Exit Info

It has been proposed that this page or section be merged with Tag:highway=motorway_junction. (Discuss)

Note that Key:junction_number has hardly been used anywhere. highway=motorway_junction appears to be a more widely adopted tag for this same thing, and this page is currently in contradiction with the information there.

Methods

There are two methods to assign exit sign information into Open Street Map as described below:

1)The collective node and way method - the exit sign information is stored on both nodes and ways as follows:

Node

key	value
ref	<junction/exit number>
name	<exit name>

Way

key	value
highway	*_link
oneway	yes
destination	<toward location>
destination:ref (proposed)	<branch route number>
destination:ref:to (proposed)	<toward route number>
destination:street (proposed)	<branch road name>
destination:street:to (proposed)	<toward road name>
junction:ref	<junction/exit number> (Optional: populate when a ramp splits and has different exit numbers – such as 51A and 51B

2) The node only method - all of the exit sign information is stored on a node as follows:

Node

key	value
ref	<junction/exit number>
name	<exit name>
exit_to	<branch route number/road name> and/or <toward route number/road name> and/or <toward location>

Preferred Method

The preferred approach is the 1st method – the collective node and way method for the following reasons:

1. It can handle complex interchanges. Especially in the US where an exit ramp can split multiple times such as 3A-B-C
2. Associating the exit sign information with the *_link way improves route guidance
3. Germany has widely populated the ref and destination of the *_link way with junction/exit sign information

Attribute Definitions

Node

Node Term	Explanation
<junction/exit number>	The junction/exit number from the exit sign. Examples: 236, 11A, 51A-B
<exit name>	The exit name form the exit sign - this is not typical for most exits. Example from Pennsylvania Turnpike in the US: Gettysburg Pike

Way

Way Term	Explanation
<branch route number/road name>	The route number or road name that the exit/ramp/slip road will branch onto
<toward route number/road name> and/or <toward location>	The route number, road name, or location(typically a city) that the exit/ramp/slip road will head toward
<junction/exit number>	Populate when a exit/ramp/slip road splits at a common node and has different junction/exit numbers Example: 51A (the node <junction/exit number> will have 51A-B)

Examples

US Examples

A/B Split Example

I-83 N ends at I-81 exit sign

Image cedit: AARoads

The above exit sign information shall be added to Open Street Map as follows:

Node

key	value
ref	51A-B

Southbound Way

key	value
highway	motorway_link
oneway	yes
destination:ref	I 81 South;US 322 West
destination:ref:to	Carlisle;Lewistown
junction:ref	51A

Northbound Way

key	value
highway	motorway_link
oneway	yes
destination:ref	I 81 North
destination:ref:to	I 78;Hazleton;Allentown
junction:ref	51B