Why US 285 should be signed east-west in the Denver area

^ date reposted to this blog
Jun. 25, 2021: originally posted to my old blog

I am about to ask a simple question. It is not a trick question, so no reason to over-think it. The map below (like most maps) is oriented with north at the top. You might not be able to make out much detail, but that's ok, because all I want you to do is take a look at the highway shown in blue. And the question is simply this: does this highway run north-south? Or does it run east-west?

Here is another way to ask the question: let's say you were to drive the blue route from the point on the left side to the point on the right. If you had to describe the general direction of your movement using only one of the following two words, which one would you choose: north or east? Obviously the road is not perfectly straight, but I hope you can agree that the highway generally runs east-west.

In case that is not plain to see, consider this data: the total distance along the blue line is about 60 miles. The rise of the highway (the variance between its northernmost point and its southernmost) is about 16 miles. But its run (its east-west span) is 42 miles, which is over 2.5 times greater than its rise.

Now, here are a few more details about that map: the highway shown in blue is a segment of U.S. Route 285. The marker in the lower left is at Kenosha Pass (in the mountains about an hour outside of Denver). In the upper right is the southern part of the Denver metro area. Let's zoom in on that ​section of the map. Note how this particular segment of the highway comes close to having a due east-west orientation:

But here's the thing: US 285 is actually not signposted east-west. Rather, it is signed north-south.

At first glance that may seem ridiculous, but here I will briefly sabotage my own argument by stating that there is a rational explanation why the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) signs US 285 as a north-south route. The map below shows US 285 in its entirety: 846 miles through Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas:

US 285 runs between Colorado (top) and Texas (bottom), with most of its mileage in New Mexico (center).

Clearly the overall direction of US 285 is north-south. Highways that ultimately trend north-south are usually signposted that way, even along segments of the route that happen to run more east-west. That is standard practice in the U.S. and that is why CDOT signs US 285 north-south.

That being said, there are numerous examples in other states where the signposted direction on a US route changes from north-south to east-west (or vice versa). These other state DOTs have done this on highways where it would not make sense follow conventional signage practices. Here are some examples:

U.S. Route 41 is a long north-south highway, running from Michigan to Florida. However, in south Florida, US 41 makes a rather sharp turn to the east, and in the Miami area the highway runs essentially due east to its endpoint. So in Miami-Dade County, the Florida DOT uses east-west directional signage on US 41 (instead of north-south). Why did they exempt this segment of US 41 from the conventional method of signposting highways? Two main reasons:

• In south Florida, US 41 ceases its function as a north-south route. Instead, it begins functioning as an east-west route, and US 41 ends without ever resuming a north-south direction-of-travel.
• Miami is a major metropolitan area, and every day thousands of drivers heading north or south come to an intersection with SW 8th Street (which carries US 41). The vast majority of people who turn west onto 8th do not have a destination somewhere to the north on US 41. Rather, most have a local destination in the Miami area. They know 8th runs east-west, so it would be absurd and confusing to post signs on 8th informing drivers they were heading "north" or "south" on US 41.

Another example is U.S. Route 24, which begins in Colorado and heads east to Ohio. The highway is signed east-west in those two states, as well as every state in between (red on the map below). But in the Toledo area, US 24 begins heading northeast and crosses into Michigan. In the Detroit area US 24 runs due north-south along Telegraph Road, and around Pontiac it even curves slightly back to the northwest before terminating. As a result, Michigan DOT signposts US 24 as a north-south route (blue on the map below):

US route 24 in its entirety, from Colorado (lower left) to Michigan (upper right).

The reasons are essentially the same as those listed above for US 41 in Miami: 1.) around the Ohio-Michigan line, US 24 ceases functioning as an east-west route and begins functioning as a north-south route, never resuming an east-west direction-of-travel; and 2.) every day thousands of drivers in metro Detroit would be confused if they saw "east" and "west" signs along Telegraph Road. Here are a few other examples:

• In Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, directional signage along US 84 changes from east-west to north-south.
• In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, signage on US 83 changes from north-south to east-west.
• US 98 is signed east-west in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida's panhandle; but in peninsular Florida it changes to north-south.
• In the state of Washington, drivers heading "North" on US 101 along the Pacific Coast will see the signs change to "East" as the highway turns inland, and then to "South" as the highway curves back down to its terminus in Olympia.

Additional examples abound, but I trust it has been adequately illustrated that state DOTs can -- and do -- change a highway's signposted direction-of-travel when it makes sense to do so. Now, let's go back and take another look at US 285. In Colorado, most of US 285 serves a north-south corridor (red on the following map):

US 285 in Colorado

However, as the road continues north from Fairplay, right around Kenosha Pass US 285 ceases to function as a north-south route. Instead, it begins functioning as an east-west route (blue on the maps above). And US 285 never resumes a north-south direction-of-travel. Rather, it ends in Denver, and in fact its final ten miles are on a nearly exact east-west alignment.

Those last ten miles are along Hampden Avenue through the Denver area. (Well, technically US 285 bypasses Hampden in Englewood and Sheridan, but most people still refer to US 285 as "Hampden"). The Denver metro segment of US 285 handles exponentially more traffic volume than any other section of the highway. Every day thousands of drivers come to a junction with Hampden, knowing that they want to turn either east or west, yet seeing signs only for "North" or "South" on US 285. Just a few examples:

Northbound C-470 at US 285.

Southbound Colorado Blvd (SH 2) at Hampden.

Northbound I-25 offramp at Hampden. Right is "east" but left is "south".

Left from the preceding photo: heading due west but signed "south".

The vast majority of drivers who turn west on Hampden do not have a destination someplace in southern Colorado. Rather, most of them have a more local destination: somewhere in the Denver area, or perhaps a bit further west, say Conifer or Bailey. Only a very small percentage are heading anywhere beyond Kenosha Pass. In other words: almost all of these drivers are heading west (not south). Ask any Denverite which direction they need to go in order to reach the mountains, and they will invariably say "west". All of this prompts the question: why should US 285 -- which heads west from Denver into the mountains -- be signposted as "South"?

It does not have to be that way. CDOT has the authority to sign US 285 as an east-west highway between Denver and Kenosha Pass. The precedent for this type of situation has already been established by DOTs in many other states. Changing the directional references along this 60-mile stretch would not impact any surrounding state, because the east-west segment of US 285 is entirely insular to Colorado. On the other hand, this change would greatly benefit untold thousands of drivers in the Denver area -- residents and visitors alike. For the overwhelming majority of people using US 285 around Denver, it would be much less confusing to have the highway signposted as an east-west route.