Get and Override Default Controller Programmatically

[eluser]TWP Marketing[/eluser]
NeoArc.
I do understand your suggestion. It would work for my example usage,

I simply wondered how to access the $routes var via standard php or CI coding.

It ($routes) does not appear to be part of the CI super object, since it isn't accessible using $this->
hence it cannot be overwritten for the same reason (a good thing).

Thanks for the suggestion. I hope the OP can use it also.