While we're starting to get our ducks in a row for the 2010 Roads Meet season, I'm in the process of preliminary planning for the annual Ohio Roads Meet. This year's destination: the Akron-Canton vicinity. The tentative date for the meet is Saturday, 5/08. There are a few great places in the area of the Whipple Rd./Everhard Rd. interchange off of I-77 that I'm looking at for our meet-and-greet. Stay tuned for more details as the event draws closer, but if you have any suggestions for the tour, please post them here.
Awesome! At this point, I am planning to attend this one. :)
-A.J. from Michigan
I recommend taking the group photo on OH 59 Innerbelt. No traffic to worry about.
Details on the tour will be forthcoming, but the 2010 Ohio Roads Meet is otherwise set:
WHAT: Akron-Canton, OH Roads Meet
WHEN: Saturday, 5/08/2010 @ 12:00 PM
WHERE:
Don Pablo's
6476 Strip Ave. NW (SW quadrant of I-77/Portage Ave. interchange, Exit 111)
North Canton, OH 44720
We'll be gathering at 12:00 PM for the meet-and-greet, and then venture out to check out the Akron Interbelt, OH 8 and a number of other road projects & sights of note throughout the Akron-Canton vicinity. Again, details will be coming soon on the tour.
If you'd be interested in attending, please post here, or e-mail me at dan#gribblenation.net ("#" to "@") by Thursday, 5/06, so I can gather a headcount for the restaurant. Thanks everyone, and we hope to see you out at the Akron-Canton Roads Meet!
My intent is to attend, but won't be able to confirm for sure until the date draws closer. Trying to decide if I want to do I-77 up and I-71 back, or vice versa.
I believe I'll be able to make it.
Are you certain that the restaurant is actually open?
Quote from: DanTheMan414 on April 08, 2010, 11:35:24 AM
Details on the tour will be forthcoming, but the 2010 Ohio Roads Meet is otherwise set:
WHAT: Akron-Canton, OH Roads Meet
WHEN: Saturday, 5/08/2010 @ 12:00 PM
WHERE:
Don Pablo's
6476 Strip Ave. NW (SW quadrant of I-77/Portage Ave. interchange, Exit 111)
North Canton, OH 44720
We'll be gathering at 12:00 PM for the meet-and-greet, and then venture out to check out the Akron Interbelt, OH 8 and a number of other road projects & sights of note throughout the Akron-Canton vicinity. Again, details will be coming soon on the tour.
If you'd be interested in attending, please post here, or e-mail me at dan#gribblenation.net ("#" to "@") by Thursday, 5/06, so I can gather a headcount for the restaurant. Thanks everyone, and we hope to see you out at the Akron-Canton Roads Meet!
Quote from: CanesFan27 on April 14, 2010, 12:48:27 PM
Are you certain that the restaurant is actually open?
We're good to go for Don Pablo's.
I was planning on going, only to find out that I have an unavoidable family conflict. Sorry. :-/ Hopefully my schedule will cooperate at some point this summer.
I'm considering going. Though at only 2 weeks out, I'm not sure if I can get all my ducks in a row.
But, it might be nice to roam around my old stomping grounds.
Points of interest for me:
1) OH 8 freeway conversion Boston Heights (OH 303) to I-271
2) Revamped I-71/I-76/US 224 interchange
3) This is a bit older, but I'd like to study it up close, the direct connection between I-77 and the Turnpike.
P. S. I might have gone to Baltimore too, but in past years, tax time was time I was needed at work.
I managed to snag a bunch of stuff earlier this week for the Kentucky care packages I've been bringing to these meetings. Got some stuff from FHWA, some contractors, and other agencies. These items, and the 2010 Kentucky maps, hopefully will be unveiled at the Canton meet.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 22, 2010, 11:29:18 PM
I managed to snag a bunch of stuff earlier this week for the Kentucky care packages I've been bringing to these meetings. Got some stuff from FHWA, some contractors, and other agencies. These items, and the 2010 Kentucky maps, hopefully will be unveiled at the Canton meet.
Man, I'm going to have to make sure to get to a road meet sometime soon to upgrade from my 2009 Kentucky care package. :D
Dan, let me know how many you expect to attend so I know how much stuff to bring.
I was looking forward to a Kentucky Care Package at the Baltimore meet... I currently don't have plans to go to Akron though. (Sorry, Dan. It's still Ohio.)
Wish I could make it guys, but I'll be in Vegas over this upcoming weekend. Have fun and take some good pics!
H.B.: We've got 8-10 right now. I'll give you a final RSVP count on Thursday.
For any of you still interested in joining us for the Akron-Canton meet but haven't RSVP'd yet, if possible please either post here or message me by Thursday evening, and I can confirm that number to the restaurant.
The tour is going to include progress of the I-71/76 interchange; the widening of I-77 through the Canton vicinity; the stub end of the US 30 freeway in East Canton; the Akron Innerbelt (OH 59); and progress of the OH 8 freeway construction north of the Turnpike.
Thanks. We hope to see some of you in the Akron-Canton area this coming Saturday!
I won't be attending this meet, but keep in mind that if anyone at the meet thinks out loud that new signs are better than old signs, they can be admitted to one of the SummaCare hospitals in the Summa Health Network, which are conveniently located around Akron.
Quote from: dougtone on May 04, 2010, 05:54:25 PM
I won't be attending this meet, but keep in mind that if anyone at the meet thinks out loud that new signs are better than old signs, they can be admitted to one of the SummaCare hospitals in the Summa Health Network, which are conveniently located around Akron.
That's probably the real reason that I'm not going....fear for my life as the single supporter of Clearview :sombrero:
Quote from: dougtone on May 04, 2010, 05:54:25 PM
I won't be attending this meet, but keep in mind that if anyone at the meet thinks out loud that new signs are better than old signs, they can be admitted to one of the SummaCare hospitals in the Summa Health Network, which are conveniently located around Akron.
the old signs, on the other hand, can be relocated to the Summa Home for Retired Highway Signs, in Virginia.
Despite the weather, the meet was a fun time and a great chance to meet up with people. My route out there was a rather convoluted attempt to find something new - I-84 to US 6, PA 434 to PA 590 (clinch a new route), PA 435 to 502 (another new route), US 11 SB to PA 92 NB to US 6 west and right onto PA 87, PA 187 (to clinch) into NY 282 (same), NY 17 to NY 427 (clinch), NY 328 (clinch), PA 328 (clinch), PA 49 (clinch), PA 44 to PA 872, PA 607 (clinch) to 155 north, 446 south to 46 south, US 6 to PA 59 (clinch). When I got back to US 62, I headed north to clinch PA 69 and saw Busti, NY (there's a joke in there somewhere), then came back to US 62 all the way out to Canton to add some more mileage.
Before the meet, AJ and I took an enjoyable spin around Canton, stopping downtown for some urban exploration that was well worth it. For the meet itself, ten people total showed up for lunch. Marc Fannin had to leave without taking the tour, so the other 9 were Dan Garnell, Ed/Shari Szuba, myself, Sandor Gulyas, AJ Bertin, Mike B.(last name?), HB Elkins, and Gene Van D. I checked my photo, and thanks Sandor for the rabbit ears... The tour headed south on I-77 to the eastern stub end of the US 30 freeway. Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily, there was no good vantage point from outside the interchange, and Dan was wary of having us all stop on the stub itself. (Not like we'd have wanted to get out in the rain.) We went back out to I-77 and turned north to Akron, driving I-277 in its entirety for anyone who had not been to that city, and continued west on I-76 to the newly rebuilt I-71 double trumpet interchange. We took a pit stop there, some people took photos, and the tour went up I-271 to OH 8 and back down to OH 59. That gave us a chance to see the ongoing reconstruction of OH 8 into a freeway between I-271 and I-80 (Turnpike), and those who had not been to Akron got to experience the glory of the nearly abandoned Innerbelt (basically no one uses this freeway - you could have a picnic in the center lane). The meet returned to Don Pablo's, where we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I headed down the Lincoln Highway to OH 7 NB to stay the night in Youngstown. Along the way, I found a faded L marker in red white and blue, painted on a telephone pole. I have reasonable suspicion it's original... !!
The next day, my trip back focused on old highways. I went back down OH 11 to US 30, tootled about northern WV picking up WV 8 and 86 as clinches and adding to my 2 and 88 mileage, then went out of town on US 40 all the way out to Baltimore. When 40 was on I-68 and I-70, I followed Alt 40, Scenic 40, or 144, all designations applied to the old highway. From Baltimore, I pretty much went the standard way back home, avoiding I-95 (I-83, US 30, US 222, I-78) but with one twist - from US 222 I took PA 662 to PA 143 (to clinch), PA 309 to PA 100 (add mileage), and then for a change of pace I took the US 22 freeway so as not to contend with trucks. I love those Easton curves.
Look forward to seeing more people in Philly!
It was with a heavy heart that I made the trip north to Canton for Saturday's meet. Just a few hours prior to my departure, I buried my father. He had died on Wednesday morning, but I decided that sticking with my plans to attend the meet would be therapeutic and help my grieving process. I did alter my travel plans, however, using Parkersburg, WV as a base of operations for Friday and Saturday nights.
Nothing unusual on the route to Charleston (opted for US 23 north as opposed to KY 7) but there is lots of bridge construction on I-64 in West Virginia. Traffic was smooth sailing eastbound through the work zones, but the westbound lanes were a parking lot in several places. My intent was to drive north on old US 21 from Charleston, and I set out on that course by exiting I-64 at Montrose Avenue, crossing the Kanawha on US 60, and then heading up County 21. However, darkness started creeping up on me due to a late start, so I abandoned the quest at WV 34 and took I-77 on north to Parkersburg, where I got a room for two nights.
Saturday morning the cold front had passed, and the temp of nearly 90 degrees the previous day had given way to a chilly mercury reading of the high 40s to low 50s. My motel was over on WV 14 right at the city limits of Parkersburg and Vienna, so I took WV 68 (old WV 2) over to I-77 and headed north. Noted some Clearview just south of New Philadelphia.
Steve did a pretty good job of recapping the meet. When it broke up, I headed south on I-77 and exited at WV 14 in Williamstown and took that route to my room.
Sunday morning dawned sunny, if cool, and I set out on my quest to drive old US 21 since I was already on a part of that route. Pavement quality ranges from smooth as a baby's butt to moon crater rough. The route is pretty well signed and some of the alignments have been reconfigured in places where the interstate runs nearby. The drive took me about an hour and 45 minutes from the Vienna/Parkersburg line to US 60 in Charleston, so the interstate definitely saves time. Once I got to Charleston I took WV 25 through Dunbar (noting that the new I-64 eastbound bridge looks to be complete) and got on I-64 west via WV 622 at the Cross Lanes exit.
The construction zones were the opposite of what I encountered Friday afternoon. Westbound traffic was smooth sailing while eastbound was at a standstill. On the way home I opted for the KY 7 route south of I-64 so I could check on the I-64 rehab project between the US 23 and KY 180 Ashland exits.
Despite Saturday's crappy weather, it was a good meet and much needed for my frame of mind and my broken heart. I'm sad that I won't get to tell my father about this latest trip, but I'm sure he was riding along with me for this one.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
For the meet itself, ten people total showed up for lunch. Marc Fannin had to leave without taking the tour, so the other 9 were Dan Garnell, Ed/Shari Szuba, myself, Sandor Gulyas, AJ Bertin, Mike B.(last name?), HB Elkins, and Gene Van D. I checked my photo, and thanks Sandor for the rabbit ears...
You were beneith my hand. I had no choice. :-D
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
The tour headed south on I-77 to the eastern stub end of the US 33 freeway.
Errr, US 30 freeway. :colorful:
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily, there was no good vantage point from outside the interchange, and Dan was wary of having us all stop on the stub itself. (Not like we'd have wanted to get out in the rain.) We went back out to I-77 and turned north to Akron, driving I-277 in its entirety for anyone who had not been to that city, and continued west on I-76 to the newly rebuilt I-71 double trumpet interchange. We took a pit stop there, some people took photos, and the tour went up I-271 to OH 8 and back down to OH 59. That gave us a chance to see the ongoing reconstruction of OH 8 into a freeway between I-271 and I-80 (Turnpike), and those who had not been to Akron got to experience the glory of the nearly abandoned Innerbelt (basically no one uses this freeway - you could have a picnic in the center lane).
The emptyness of Oh 59 even stunned me. AJ and Gene got to listen to my comments about that.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
The meet returned to Don Pablo's, where we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I headed down the Lincoln Highway to OH 7 NB to stay the night in Youngstown. Along the way, I found a faded L marker in red white and blue, painted on a telephone pole. I have reasonable suspicion it's original... !!
I'm more doubtful that the paint job is original If that telephone pole was along US 30 than along one of the older (now county designated) routings of the Lincoln Highway. Mind you the Ohio Lincoln Highway folks have put in much time and effort in marking the Lincoln Highway in the last 10-15 years.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
The next day, my trip back focused on old highways. I went back down OH 11 to US 30, tootled about northern WV picking up WV 8 and 86 as clinches and adding to my 2 and 88 mileage, then went out of town on US 40 all the way out to Baltimore. When 40 was on I-68 and I-70, I followed Alt 40, Scenic 40, or 144, all designations applied to the old highway. From Baltimore, I pretty much went the standard way back home, avoiding I-95 (I-83, US 30, US 222, I-78) but with one twist - from US 222 I took PA 662 to PA 143 (to clinch), PA 309 to PA 100 (add mileage), and then for a change of pace I took the US 22 freeway so as not to contend with trucks. I love those Easton curves.
It was nice to meet you, Gene, Mike, and AJ for the first time and seeing Dan, HB and Mark again. I was surprised that our trip went about 150 miles. I'd figure it would be half that.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on March 13, 2010, 05:30:26 PM
I recommend taking the group photo on OH 59 Innerbelt. No traffic to worry about.
If it wasn't for the weather we should have done this.
Despite the weather, indeed, it was an awesome time. Thanks to everyone for coming out to the meet. It was great to meet Gene for the first time, and catch up with Steve, H.B., Ed, Shari, Marc, Sandor, Mike & A.J. again.
Steve recapped the meeting nicely. Overall, I was especially impressed by the progress of the OH 8 freeway construction from just south of I-80 up to I-271. The direct freeway tie-in of OH 8 to I-271 is complete, and work is in progress now on the new OH 8 interchange with I-80/Ohio Turnpike, along with filling in remaining freeway gap on either side of the Turnpike. I, too, was rather surprised by the lack of use the OH 59/Akron Innerbelt sees.
I've got the group photo from the Akron-Canton Meet up on the GribbleNation Meetings page:
http://www.gribblenation.net/meetings/akron_canton.html
Quote from: osu-lsu on May 10, 2010, 11:28:25 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
The meet returned to Don Pablo's, where we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I headed down the Lincoln Highway to OH 7 NB to stay the night in Youngstown. Along the way, I found a faded L marker in red white and blue, painted on a telephone pole. I have reasonable suspicion it's original... !!
I'm more doubtful that the paint job is original If that telephone pole was along US 30 than along one of the older (now county designated) routings of the Lincoln Highway. Mind you the Ohio Lincoln Highway folks have put in much time and effort in marking the Lincoln Highway in the last 10-15 years.
It was in front of a church on OH 172 east of town. Judging from the style of the "L" and the faded nature of the paint, it is absolutely not any recent effort. Whether it was repainted in the 50s-60s or left original, that I can't answer.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 11, 2010, 08:19:07 PM
It was in front of a church on OH 172 east of town. Judging from the style of the "L" and the faded nature of the paint, it is absolutely not any recent effort. Whether it was repainted in the 50s-60s or left original, that I can't answer.
can you upload a photo real fast? or email it to me?
there are definitely some 1928 concrete Lincoln Highway pillars left out there, and there is the state line sign from 1917 between NJ and Penna, so it is not out of the question for an old relic to survive!
As soon as these get off my camera. Which will likely be tomorrow.
I really enjoyed this meet, despite the rainy and chilly weather. My time in the morning with Steve before the meet was great, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to explore downtown Canton a bit. It was nice getting to know everyone, and it worked out very well that there were three legs of the tour and I got to ride in a different car for each leg. (I love doing that at meets because it mixes things up and allows for the opportunity to get to talk to different people.) It was great to meet Marc, Sandor, Gene, Ed, and Shari for the first time and also see Steve, Dan, H.B., and Mike again.
After the meet was over, I left Canton and headed up toward Akron because I wanted to drive along OH-59 again and snap a photo of the Akron skyline. I was taken aback by the fact that there is no direct connection from northbound I-77/westbound I-76 to the OH-59 freeway. I wondered why that was the case. I got off the freeway, drove around downtown Akron a bit, and then hopped back on northbound I-77 toward Cleveland. The sun was out by the time I arrived in the downtown Cleveland area at the northern terminus of I-77. I had a bit of a scary experience, though, when I almost lost control of my car on a curve as I was trying to figure out at the last second which lane I needed to be in to hop on I-90 east. The road was wet and curvy, and because of the glare of the sun it was hard for me to initially figure out which lane I needed until the last minute. My heart was racing for a second but everything was okay.
My original plan was to take OH-2 all the way from Cleveland to Toledo and then up to metro Detroit. I drove on "dead man's curve" on I-90 and then immediately got off at OH-2 west, drove through Lakewood, and eventually made it to the I-90/OH-2 freeway on the other side of the city. I was really debating whether I still wanted to exit I-90 and continue on OH-2 but ultimately decided just to use the Turnpike instead. After all, it was already 8:00 and was starting to get dark. Plus it was rainy, and I knew I probably wouldn't have enjoyed OH-2 all that much in the wet darkness. Besides, I wanted to get to my brother's house in Auburn Hills (northwest of Detroit) as quickly as possible. I knew that my drive would have slowed down quite a bit when the OH-2 freeway turns into a two-lane highway.
All in all, it was a great meet. Thanks to Dan for hosting and to everyone else for attending! :biggrin:
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 11, 2010, 08:19:07 PM
Quote from: osu-lsu on May 10, 2010, 11:28:25 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 10, 2010, 07:27:44 PM
The meet returned to Don Pablo's, where we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I headed down the Lincoln Highway to OH 7 NB to stay the night in Youngstown. Along the way, I found a faded L marker in red white and blue, painted on a telephone pole. I have reasonable suspicion it's original... !!
I'm more doubtful that the paint job is original If that telephone pole was along US 30 than along one of the older (now county designated) routings of the Lincoln Highway. Mind you the Ohio Lincoln Highway folks have put in much time and effort in marking the Lincoln Highway in the last 10-15 years.
It was in front of a church on OH 172 east of town. Judging from the style of the "L" and the faded nature of the paint, it is absolutely not any recent effort. Whether it was repainted in the 50s-60s or left original, that I can't answer.
Oh 172 between Canton and East Canton, or east of East Canton?
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 11, 2010, 08:20:50 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on May 11, 2010, 08:19:07 PM
It was in front of a church on OH 172 east of town. Judging from the style of the "L" and the faded nature of the paint, it is absolutely not any recent effort. Whether it was repainted in the 50s-60s or left original, that I can't answer.
can you upload a photo real fast? or email it to me?
there are definitely some 1928 concrete Lincoln Highway pillars left out there, and there is the state line sign from 1917 between NJ and Penna, so it is not out of the question for an old relic to survive!
I don't question the concrete posts. When the National Park Service did an analysis of the Lincoln Hwy, they had the Geography dept. at Univ. of Penn. at Indiana do an invertory of "historical signifcant monuments," including the concrete posts, across the LH from NYC to San Fran.
JUST now getting around to these photos. Couple of questions:
1) Market St. in downtown Canton. Is that original US 21? Because OH 21 now goes well to the west. If not, just what is it?
2) I took a photo of a white Canton Corporation Limit sign a couple of minutes from Exit 109. Is/was that on Main St. entering Canton from the north side? (I think so) That'd be the same old route as #1.
3) Somewhere on my route that morning, east of Canton, I passed on a back road an old Soap Box Derby sign - large, wooden, US-shield shaped, painted red, white, blue, by a steel pony truss bridge. What road was I on?
Quote from: Steve on June 29, 2011, 11:01:40 PM
JUST now getting around to these photos. Couple of questions:
1) Market St. in downtown Canton. Is that original US 21? Because OH 21 now goes well to the west. If not, just what is it?
my 1942 RMN shows US-21 on what appears to be the same alignment as OH-21 is on now. We have OH-8, OH-43 (both north-south), US-30 (E-W) and US-62 (can't tell - it's heavily NE-SW around the outskirts) passing through the center of town. The resolution is of course nowhere near enough to pinpoint which street, but my guess is Market St. is likely 43, and possibly 8, but I believe 8 is Main Street.
Quote2) I took a photo of a white Canton Corporation Limit sign a couple of minutes from Exit 109. Is/was that on Main St. entering Canton from the north side? (I think so) That'd be the same old route as #1.
that is likely (again, to within accuracy of this very wide-scale US atlas) OH-8 on my 1942 map. There was a white sign on Main St. in Feb 2010; likely we refer to the same one.
Quote3) Somewhere on my route that morning, east of Canton, I passed on a back road an old Soap Box Derby sign - large, wooden, US-shield shaped, painted red, white, blue, by a steel pony truss bridge. What road was I on?
no idea. I'd like to see a photo of that, though.
did you find the 36" I-77 trailblazer? alas, no state name. I didn't find any state-named shields during my scouring of I-77 in Feb 2010.
US 21 never went through Canton, nor Akron for that matter.
http://www.roadfan.com/1931n.jpg (http://www.roadfan.com/1931n.jpg)
http://www.roadfan.com/1962n.jpg (http://www.roadfan.com/1962n.jpg)
(Cyan colored line on the 1962 map shows the original US 21 routing)
Oh 8 followed Cleveland Ave. (and Main Street north of the corp line) through Canton. Not sure which route (if any) followed Market St.
Dunno the location of your Soap Box Derby sign. The Soap Box Derby itself is held in Akron, east of the Akron Airport.
http://www.roadfan.com/oldus21.html
Old 8, thanks, that's what I was looking for. The soap box derby sign is on Broadway Ave. south of OH 153 in Fairhope, just past the railroad tracks and before the truss bridge. Google has it. Zoom in from http://maps.google.com/maps?q=waterloo+ave&hl=en&ll=40.822513,-81.295738&spn=0.062743,0.131836&sll=41.039064,-81.506023&sspn=0.007736,0.016479&z=13
And the page is up - www.alpsroads.net/roads/oh/akron