Putting the fox in the henhouse, for discussion: The Via Tiburtina Valeria is a 2000 year old stretch from Rome to Pescara close to 250km long which is commonly known as just the Tiburtina and in many places pointed at as Tiburtina Valeria SS5. There is a document floating which 'proposes' the renumbering of certain roads to include the SS5, the subject having been vigorously renumbered to SR5, but not without missing a few spots, moving SS% to old_ref. The facts on the ground as documented by photography the last few weeks: Tiburtina is still being pointed at as SS5 in the provinces of Chieti and Pescara and not recollect seeing anything different from Sulmona eastbound in the province of Aquila, and when cycling on the SS5, it's marked with blue road signs and at various 'milestones' (read km stones) as SS5, 214, SS5, 215, SS5 216 etc and big road board incl... SS5. So what's up. Does OSM number roads based on some proposal or some administrative decision or that what the road users see in reference at the side of the roads?

Without a solid reasoning to dissuade me, I'll be going ahead and number prov. Chieti and Pescara back to SS5, the real active number.

PS There's SS16 Strada Statale Adriatica, which briefly started to be renumbered to SR16 probably same document, but it was changed back. Not all regions are actually subscribing to this renumbering scheme is my reading. 