Suppose that you could slice off some from that list. But in the end: whether you are arriving from Newcastle or from Leeds, there is no stand-out town on the A66 worth signposting very prominently. Coming from the South, even Glasgow could be a candidate. And while you could figure out something for RCSs, you'd inevitably struggle finding the right destinations for other signs as you get closer to Scotch Corner. Per my previous post, the bigger issue is that Scotch Corner appears more or less standalone, e.g. Scotch Corner / The NORTH at J51 of the A1(M), which in my opinion would better have read Scotch Corner / Newcastle / The NORTH. On the A66 heading East towards Scotch Corner, on the other hand, I'd rather use A1(M) as the most important destination and leave out Scotch Corner.jabbaboy wrote:Surely the first step is much easier. You have to remember the A1(M) from Darlington to Scotch Corner is a North West, South and West route not just the South and having a waypoint to split it is much easier. Otherwise realistically you'd have to have something like:
A1(M)
THE SOUTH
Leeds
Doncaster
(A66)
THE NORTH WEST
THE WEST
Kendal
Penrith
Carlisle
Which is just too much.
Signposting Scotch Corner of course presumes that this is broadly known as a waypoint by motorists unfamiliar in the region. Scotch Corner ticks this box, I would say, but this translates into a broader thought as to when signposting important waypoints, as opposed to towns, makes sense. In my view, this is the case in two situations:
(i) waypoints where, after crossing it, traffic will split into a lot of directions. Example: many of the bridges and tunnels in New York; and
(ii) waypoints where traffic will continue in only one or two directions, but where you'd struggle finding a well-known town in the hinterland to describe the route. Example: mountain passes in the Alps.
In each case, the names of the waypoints should be broadly known among through motorists. On the latter point, I see Scotch Corner qualifying. But Scottish bridges and the Tyne Tunnel should in my view fall through, except when you're really close to that bridge - since that's when the waypoint comes to qualify under (i). But in that phase, you'd add the waypoint as a kind of local destination next to the first primary destination ahead. Not sure whether the UK has any points that would qualify under (i) from further out.
