Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Gas Stations and Highway Numbers

I've currently got a line in my current story that reads:

Now I think it would read a little better if I did two things. First, instead of talking about an 'all-night gas bar and diner', it would be helpful for me to name the place. Here in Canada, I might say 'to the Huskey station located at...'. But what is a common truck stop on the highways in the States.

Second, highway numbers. Now I know this is New Troy, but is there a main highway, an interstate that runs through most of the Eastern States? It might be nice to use numbers that people will believe.

Thanks,

ML

well, I'm not sure I know any all-night gas, bar & diner places Maybe just call it a "truck stop" -- Phillips 66, or Flying J.

The big highway on the US east coast is I-95, which runs from (I think) Maine to Florida. Mostly I'm familiar with the southern portions of it. It might be too big for your purposes, though, 'cause it doesn't have intersections (4-way stop), it has interchanges (on and off ramps). I think Rt. 1 is an older road that might serve the purpose; that one's got intersections. So do highways, which sometimes are identified with state abbreviations -- I drive a lot on NC 54. Generally, routes (Rt #) and highways (Hwy #) are smaller and older than Interstates (I-#).

I'm more familiar with southern conditions these days, but when I was growing up in PA, you'd have I-81 and I-83 as the main interstates (with on and off ramps but suicidally short ones; I can't imagine how I drove those and escaped alive), but I can definitely see a truck stop at the intersection of Rts 22 and 39. Rt. 15 goes up north through PA, too.

Don't know if that helps you or not Hope so.

PJ

That's great, Pam. So the instructions will be that he take her jeep to the intersection of Routes 22 and 39 and stop at the Phillips 66 to await further instructions.

Thanks,

ML

Generally speaking, the highway system of the US consists of a few different designations for main roadways.

You have the Interstates, U.S. Highways, State Highways, County Roads, and Rural Routes. Then you have your basic residential streets, avenues, lanes, boulevards, circles, etc.

Most are designated by use of numbers such as I35, or US1 (but some states such as Iowa use letters, both single and double). If I remember correctly, highways that travel across state lines such as the Interstate system and the older US highways, use odd numbers for north south routes, and even numbers for east west.

The more local roadways like the county roads and rural routes tend to wander all over the place.

Just make up some numbers, or look at a highway map of the US and you should be able to satisfy your needs. After all, they do live in a fictional world.

Tank (who doesn't appreciate it when the highway department decides to change the name/number of a particular highway)

BTW; The exits on the Interstate system are generally numbered also. So you could say 'Take I95 south, get off at exit 36 and wait for instructions at the public phone in the gift shop of the Flying J truckstop'

Thanks, Tank.

FYI - I think it was Eisenhower who implemented/designed the interstate system. Exits are the mile markers starting from the southern border or the western border. the 3 didgit roads were meant to bypass a city like I495 branches off of and around I 95. Also, at least in NY, we just call it 95, not I 95.

Cheryl

Routes 1 and 95 both go from Maine to Florida. 1 is slow, highly commercial, and tends to act as the main road for a series of towns. 95 is a superhighway, often with 6 or more lanes, never with less than 4. Frequency of exits varies with population density, but the average is probably 5 miles or so from one to the next.

Odd-numbered roads go mostly north-south. Even-numbered ones go mostly east-west.

With the exception of Route 1, you'll generally find higher numbers in the north and east. Route 84 is north of route 66, and route 95 goes along the east coast.

Not all roads have exits by mile marker, but more and more are converting these days.

The first digit in a three-digit road tells you whether or not it loops back to meet the original road again. Odd numbers branch out in a new direction, but even numbers come back (they're the ones that go around cities, either as bypasses or beltways). So, 195 and 395 will branch off of 95 and never see it again, but 295 and 495 will loop back.

Flying J and Phillips 66 are very rare north of the Mason-Dixon line. There's a local chain called "Gaseteria," but more often, you'll find rest areas (a gas station, a parking lot, and a building with a few stores and restaurants).

Off the big highways, on state or county routes, you'd probably find a truck stop or a diner, with the gas station nearby but seperate.

7-11 does sometimes have a gas station attached, and large-chain gas stations (Exxon, Mobil, Sunoco, Amoco, Hess, etc) will sometimes have a fast food restaurant (Subway or something) inside the attached convenience store. That happens more often if you're in a less populated area (which sounds like what you want).

State and county roads are often local roads with plenty of traffic lights and businesses. They can stretch away, out of town, but in a more populated area, it's not uncommon for a state route to be a perfectly ordinary town street which has just been given an extra name. Confusingly, you sometimes have to turn onto a new town road in order to follow the state's designated route. (To stay on Route 3, take a left off of Main Street onto Chestnut Drive. This is indicated by a little sign with the route number and an arrow.)

In less populated areas, you'll often find a bunch of businesses (gas stations, restaurants, motels, etc) clustered around a highway exit, with long stretches of nearly empty road beyond, leading towards a city or town 20 miles away.

Not sure if any of this really helps, but I wasn't sure what of it you might end up needing.

Paul

Thanks for all the information, everyone. I think I have what I need now. It really is only one line in the story and I just didn't want to get things so wrong that people would be pulled out of the story because of my lack of knowledge of American highways .

Thanks again.

ML