New TXDOT sign with misspelling in Houston replaced after 3 weeks

[armadillo speedbump]

Spelling error caught on exit sign along I-45

https://www.khou.com/article/traffic/spelling-error-airline-exit-sign-i-45-txdot/285-96e62bba-c4b4-4159-bc2f-ddc2bc56916a

[GreenLanternCorps]

Poor Arline, they took her sign away...

[Bobby5280]

With all the plan sheets and specifications they have to type up, even for the legends on each sheet, it's amazing a spelling goof like that would go unnoticed all the way to installation. The designs and the finished sign itself would pass in front of a lot of eyeballs before getting hoisted by a crane. At least one or more people had to have noticed the mistake, perhaps leading to comments like, "do you think anyone will notice?"

Hopefully the lettering was just cut vinyl. Such lettering can be peeled off the sign background without much problem and replaced with new letters. It's not so easy to do if the panel was printed/screened. Either way, it's a logistical PITA to shut down lanes at a certain time of day or night to fix a mistake.

[Scott5114]

Hopefully the lettering was just cut vinyl. Such lettering can be peeled off the sign background without much problem and replaced with new letters. It's not so easy to do if the panel was printed/screened. Either way, it's a logistical PITA to shut down lanes at a certain time of day or night to fix a mistake.

Except the problem is that a letter is missing, so squeezing in even an "i" there is going to cut into the margin, and that sign appears to have the minimum side margins set by the MUTCD. To do it right means replacing the whole panel.

[Bobby5280]

The "Arline Dr" letters were set in Clearview 5WR. I wouldn't be surprised to see them replace it with "Airline Dr" set in Clearview 4W or 3W just to avoid replacing the entire panel. Or set "Airline Dr" in 5WR and then tighten the letter spacing to make it fit the same space as "Arline Dr." And then there's the hack option of artificially squeezing the letters to fit the space. I've seen ODOT do all of the above here.

[CtrlAltDel]

Did they correct the sign in place? I would have thought they'd have another sign made beforehand, and then switch them out.

[kernals12]

Poor Arline, they took her sign away...

Come on Arline, oh I swear what he means
At this moment, you mean everything
With you in that dress, my thoughts I confess
"Verge on dirty",
Ah come on Arline

[wanderer2575]

It's not a first.  A sign replacement project on I-696 in the late '90s featured signs for "Lasher Rd" in Southfield.  I don't know if the error was with the designs or with the contractor.  Shortly after, they were all replaced with new signs correctly reading "Lahser Rd."  The signs were completely replaced, not simply a patch placed over the two transposed letters.

[GaryV]

It's not a first.  A sign replacement project on I-696 in the late '90s featured signs for "Lasher Rd" in Southfield.  I don't know if the error was with the designs or with the contractor.  Shortly after, they were all replaced with new signs correctly reading "Lahser Rd."  The signs were completely replaced, not simply a patch placed over the two transposed letters.

And don't forget the misspelled "Pavillion" - they took out the extra "l" and re-justified the remaining "ili".

[wanderer2575]

It's not a first.  A sign replacement project on I-696 in the late '90s featured signs for "Lasher Rd" in Southfield.  I don't know if the error was with the designs or with the contractor.  Shortly after, they were all replaced with new signs correctly reading "Lahser Rd."  The signs were completely replaced, not simply a patch placed over the two transposed letters.

And don't forget the misspelled "Pavillion" - they took out the extra "l" and re-justified the remaining "ili".

Yep, I forgot about that.  (Also, they had forgotten to make an advance sign for the westbound Evergreen Road exit.  That was a sloppy project.)

[Road Hog]

On US 377 North in Pilot Point in the mid-aughts I got a picture of a road sign pointing the direction north to "Whitestboro." That picture sadly did not survive.