Misconceptions about highways/ interstates.

[NWI_Irish96]

I used to think state highway patrol was only allowed to patrol state highways.

In Indiana, State Police are supposed to patrol only highways unless asked to patrol a specific area by a local agency. They have jurisdiction everywhere and would pull you over if they happened to be going down a county road on the way somewhere and caught you speeding, but they aren't supposed to just patrol county roads for no reason.

[Big John]

I used to think that every state had numbered highways, and that all county roads had letter designations.

Then I started taking road trips outside of Wisconsin. 

That was one of my early misconceptions too, except for Missouri.

The lettered routes in Missouri are secondary state roads.

[jdbx]

Growing up in California, and only having traveled to neighboring states as a child, I thought that every state had their own interesting/unique state route shield.  It wasn't until I was much older and had traveled extensively did I discover so many states back east with boring generic circles for shields.

[Scott5114]

I used to think that every state had numbered highways, and that all county roads had letter designations.

Then I started taking road trips outside of Wisconsin. 

That was one of my early misconceptions too, except for Missouri.

The lettered routes in Missouri are secondary state roads.

Some counties in Kansas have lettered county roads, though they form part of a street grid and aren't signed with shields.

[kphoger]

Some counties in Kansas have lettered county roads, though they form part of a street grid and aren't signed with shields.

Then there's Saguache County, CO.

[SkyPesos]

I used to think that every state had numbered highways, and that all county roads had letter designations.

Then I started taking road trips outside of Wisconsin. 

That was one of my early misconceptions too, except for Missouri.

The lettered routes in Missouri are secondary state roads.

I know that. Point is that I thought all other states also used lettered routes for the tier below the primary state routes back then.

[Scott5114]

Some counties in Kansas have lettered county roads, though they form part of a street grid and aren't signed with shields.

Then there's Saguache County, CO.

[kphoger]

Yes, I chose that specific one on purpose.

[SkyPesos]

Some counties in Kansas have lettered county roads, though they form part of a street grid and aren't signed with shields.

Then there's Saguache County, CO.

Here's the only AA Road I've been on

[sparker]

US 12 still goes to Detroit.

......then that still makes San Diego unique in that regard, with zero inbound US highway legs that retain independent status.   

[texaskdog]

That Interstates were supposed to be Interstate....yet the 3dis usually are not

[SkyPesos]

US 12 still goes to Detroit.

......then that still makes San Diego unique in that regard, with zero inbound US highway legs that retain independent status.   

Not zero, but here's some I can think of that had 4+ US routes in their metro area and most of them except one decommissioned from the area.
Los Angeles: 6, 60, 66, 70, 91, 99, 101; only 101 is left.
Seattle: 2, 10, 99, 410; only 2 is left.
Phoenix: 60, 70, 80, 89; only 60 is left.

[sparker]

That Interstates were supposed to be Interstate....yet the 3dis usually are not

Along with, at last count, 17 1di's/2di's that only exist (at least technically) within a single state. 

[Dirt Roads]

Here's the only AA Road I've been on

Yep.  When this forum first opened, I had the misconception that AARoads was based on the Alexandria-to-Ashland Highway.  Neither of these turned out to be correct, since the AA Highway doesn't quite make it that far on either end.  I still can't quite get used to the numbers KY-9 and KY-10, but it's good that KYTC isn't afraid of renumbering roads to create connectivity.

[webny99]

I didn't used to know that "Jersey barrier" was a reference to the state of New Jersey. I thought it was an actual, official name. It was only a couple of years ago that I realized I could just call it "concrete barrier"! 

[SkyPesos]

Here's the only AA Road I've been on

Yep.  When this forum first opened, I had the misconception that AARoads was based on the Alexandria-to-Ashland Highway.  Neither of these turned out to be correct, since the AA Highway doesn't quite make it that far on either end.  I still can't quite get used to the numbers KY-9 and KY-10, but it's good that KYTC isn't afraid of renumbering roads to create connectivity.

I thought the forum name was a diss at American Airlines, or AAA with one A purposely left off because we have the larger battery.

[kphoger]

It's been a while since I looked this up, but I think "Jersey barrier" refers to a specific type of concrete barrier–not to all concrete barriers in general.

[sparker]

It's been a while since I looked this up, but I think "Jersey barrier" refers to a specific type of concrete barrier–not to all concrete barriers in general.

My perception has been that the term "Jersey barrier" has been applied to just about any concrete barrier with a sloping profile -- while "K-rail" applies specifically to those with a concave profile intended to keep vehicles on their side of said barrier.   I don't know if there's a term for straight-sided barriers, but I sure haven't seen those in any recent CA construction (with the prevalence of the Jersey/K variants, straight-sided concrete would seem to be a dead issue).

[kphoger]

"K-rail"

Is that a California-specific term?

[kphoger]

I just pulled these images from a connector supplier's website:

Jersey barrier


F-shape barrier


Constant-slope barrier

[andrepoiy]

There's also an Ontario Tall Wall

[sparker]

"K-rail"

Is that a California-specific term?

Not really; it stems from the profile -- drawing a line from a point on the bottom of the rail structure to the center of the top sill -- that constitutes the spine of the letter "K", while the actual profile of the structure looks a bit like the tines of that letter, with the junction point being the "fold" where the profile becomes more vertical as it rises.  That fold has become more pronounced over the years; the "jersey" and "f-shape" profiles show that in the illustrated reply above.  The "constant-slope" barriers, at least in CA, tend to be built along more straight stretches of freeway, interspersed with "K-rails" where there's curvature. 

[wxfree]

I remember thinking that "Exit only" on a freeway sign meant that only the exit went to that road, so you had to take the exit to get to it.  Most of the time that's true, but it isn't what the label means.

[kenarmy]

 There was a blues song that went something about driving on "highway 22" on the way to Memphis. And my cousin was confused and said I didn't know Highway 22 went to Memphis. I'm 98% sure she was referring to MS 22, but neither one reaches Memphis anyway and I didn't have time to explain.

[sparker]

There was a blues song that went something about driving on "highway 22" on the way to Memphis. And my cousin was confused and said I didn't know Highway 22 went to Memphis. I'm 98% sure she was referring to MS 22, but neither one reaches Memphis anyway and I didn't have time to explain.

Besides the obvious (I-22), which wouldn't have been applicable until after 2010 in any case (presuming the song predated that time), there's TN 22, which is functionally an outflung arc around Memphis, MS 22, which goes nowhere near Memphis (but could be used to reach I-55 north), AL 22, which conceivably could serve as part of an indirect route -- or even AR 22 east of Fort Smith, which, pre I-40, may have been part of a route back home after the songwriter had a gig in OKC or Tulsa.  Lotsa possibilities -- even US 22 if the musician was playing NYC!  Unless the writer is asked, such a general reference will likely remain a mystery.