Control States

[OCGuy81]

Obviously, we all know that BGS use control cities, laying out the cities accessed by staying along said route.

But I noticed that while looking at highway pictures from the Chicago area, that the freeways use control STATES.  For example, a control state on I-80 westbound entering Illinois from Indiana is Iowa.  294 Northbound?  Destination: Wisconsin.

Are there other areas where control states are used instead of a city(s)?  I haven't done too much traveling in and around the northeast, so I imagine this maybe is used up there due to close proximity of smaller states like CT, MA, NH, et al.

[hbelkins]

Eastbound I-74 has "Kentucky" as the control state for I-275 south as you approach Cincinnati.

The US 50 ramp to I-275 in the latter's only Indiana interchange lists "Ohio" and "Kentucky" on the overhead guide signs.

I think "Kentucky" may also be in limited use along I-75 southbound in Cincinnati. Really, it makes more sense and is more economical than listing both Louisville (I-71) and Lexington (I-75).

Then there's "N.H.-Maine" in Massachusetts. And "To All Maine Points" in New Hampshire.

[nexus73]

Northbound 101 at the 101/199 interchange has "Oregon Coast" as the control destination on the sign.

Rick

[PHLBOS]

Along the PA Turnpike, mainly the I-276 portion, the control destination on most of the BGS' is indeed New Jersey for the eastbound direction.

On the opposite end of the state, the westernmost control destination for I-76 along the PA Turnpike is Ohio.

Delaware has been used as a control destination along I-295 southbound in New Jersey.

There's one or two pull-through BGS' along the westbound Mass Pike (I-90) that still list New York as a control destination.

Many BGS' along I-95 northbound from Baltimore northward to the Delaware State Line list New York as a control destination.

In Delaware, BGS' for I-295 northbound list NJ - NY as control destinations.

[formulanone]

There's also Canada as a "control nation" for I-96 East.



I think I've seen photos before with Mexico used as a control nation...

[triplemultiplex]

"Wisconsin" is the control city state for both I-535 & US 2 in Duluth.

[Brandon]

"Illinois" is the control for I-55/64/70/US-40 crossing the Poplar Street Bridge in Saint Louis.

The Indiana Toll Road has a control of "Ohio" for eastbound traffic.  The signs used to read "Chicago and West" and "Ohio and East".  Now it's just "Chicago" and "Ohio".

[1995hoo]

Portions of northbound I-81 in New York also use "Canada." I do not remember whether that begins before or after you hit Watertown, but I suspect it's after.

I recall the signs for I-10 on southbound I-65 in the Mobile area directing drivers west to Mississippi and east to Florida. I have not been there since July 1997, so I don't know if that's still the case.

Regarding I-95 in Maryland, I might be wrong, but I always interpreted "New York" on those signs as referring to the city, not the state. As a practical matter both interpretations are correct, of course.

Some signs in the Montreal area use either "USA," "New York" (in one case with a hyphen as "New-York"; in almost all cases coupled with an I-87 shield), and "Vermont" (coupled with an I-89 shield).

[PHLBOS]

Regarding I-95 in Maryland, I might be wrong, but I always interpreted "New York" on those signs as referring to the city, not the state. As a practical matter both interpretations are correct, of course.

True, but in the case of the Mass Pike (I-90) westbound; BGS' for Exit 9 (I-84 westbound Sturbridge) indeed are listed as New York City or NY City eliminating any doubt whereas the earlier-metioned signage along the Boston Extension list the more ambiguous New York reference.  Note: this control destination used to be applied along I-90 westbound all the way out ot Exit 10 (I-290/395/MA 12 Auburn) interchange.

[lepidopteran]

The WB Staten Island Expressway has "New Jersey" at least once as the control state.

Not exactly a control state, but in Georgia on I-75 SB, the signs leading up to I-475 around Macon used to read "Bypass to Florida" (By-pass? I think I remember a hyphen).  This was later modified to read "Bypass to Valdosta".  I think that was more a case of "why give the glory to another state" thing than a "city vs. state" reason, though.

Some highways in Maryland have a control state (region?) of "Northern Virginia" or "N Virginia" on pull-through signs.  The gore sign where the HOV lanes split between I-270 and the spur used to read "VA", and only that!

[OCGuy81]

I think I've seen photos before with Mexico used as a control nation...

I swear I've seen it used in San Diego when I was a kid.  On I-5? Maybe along 805?  I think nowadays it's Tijuana, but I think there used to be at least one that simply read Mexico. 

[1995hoo]

I forgot about the signs in Maryland (pretty pathetic of me).

That sign "lepidopteran" posted is currently the only sign that refers to the I-270 spur as "SPUR." I seem to recall there used to be a few more of them, but they were retired in favor of marking that segment as "TO I-495 SOUTH" or "TO I-270 NORTH."

[jp the roadgeek]

Old sign on I-95 in The Bronx used to use "New England" as a control region.  Newer ones just use New Haven.  Signs on I-84 W in Danbury, CT use NY State as a control, but some of them have been switched to Newburgh.  Technically, any sign that has New York as a control is using a control state, althogh we can pretty much assume it means City.

[PHLBOS]

Signs on I-84 W in Danbury, CT use NY State as a control, but some of them have been switched to Newburgh.  Technically, any sign that has New York as a control is using a control state, although we can pretty much assume it means City.

I believe the recent BGS replacement contract along I-84 in that area has since replaced all the old N Y State BGS'.

That's probably the one case where the word State was actually applied to the N Y or New York reference.

[akotchi]

In the Trenton, NJ area, the small guide signs on the cross-streets entering I-95 south still list Pennsylvania as the control city.

Signs at Exit 3 of I-78 near Phillipsburg might also still do that for westbound panels.

[Henry]

Regarding I-95 in Maryland, I might be wrong, but I always interpreted "New York" on those signs as referring to the city, not the state. As a practical matter both interpretations are correct, of course.

True, but in the case of the Mass Pike (I-90) westbound; BGS' for Exit 9 (I-84 westbound Sturbridge) indeed are listed as New York City or NY City eliminating any doubt whereas the earlier-metioned signage along the Boston Extension list the more ambiguous New York reference.  Note: this control destination used to be applied along I-90 westbound all the way out ot Exit 10 (I-290/395/MA 12 Auburn) interchange.

I've always taken the "New York" that appears on signs along I-95 and I-87 (as well as I-78 and I-80) to mean the city, as it would be strange to see it on highways that go nowhere near that metropolis (like I-81, I-90 and US 15/Future I-99).

[bassoon1986]

At the southern terminus of I-65 in Mobile, Alabama, the destinations for I-10 east and west now read Florida and Mississippi rather then Pensacola and Pascagoula.

[agentsteel53]

At the southern terminus of I-65 in Mobile, Alabama, the destinations for I-10 east and west now read Florida and Mississippi rather then Pensacola and Pascagoula.

that is excellent news.  for someone out of the area, the two control cities look far too identical to be able to provide clear decision-making at high speed.

[builder_J]

In Kansas City, MO, both I-670 WB (in the downtown loop) and I-635 SB use "Kansas" as the control point, as both cross into Kansas City, KS.

GSV from the I-635/I-29 interchange (3.5 miles from the state line): http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=39.19014,-94.612294&spn=0.004831,0.006899&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.190204,-94.612498&panoid=jz6RIHDL1Dzibb6MynTbyQ&cbp=12,298.73,,0,10.5

[1995hoo]

At the southern terminus of I-65 in Mobile, Alabama, the destinations for I-10 east and west now read Florida and Mississippi rather then Pensacola and Pascagoula.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that they were like that in July 1997. Did they change them to the city names since then and subsequently change them back? Your use of the word "now" is what makes me curious.

[bassoon1986]

I'm so sorry, when I posted that I missed seeing yours further up. My apologies. I remember seeing the city names present in 2004. I think the change was recent, like maybe the past 4 years?

[1995hoo]

I'm so sorry, when I posted that I missed seeing yours further up. My apologies. I remember seeing the city names present in 2004. I think the change was recent, like maybe the past 4 years?

There's nothing to apologize for. I think your post raises a very interesting question and your reply just makes it all the more interesting. I drove through there on Thursday, July 3, 1997, and when I passed through in the other direction the following Sunday, July 6, I continued east on I-10 into Florida. I have not been through there since and am unlikely to pass that way again anytime soon due to the very low Wife Acceptance Factor for drives of that length (in 1997, I was single). The reason I remember the dates of my prior trip so precisely is that in the summer of 1997 I was working for a law firm in Montgomery, Alabama, and I had never been to New Orleans. So I drove down to New Orleans for the July 4 weekend because July 4 was on a Friday.

Anyway, your first post intrigued me because I quite clearly remember the BGSs for "Florida" and "Mississippi." We don't see that sort of thing too often in Virginia or North Carolina (where I was a student at the time). Your reply intrigues me all the more because it indicates they apparently changed the signs after my trip but later changed them back. That makes me wonder (a) why they changed them and (b) what made them change them back.

[StogieGuy7]

There's also Canada as a "control nation" for I-96 East.

Not to mention God Damn River Avenue!   

I think I've seen photos before with Mexico used as a control nation...

Yes, I have seen them in both TX and CA as well. 

[english si]

SCOTLAND

[formulanone]

Not to mention God Damn River Avenue!   

I wasn't sure exactly what the "Gd" was (God? Good? Grid?), when I first saw it. Not a very good abbreviation at all.

Come to think of it, that's also a weird location for the exit gore sign.