I haven’t noticed this on mapquest before, but I just downloaded directions from here to points East, which necessitates going through a couple of interchanges in downtown L.A.
Though I’ve lived here all my life, I just don’t go that way all that often and I have to look it up just about every time. So I just went to Mapquest as usual, and I now find that, in the map part, there’s a thick purple line that obscures exactly what I need to see.
Usually I rely on the verbal directions, but particularly wanted the map this time. Has it always been like this? Is there any way to change the color or thickness of the line so it won’t be self defeating?
Just tried it, and funnily enough, here too the route is marked out in that same ill-chosen manner. Maybe it’s just my computer or settings, but it seems to be exactly the right color to be the most difficult to see on the page or screen while still managing to obliterate what lies beneath.
However, at least Google gives you onsite photographs, and that’s a huge help.
I think Google has a relatively new feature now that you can click on your route (or the end point of it or something) and drag it someplace else. Hopefully that will let you see the streets under it when you move it. Either that or you can open it in two windows and get a blank map showing the same thing your marked map does.
You might also try the alternate route feature – Avoid Highways, Avoid Toll Roads, or switch routes from Shortest Distance to Shortest Travel Time – that will move the thick purple line and maybe you’ll be able to see your interchange.