Decommissioned county roads that mainly keep the letter designation

[peterj920]

I have a few occurrences where the town that takes over the county road decides to keep the former letter designation in the name of the road.

Manitowoc County:             Hwy H Rd
Ozaukee County:                Kay-K Rd
Waukesha County:             Road DT
Portage/Waupaca County:  Town Road NN

I'm sure there are other places in Wisconsin where this may have happened

[dvferyance]

What makes you sure those where former county highways in the first place?

[SEWIGuy]

I know that Waukesha County DT was, but you are correct.  A number of these could have simply been town roads that they lettered.

[dvferyance]

I know that Waukesha County DT was, but you are correct.  A number of these could have simply been town roads that they lettered.

That's a strange one a few maps still mark it as a county highway so I wasn't sure if it was one or not. I highly doubt the one in Manitowoc County ever was one because to the north it becomes County Hwy T if it was once a county highway it would have been T not H. I also doubt the one in Ozaukee County was either because to the south it becomes County Hwy KK so they just decided to call it something like that it's whole length. I have no clue about the Portage County one.

[peterj920]

I know that Waukesha County DT was, but you are correct.  A number of these could have simply been town roads that they lettered.

That's a strange one a few maps still mark it as a county highway so I wasn't sure if it was one or not. I highly doubt the one in Manitowoc County ever was one because to the north it becomes County Hwy T if it was once a county highway it would have been T not H. I also doubt the one in Ozaukee County was either because to the south it becomes County Hwy KK so they just decided to call it something like that it's whole length. I have no clue about the Portage County one.

Hwy H Rd was once County H at one time despite intersecting with County T.  County J nearby was once Wis 148 and it was decommissioned around the time Wis 148 was removed.  County KK in Ozaukee County was truncated so the decommissioned portion was called Kay-K. 

[GeekJedi]

There's "Road X" in Waukesha County that replaced CTH-X between WI-83 and WI-67, and "Town GE" replaced CTH-GE.

I'm sure there's plenty more.

[peterj920]

Could also extend this to state highways.  Old 194 is named after former Wis 194.  Taylor County did not want to take care of the road between County H and Wis 73, so it became a town road.  The No Passing Zone Signs still take place.  I can't think of any other instances where a state highway was downgraded to a town road.  Usually the county takes over.  I am not counting old alignments.  They have to be either decommissioned or truncated highways.  Streetview of Old 194 below:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3278723,-90.8986698,3a,75y,276.54h,88.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKnr-LNUit3eSsAKAZcIDcw!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Is "Old County K Road" near Red Cliff an example, or too blatant?

[Big John]

"Triple Kay" south of Rosendale WI?  Was it formerly county KKK?

[peterj920]

"Triple Kay" south of Rosendale WI?  Was it formerly county KKK?

According to a 1956 map I looked up on the Old Maps Iphone App, it was County KKK.  Fond Du Lac County probably has more Triple letter county roads than any other county, but over time they probably thought it wasn't the best choice of a designation. 

I also did a google search and someone tried to sell one of those signs on Ebay.  It only comes up on image search, but did see the sign for myself.  The listing is no longer active, but did see the pic. 

[Alps]

"Triple Kay" south of Rosendale WI?  Was it formerly county KKK?

According to a 1956 map I looked up on the Old Maps Iphone App, it was County KKK.  Fond Du Lac County probably has more Triple letter county roads than any other county, but over time they probably thought it wasn't the best choice of a designation. 

I also did a google search and someone tried to sell one of those signs on Ebay.  It only comes up on image search, but did see the sign for myself.  The listing is no longer active, but did see the pic. 

Link to the image?

[peterj920]

"Triple Kay" south of Rosendale WI?  Was it formerly county KKK?

According to a 1956 map I looked up on the Old Maps Iphone App, it was County KKK.  Fond Du Lac County probably has more Triple letter county roads than any other county, but over time they probably thought it wasn't the best choice of a designation. 

I also did a google search and someone tried to sell one of those signs on Ebay.  It only comes up on image search, but did see the sign for myself.  The listing is no longer active, but did see the pic. 

Link to the image?

[Mrt90]

Did those roads have a local name when they were county highways?  For example, I've seen the Road X in Waukesha County that GeekJedi referred to, was it called Smith Road (for example) when it was County X, and the town decided to call it Road X when it was decommissioned as a county highway because no one ever called it Smith Road?  Or did those roads not have local names?  I can't think of a county highway in the county that I live in (Kenosha) that doesn't have a local name right now.

[dvferyance]

There's "Road X" in Waukesha County that replaced CTH-X between WI-83 and WI-67, and "Town GE" replaced CTH-GE.

I'm sure there's plenty more.

Never understood that the part between WI-59 and WI-67 made sense to downgrade and probably the WI-59 to CR-E segment as well. But I thought Road X sounds kind of silly. They should have just come up with a normal name. The part between WI-83 and CR-E still should be CR-X. It's a major enough road to justify it as a county highway.

[peterj920]

Is "Old County K Road" near Red Cliff an example, or too blatant?

If the route no longer exists or was truncated from its original alignment.  There's plenty of Old roads throughout the state that are old alignments of existing highways, county and state. 

[hockeyjohn]

Could also extend this to state highways.  Old 194 is named after former Wis 194.  Taylor County did not want to take care of the road between County H and Wis 73, so it became a town road.  The No Passing Zone Signs still take place.  I can't think of any other instances where a state highway was downgraded to a town road.  Usually the county takes over.  I am not counting old alignments.  They have to be either decommissioned or truncated highways.  Streetview of Old 194 below:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3278723,-90.8986698,3a,75y,276.54h,88.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKnr-LNUit3eSsAKAZcIDcw!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en

Nice "stretched" version of the No Passing Zone sign.   It is becoming rare to see those in Wisconsin along state trunk lines anymore and rather unusual to see them elsewhere.

[peterj920]

Could also extend this to state highways.  Old 194 is named after former Wis 194.  Taylor County did not want to take care of the road between County H and Wis 73, so it became a town road.  The No Passing Zone Signs still take place.  I can't think of any other instances where a state highway was downgraded to a town road.  Usually the county takes over.  I am not counting old alignments.  They have to be either decommissioned or truncated highways.  Streetview of Old 194 below:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3278723,-90.8986698,3a,75y,276.54h,88.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKnr-LNUit3eSsAKAZcIDcw!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en

Nice "stretched" version of the No Passing Zone sign.   It is becoming rare to see those in Wisconsin along state trunk lines anymore and rather unusual to see them elsewhere.

The stretched NO PASSING ZONE signs are pretty much eliminated from state highways.  On the street view picture, the town decided to leave the signs up after WIS 194 was decommissioned.  They didn't bother to repaint the lines after wearing out. 

The only places where the stretched signs can be seen now are former state highways where the signs are left alone.  County O in Price County is former WIS 86 and still has plenty of those stretched passing zone signs up.  That road had plenty of curves so there are a lot of them. 

[dvferyance]

Could also extend this to state highways.  Old 194 is named after former Wis 194.  Taylor County did not want to take care of the road between County H and Wis 73, so it became a town road.  The No Passing Zone Signs still take place.  I can't think of any other instances where a state highway was downgraded to a town road.  Usually the county takes over.  I am not counting old alignments.  They have to be either decommissioned or truncated highways.  Streetview of Old 194 below:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3278723,-90.8986698,3a,75y,276.54h,88.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKnr-LNUit3eSsAKAZcIDcw!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en

Nice "stretched" version of the No Passing Zone sign.   It is becoming rare to see those in Wisconsin along state trunk lines anymore and rather unusual to see them elsewhere.

The stretched NO PASSING ZONE signs are pretty much eliminated from state highways.  On the street view picture, the town decided to leave the signs up after WIS 194 was decommissioned.  They didn't bother to repaint the lines after wearing out. 

The only places where the stretched signs can be seen now are former state highways where the signs are left alone.  County O in Price County is former WIS 86 and still has plenty of those stretched passing zone signs up.  That road had plenty of curves so there are a lot of them.

Some counties use the no passing signs. I know Washington County does I think Racine might as well. Waukesha County however does not. All wisdot signage was immediately removed from the old Hwy 99 now Hwy LO when the transfer took place in the summer of 1999.

[GeekJedi]

This "No Passing Zone" pennant is one of my favorites - it's along the short little 1/2 mile stub of former US 12 that exists from the intersection of Bus 12 and US 12 in Whitewater, and dead-ends where US 12 makes the turn back to it's original alignment. It's now called "County Line Rd." and this sign is just past the last house on the road where it dead-ends! 

https://goo.gl/maps/DLPd2badgd42

[SEWIGuy]

This "No Passing Zone" pennant is one of my favorites - it's along the short little 1/2 mile stub of former US 12 that exists from the intersection of Bus 12 and US 12 in Whitewater, and dead-ends where US 12 makes the turn back to it's original alignment. It's now called "County Line Rd." and this sign is just past the last house on the road where it dead-ends! 

https://goo.gl/maps/DLPd2badgd42

I have seen that many times but didn't register as odd until you pointed it out.

BTW, I think Google has that wrong.  I don't think that's "County Line Road."