US-41 Interstate Conversion

[SSOWorld]

That may be a county highway department job.

[FightingIrish]

As the reassurance signs for I-41 seem to sporadically pop up around the state like dandelions, it looks like WIS 175 signs have started replacing the old US 41 signs along Appleton Ave in Milwaukee. The intersecting streets still show US 41 on the approaches.

[SSOWorld]

good.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/sets/72157654438187278

A few photos of I-41's markings in greater Milwaukee are captured in the above Flickr Album.  The two Wrong-Way Concurrency markings are below along with the old median shields on the left.





Click images to visit their Flickr homes

[FLRoads]

A few more Milwaukee area Interstate 41 shield sightings taken by Alex and I on 06/13/15:


Interstates 41 & 94 (along with U.S. 41) uni-shield assembly taken at the on-ramp from Milwaukee County BB (Rawson Road).


Shield assembly showing the concurrency with I-41/I-894/U.S. 41/U.S. 45 north of the I-43 split.


Southbound along the Zoo Freeway between North Avenue (Exit 42BA) and Watertown Plank Road (Exit 40).

[roadman65]

Nice photos.  Some assemblies are like VDOT using one piece jobs.

[SSOWorld]

Nice photos.  SomeAll assemblies are like VDOT using one piece jobs.

The likelihood of WisDOT contractors making cutouts is next to nil now - even for single Interstate routes.

[roadman65]

Nice photos.  SomeAll assemblies are like VDOT using one piece jobs.

The likelihood of WisDOT contractors making cutouts is next to nil now - even for single Interstate routes.

I meant some out of his photo collection.

[OCGuy81]

good.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/sets/72157654438187278

A few photos of I-41's markings in greater Milwaukee are captured in the above Flickr Album.  The two Wrong-Way Concurrency markings are below along with the old median shields on the left.





Click images to visit their Flickr homes

Excellent job on your Flickr album.  Those are great pictures.

I wasn't aware Wisconsin used Freeway Entrance signs, though there was one in your album.  Is that a recent thing they started doing?

[Alex]

Nice photos.  SomeAll assemblies are like VDOT using one piece jobs.

The likelihood of WisDOT contractors making cutouts is next to nil now - even for single Interstate routes.

I meant some out of his photo collection.

The I-43/894 center line assemblies all remain likely from when Interstate 43 was extended southwest from Milwaukee. They do seem redundant today, but at least they are cutouts, which as Scott wrote, are never used in new assemblies now.

[FightingIrish]

Nice photos.  SomeAll assemblies are like VDOT using one piece jobs.

The likelihood of WisDOT contractors making cutouts is next to nil now - even for single Interstate routes.

I meant some out of his photo collection.

The I-43/894 center line assemblies all remain likely from when Interstate 43 was extended southwest from Milwaukee. They do seem redundant today, but at least they are cutouts, which as Scott wrote, are never used in new assemblies now.

I'm guessing the center assemblies will eventually be replaced. Looks like they're doing a task at a time, with shoulder assemblies first. Next would be center, overhead and intersecting streets, in whatever order they see fit.

I have seen one new center assembly (41/41/45), at the Watertown Plank Road Interchange. For some reason, it's covered.

I'm sure the overrouting is to try to minimize confusion. The Bypass has been referred to as I-894 for the last half century. Perhaps eventually 894 will be retired, but the state will probably see no reason to do that. The staggered signing is probably serving a purpose in getting people familiar with I-41.

And I've noticed that many sign assemblies today are made out of plywood, though I've heard of aluminum being used as well.

[FightingIrish]

Oh, and for those curious about the experimental orange lane markings in the Zoo Interchange construction zone, check out the last two pics on the Flickr page.

[Henry]

I'm sure that the I-41/I-43 concurrency will be deja vu to those who have driven I-77/I-81 in VA.

[The Ghostbuster]

Although they will probably not renumber the exits from the Zoo Interchange north, if they wanted to make it purely by mileage from the Illinois border, the exits would have to be increased by 5. Following the route of Interstate/US 41 from the state border to the Zoo interchange is 43 miles, though the exit sequence of the Zoo Freeway is that of US 45 and maybe the Zoo Interchange is 38 miles from where US 45 enters Wisconsin.

[Milwaukee, WY]

good.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/sets/72157654438187278

A few photos of I-41's markings in greater Milwaukee are captured in the above Flickr Album.  The two Wrong-Way Concurrency markings are below along with the old median shields on the left.





Click images to visit their Flickr homes

Excellent job on your Flickr album.  Those are great pictures.

I wasn't aware Wisconsin used Freeway Entrance signs, though there was one in your album.  Is that a recent thing they started doing?

They started showing up around Milwaukee within the past couple years. They tend to be in areas where entrances and exits are nearby on surface streets, to reduce confusion. (We have had a rash of wrong way drivers around the metro area in recent years, and my guess is this is one way of trying to reduce those).

Fixed quote. - rmf67

[peterj920]

good.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/sets/72157654438187278

A few photos of I-41's markings in greater Milwaukee are captured in the above Flickr Album.  The two Wrong-Way Concurrency markings are below along with the old median shields on the left.





Click images to visit their Flickr homes

Excellent job on your Flickr album.  Those are great pictures.

I wasn't aware Wisconsin used Freeway Entrance signs, though there was one in your album.  Is that a recent thing they started doing?

They started showing up around Milwaukee within the past couple years. They tend to be in areas where entrances and exits are nearby on surface streets, to reduce confusion. (We have had a rash of wrong way drivers around the metro area in recent years, and my guess is this is one way of trying to reduce those).

Fixed quote. - rmf67

The ramp in the picture with the Freeway Entrance sign used to be a frontage road.  Most of the entrance/exit ramps on I-94 south of Milwaukee were scissors ramps that tied into the frontage roads, similar to ramps on many Texas freeways.  In the last few years, the frontage roads were realigned so the exit and entrance ramps were separated from the frontage roads.  I've only seen the freeway entrance signs on that stretch and it's to remind drivers of the new configuration. 

[SSOWorld]

I don't see Wisconsin using Freeway Entrance signs as religiously as California or Nevada would.  as peterj920 points out, the ramps in Racine and Kenosha counties were previously "scissor" ramps that served both the frontage roads and the ramps.  These have all been removed and the frontage road crossings pulled away from the ramps.  The signs tell the familiar driver that if they want the frontage road, they better not turn here.

tl:dr - the signs are to disambiguate.

[ajlynch91]

I saw one Freeway Entrance sign in downstate Illinois somewhere entering I-55 south of Springfield...are those common downstate? I've not seen one in District 1 nor anywhere for the Tollway.

[Alex]

I saw one Freeway Entrance sign in downstate Illinois somewhere entering I-55 south of Springfield...are those common downstate? I've not seen one in District 1 nor anywhere for the Tollway.

There are some along Interstate 72. Minnesota uses a few as well, such as one at the southbound beginning of I-35.

</freeway entrance signs>

[Rothman]

I saw one Freeway Entrance sign in downstate Illinois somewhere entering I-55 south of Springfield...are those common downstate? I've not seen one in District 1 nor anywhere for the Tollway.

There are some along Interstate 72. Minnesota uses a few as well, such as one at the southbound beginning of I-35.

</freeway entrance signs>

Aren't there a few around I-494/I-694 as well?

[Molandfreak]

Every entrance ramp in MN has one of those signs.


iPhone

[SSOWorld]

Every entrance ramp in MN has one of those signs.


iPhone

You sure?  I have seen some without.

EDIT: might have been due to construction though.

[Molandfreak]

Every entrance ramp in MN has one of those signs.


iPhone

You sure?  I have seen some without.

You mean the ones that say "freeway entrance: emergency stopping only; bicycles, pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles prohibited?" Every single Interstate/freeway has those.


iPhone

[Rothman]

Every entrance ramp in MN has one of those signs.


iPhone

Every entrance ramp in MN has one of those signs.


iPhone

You sure?  I have seen some without.

You mean the ones that say "freeway entrance: emergency stopping only; bicycles, pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles prohibited?" Every single Interstate/freeway has those.


iPhone

No.  I believe we are talking about the SGSes that just say "FREEWAY ENTRANCE," white-on-green.

Plus, I can show you on ramps around here that don't have the emergency stopping warning posted on them.

[Henry]

I saw one Freeway Entrance sign in downstate Illinois somewhere entering I-55 south of Springfield...are those common downstate? I've not seen one in District 1 nor anywhere for the Tollway.

I just assumed the rest of the state would call them "Expressways" like Chicago does. Then again, I'm not that familiar with the downstate area, so I would not know for sure.

I saw one Freeway Entrance sign in downstate Illinois somewhere entering I-55 south of Springfield...are those common downstate? I've not seen one in District 1 nor anywhere for the Tollway.

There are some along Interstate 72. Minnesota uses a few as well, such as one at the southbound beginning of I-35.

</freeway entrance signs>

...although this is certainly a start.

[noelbotevera]

How many miles of signage have I-41 shields? Right now the most I can see are in Milwaukee County.