Where the surface route gets signed for a big city but the freeway doesn’t

[roadman65]

I noticed that in Totowa NJ on CR 546 ( aka Union Blvd.) I-80 is not signed  for any control city, but US 46 is. Well at least eastbound anyway as US 46 west is like I-80 only it's shield is on a green sign.

Now living in NJ I can say that NJDOT was not all that big on signing freeway ramps with control cities, but all the expressways had them everywhere including residential side streets at divided highways with jughandles.

Now this part is interesting as I-80 is the faster route and an interstate and US 46, although expressway most of the way to NYC, still is longer and has some arterial segments.  Clifton and NYC are fine as controls for Route 46 from Union Blvd, but NYC should also be signed for I-80 as well. US 46 does connect to NJ 3 to NJ 495 for the Lincoln Tunnel for Midtown Manhattan in which I-80 does not. However the GWB goes to the Bronx and Upper Manhattan also part of NYC. 

I don't think it was done on purpose, but the end result of two different types of signing practices. The same up until 1994 on I-287 giving Newark for I-78 and New York for US 22 as well due to years apart between signing contracts there.  I-78 to Newark was added in 1986 when the long awaited Watchung Reservation segment as prior it was signed as Local Traffic and No Trucks to keep NY Bound motorists off local roads in Watchung.

Do you think that it is odd to say the least, to have the lower quality road better signed for the long distance places than the better as is not only in NJ?  Florida does it too.

[Angelo71]

Yes it is odd.

[SkyPesos]

OH 16 West has Columbus as a control city even though the OH 37 to 161 routing gets to Columbus too, and it's faster because it's all freeway.