New Roads Appearing on Maps
   13 years
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Last week Interstate Highway 11 opened in Nevada. It is a short section that bypasses Boulder City, and the freeway may expand using existing or new routes to Mexico and points north in the future.
While driving on the new freeway, I noticed that my Nuvi knew that I was on I-11. This is interesting, since obviously new maps haven't been released yet since it was opened. I am using 2019.1 maps, or one version behind current.
Even though I-11 was on the maps and the Nuvi said "driving on I-11," it was not routable, and you had to zoom way in before the freeway appeared on the map.
Still, I was surprised it existed at all. Perhaps future roads are mapped with a "future" flag that prevents full visibility and routing? I've never seen that before. Usually new roads don't show up in new map releases for 6-12 months, if then.
New Roads Appearing on Maps
Roads often take years to complete and I suspect the exact routing, exits, entrances, etc. are known well before construction is even started. In my own case I have a nearby Pennsylvania exit from the turnpike that was started in April 2011 and completed in October 2012. My Garmin does fine with the exit, the built in software in my 2013 Honda Accord still doesn't know the exit exists despite an update in 2016. It's a laughing matter with the dealer. I agree to pay for the update if it shows the new entrance/exit, otherwise they do!
John from PA
Thank
Last week Interstate Highway 11 opened in Nevada. It is a short section that bypasses Boulder City, and the freeway may expand using existing or new routes to Mexico and points north in the future.
Thank goodness that piece of I-11 is now open. Taking US 93 through Boulder City, while traveling between Las Vegas and Phoenix was a nightmare. Can't wait until all of I-11 is completed and we finally have a freeway between those 2 major western cities.
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.
How would they know?
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Perhaps future roads are mapped with a "future" flag that prevents full visibility and routing? I've never seen that before. Usually new roads don't show up in new map releases for 6-12 months, if then.
Beam me up Scottie.. Map releases have been typically well behind the curve, It would seem possible that a map update might include an unfinished section of road, but how would they ever know when it was to become active? It would make big negative headlines if a gps routed a driver onto an unfinished road. While some construction projects come in on time and occasionally early, there are many that linger. Your new route popping up is a good mystery.
"There's no substitute for local knowledge" nüvi 750, nüvi 3597
How do they find out?
Here in PA there have been a lot of changes along I-95 in Bucks County, they are connecting 95 with the PA turnpike so there will be a whole new interchange there, plus on I-95 any part of the highway north of that new interchange (not open yet) has been resigned I-295 East/West with new exit numbers and all up to the NJ line, which are currently in effect. The last couple nights I've been working in the area and my up to date DriveSmart 61 still has the old exit number and the highway is still I-95 all the way to NJ.
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .
Good info
Interesting. Good info.
Inactive Unfinished Roads Charted in Advance of Completion
Beam me up Scottie.. Map releases have been typically well behind the curve, It would seem possible that a map update might include an unfinished section of road, but how would they ever know when it was to become active? It would make big negative headlines if a gps routed a driver onto an unfinished road. While some construction projects come in on time and occasionally early, there are many that linger. Your new route popping up is a good mystery.
Well "they" wouldn't know when the road is to become active (unless the project management is so superb and publicizes accurate dates years in advance...).
But: For future releases, it appears that the cartography is already done for some roads and included in the maps. Once the mapper confirms the road is complete, perhaps they switch off the unfinished flag in the map, so it becomes routable in all subsequent map releases.
I've just never encountered this behavior before (the Nuvi detected I was on "I-11" hours after the road opened even though that it wasn't a routable route.) The new road was visible in the maps, but only when you zoomed far in.