Travel Mapping

Highway Data Discussion => Updates to Highway Data => Solved Highway data updates => Topic started by: theFXexpert on March 31, 2021, 03:09:04 pm

Title: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: theFXexpert on March 31, 2021, 03:09:04 pm
US31 and US280 appear to have a broken concurrency in Birmingham, AL between I-20/I-59 and 2ndAveN caused by US31 having an additional waypoint at Carraway Blvd.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 01, 2021, 05:57:23 pm
Using this thread as a placeholder as I evaluate how to handle 31 and 280, since 280 follows the "mainline" to 20/59 while 31 goes at-grade at Carraway (hence why 31 has a point there but 280 didn't).  Technically speaking, I may also need to add a point to 280 at 5th/6th that won't exist on 31 as there's a half-interchange at 5th/6th that connects to 280 before it ends at 20/59 but does not connect to 31.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: si404 on April 01, 2021, 06:24:33 pm
Does US31 directly interchange with the interstates? Seems to me like the route between them is along the non-concurrent 280 or some surface road wiggling about.

If it's indirect, add the point for the interchange at 5th to both routes, as concurrency split where 280 turns off mainline while 31 stays on it.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: theFXexpert on April 20, 2021, 04:46:55 pm
For what it's worth, the AASHTO archive for the US31 reroute and US280 extension onto the Stephens Expressway in 1989 both appear to utilize the same control points with identical mileage between them. The last control point for both applications is "Jct I-20 & I-59"

https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default

The ramps to/from the Stephens Expressway (US31/280) participate in this junction with I-20/59 and are ramps; not a mainline.
https://www.dot.state.al.us/maps/pdf/surveyMapping/HFC/regec/37-BirminghamUrban.pdf
https://www.dot.state.al.us/maps/pdf/surveyMapping/HFC/regec/37-BirminghamMPO.pdf
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 20, 2021, 10:09:25 pm
^ Do those ALDOT links actually work for others?  I have been unable to get to any of ALDOT's webpages in a number of weeks and I'm not sure why...this is why I haven't done anything further on the issue this month.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: formulanone on April 20, 2021, 10:22:45 pm
^ Do those ALDOT links actually work for others?  I have been unable to get to any of ALDOT's webpages in a number of weeks and I'm not sure why...this is why I haven't done anything further on the issue this month.

It loaded for me, though it's an 8 MB pdf (and 4 MB for the MPO file). ALDOT does seem a bit slow, though hotel internet is rarely superb for that kind of stuff.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: rickmastfan67 on April 20, 2021, 10:24:18 pm
Yep, those PDF links are working just fine for me Froggie.

Sounds like your ISP has an issue.  Maybe manually change your DNS servers?  I'm using 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1 for mine.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 20, 2021, 10:47:30 pm
Tried changing DNS and still no luck.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: rickmastfan67 on April 20, 2021, 10:53:27 pm
Tried changing DNS and still no luck.

Then contact your ISP about this issue.  They might need to fix something.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 20, 2021, 11:39:40 pm
Definitely an ISP issue...was able to access the ALDOT websites on my iPad via LTE.

Regarding the OP, and after looking at the maps FXpert posted, ALDOT Milepost Maps, aerial imagery, and GMSV, here's what I'm going to do, which may seem a little weird to some but bear with me:


That should take care of the broken concurrency.

On a related note, I'll have to rename 125A on I-20/59 to 124D, and star out 125B which no longer exists...125B was previously the direct ramps to/from 22nd St.  They were taken out with the viaduct replacement.
[/list]
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: rickmastfan67 on April 21, 2021, 12:09:04 am
  • Include the CarrBlvd point on US 280, but make it a hidden point.  This is because, as noted above, signage indicates US 280 follows the ramps to I-20/59 and not the US 31 "mainline".

That will probably throw up an error on the datacheck page.  Just like how MN-119 currently has one due to a point being hidden when it shouldn't be.
Code: [Select]
mn.mn040;MN119_N;;;VISIBLE_HIDDEN_COLOC;mn.mn119@+MN40
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: vdeane on April 21, 2021, 05:19:39 pm
Looking at those AASHTO documents, it appears that US 280 was intended to end at I-20/59, whereas US 31 continues north, with the realignment ending at the viaduct.  As such, US 280 would follow the ramps to I-20/59, whereas US 31 would take the ramps to the surface roads; the same label would thus not signify them taking the same road (Alabama probably figured "close enough").  US 31 and US 280 are on physically separate road; elsewhere on the site where this happens, concurrences are purposefully broken (see A-440/QC 335, or I-80/I-29 in Iowa, for example).  As such, I am staunchly opposed to the idea of having these marked concurrent, as it is in direct opposition to all prior precedent on TM, and not all users would even want them both marked clinched if they only have one.

In fact, they might have actually been mistakenly marked concurrent at one time and then later had the concurrency broken; the CarrBlvd point didn't exist when I was there in 2016.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: theFXexpert on April 21, 2021, 05:40:43 pm
That sounds reasonable to me.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 21, 2021, 11:05:07 pm
  • Include the CarrBlvd point on US 280, but make it a hidden point.  This is because, as noted above, signage indicates US 280 follows the ramps to I-20/59 and not the US 31 "mainline".

That will probably throw up an error on the datacheck page.  Just like how MN-119 currently has one due to a point being hidden when it shouldn't be.
Code: [Select]
mn.mn040;MN119_N;;;VISIBLE_HIDDEN_COLOC;mn.mn119@+MN40

Could easily be listed as a false positive, given the circumstances.  I went the route I did because there are indications (specifically signage, though the AASHTO documents seem to indicate such too) that US 280 takes the ramps to 20/59.  On the same token, ALDOT maps indicate a concurrency up to 20/59.  I was trying to marry the two ideas, further considering that there are some access points within the "concurrency" that are accessible to one but not the other.

I'm open to other suggestions.  I may need to revise the US 31 points anyway since there is officially and physically no direct connection between 31 and 20/59.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: vdeane on April 24, 2021, 04:10:40 pm
If US 280 takes the ramps, wouldn't the current marking be inconsistent with how similar cases are handled elsewhere in TM?  Not sure what to make of ALDOT's maps; I doubt they had TM in mind when they made them.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: Markkos1992 on March 17, 2022, 08:35:19 pm
I drove in the area earlier this week.  I saw regular US 280 shields (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5287314,-86.8045254,3a,75y,130.2h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1se1dx4Ckhnq7HVQMi2ElIZg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3De1dx4Ckhnq7HVQMi2ElIZg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D135.3899%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192) on the ground, but only "TO US 280" (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5222641,-86.8119576,3a,75y,86.87h,81.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXouXvxI7c0L0NpVfvLj3Vw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) on I-20/59.

I would say that both routes should be fully concurrent with each other.
Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: Markkos1992 on April 10, 2022, 04:29:36 pm
The only revision I would make here at this point would be to remove the "5th/6thAve" point on both US 31 and US 280 completely (visible and hidden).  1PPI should be enough to cover both here in my opinion.

Other Point Concerns for US 31/US 280 in area:

US 31:
1.  CarrBlvd>-CarBlvd_S (I think) 
2. UnivBlvd>-UniBlvd. 
3.  BroMedCenDr needs to be shortened. 
4.  Maybe replace the shaping point south of CanRd with a visible point.
US 280: 
1.  UnivBlvd>-UniBlvd. 
2.  CherRd>-CheRd.
3.  I-459(19)>-I-459.

Title: Re: AL: US31/280 Broken Concurrency in Birmingham
Post by: froggie on April 10, 2022, 06:29:41 pm
The only revision I would make here at this point would be to remove the "5th/6thAve" point on both US 31 and US 280 completely (visible and hidden).  1PPI should be enough to cover both here in my opinion.

That's how I had things at first but the more I thought about it the more I disagreed with that scenario.  Hence why I went with the current configuration.

The rest of your suggestions were submitted this evening.