  Then I travelled it again several years later and saw the turnpike being replaced with I-395. 

[NE2]

Whoever created or approved that state highway map on the RIDOT site must be from New Jersey, with all the non-cutout circle shields for state highways.

I think that's the default in some GIS programs. At least it's not Alabama.

Regarding the US 6 "Bypass", I remember one of my first trips on that road in the mid 90s, which still referenced the "Connecticut Turnpike" on signs in Johnston, WB (no shields, though).  Then I travelled it again several years later and saw the turnpike being replaced with I-395. 

Now it just says Connecticut.

[Pete from Boston]

Whoever created or approved that state highway map on the RIDOT site must be from New Jersey, with all the non-cutout circle shields for state highways.

I think that's the default in some GIS programs. At least it's not Alabama.

ArcGIS uses a default circle for state routes, and has a standard oval that can be substituted with a query identifying 3-digit routes.  It's easy to swap to the default "county route" square for state routes, but there's not an easy choice of 3-digit rectangle without digging for a kluge symbol or making it yourself.

[KEVIN_224]

This set-up for US Route 6 used to confuse the hell out of me! Which one is 6 and which one is the bypass? It seems to me that the northern road would be, since that's more of the through route, running past the Scituate Reservoir. And damn is this stretch spooky at night, with few, if any, streetlights around! 

To make matters worse, there used to be an error "6" sign (using a state "R.I. 6" shield) eastbound in Foster, halfway between the Connecticut line and the previously mentioned split. It has since been corrected.

[jp the roadgeek]

Now Apple Maps created an interesting gaffe in its latest programming: RI 101 has been cosigned with RI 6A into Providence.  But my favorite thing along the US 6 bypass: Famous Pizza and Creamery being located next door to Winfield and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory