Why does I-75 have confusing signage? (Marietta: to live, design, dental)

[DrTerriGenius]

I was driving on I-75 heading to Marietta. First the sign said I-75 west. Then it moved over to the other side of the lanes and said I-75 east. It kept switching back and forth over and over.

Why does it do that? I got really confused and ended up on I-85, then had to exit and ended up getting on 285 to reach Marietta.

Then I decided to just stick to the back roads (highway 41) to get back home.

Why??

[cwkimbro]

Well I don't mean this to sound as mean as it does... but I'm sort of confused how you can get confused and end up on so many other freeways.

I mean it is pretty simple.. its a single freeway going in or out of the city. I-75 also has a north-south interstate designation not an east-west.

Are you sure you didn't accidentally see signs for other exits?

Anyways... where exactly along I-75 was this and what types of signs said east/west?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by DrTerriGenius

I was driving on I-75 heading to Marietta. First the sign said I-75 west. Then it moved over to the other side of the lanes and said I-75 east. It kept switching back and forth over and over.

Why does it do that? I got really confused and ended up on I-85, then had to exit and ended up getting on 285 to reach Marietta.

Then I decided to just stick to the back roads (highway 41) to get back home.

Why??

I have never seen a sign that said "east" or "west" for I-75. Where exactly did you see it, and was it on the Interstate or on a road that led to I-75, that went east/west?

[residinghere2007]

I also have never seen an east or west for 75. I think you are talking about 285, which is confusing because it does change from N, S, E, and W, but really it is a circle so you can expect that.

I am from Ohio and have driven down 75 through the state of GA south all the way up to Detroit, there is nowhere on 75 that has an east or west designation.

In Marietta, 285 hits the top end of I-75, so like I said, you probably saw the east/west for 285 and not 75.

[DrTerriGenius]

ok ok, this was about a month ago. So, I can't remember exactly what the signs said. I was driving with my grandfather. Maybe he was the one confusing me. But I just remember the signs switching from one side of the freeway to the other, back and forth. I was going north towards Marietta.

[residinghere2007]

Maybe you both were confused. I can agree that some signage on our roads is confusing, but not I-75. The only area I can think of where you could get confused is where I-85 and I-75 break apart from each other and that is not in Marietta. They also have had some wonderful improvements in that area so anyone now who goes the wrong way is just not paying attention.

But I do think I know the area you are speaking of. I used to live off 75 in Marietta at exit 263/S. Marietta Pkwy and a few miles south of there, you will see a lot of "east" "west" signs because that is where I-285 and I-75 meet. But I-75 clearly says "north" and "south." It is just that those freeways intersect so you have to make sure you're going the right way, especially if you are getting on the freeway from 41 as you will see all 4 options in that area.

[cittic10]

I feel your pain. It really is confusing.
Everyone knows I-75 branches out to the northwest and I-85 branches out to the northeast so going north on the connector, why make it so that you have to get into the right lanes to get on 75 and the left lanes to get on 85? And once you realize your mistake there is nowhere to get off.

No wonder there are so many wrecks.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by cittic10

I feel your pain. It really is confusing.
Everyone knows I-75 branches out to the northwest and I-85 branches out to the northeast so going north on the connector, why make it so that you have to get into the right lanes to get on 75 and the left lanes to get on 85? And once you realize your mistake there is nowhere to get off.

No wonder there are so many wrecks.

Civil engineers designed the interchange that way so motorists wouldn't have to slow down as much. It is backwards, but I-75 North must go under I-85 north to get to the NW. But GDOT did a good job of placing these signs for 2 miles before the interchange.
Y'all might have been confused by the HOV exits.

[DrTerriGenius]

Originally Posted by cittic10

I feel your pain. It really is confusing.
Everyone knows I-75 branches out to the northwest and I-85 branches out to the northeast so going north on the connector, why make it so that you have to get into the right lanes to get on 75 and the left lanes to get on 85? And once you realize your mistake there is nowhere to get off.

No wonder there are so many wrecks.

Maybe that's how I got confused. I was traveling 75 through downtown and that's where I started to get confused.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Civil engineers designed the interchange that way so motorists wouldn't have to slow down as much. It is backwards, but I-75 North must go under I-85 north to get to the NW. But GDOT did a good job of placing these signs for 2 miles before the interchange.
Y'all might have been confused by the HOV exits.

I agree, and want to point out that there have been many improvements in that area specifically, the street tells you you what lane you need to be in, there are a whole lot of reflectors so you cannot miss it at night, there are flashing lights and all sorts of signs, like I said, only people not paying attention would be confused now where 75/85 breaks up.

But there are no "east" or "west" signs near the split of 75/85 so I don't think the OP is speaking of that area.