What states still use demountable copy for BGSs?

[Mergingtraffic]

I know CT still does, even though the above photo is from MA.

[hbelkins]

Kentucky does. Pretty sure that West Virginia does as well.

If a state uses greenout (I'm looking at you, Pennsylvania) then that's a tell-tale sign it does not use demountable copy. When I-376 was extended over I-279 and PA 60, Pennsylvania had to put greenout I-376 markers over the existing markers. If it had been Kentucky, those markers would have been removed and new markers riveted on without the need for greenout.

[Scott5114]

Kansas has phased theirs out, which is sad, because it was offset enough from the background that you could easily see the raised letters when passing by.

[PHLBOS]

I know CT still does, even though the above photo is from MA.

You might want to look a tad closer to your MA example (dated circa the early-to-mid 1990s); I could be mistaken but I don't believe those letters are demountable.
Edit: I didn't think that MassHighway was still using demountable copy that late (1997).

IIRC, the then-MassDPW phased started to phase out demountable sometime during the mid-to-late 1980s.  The first BGS' I saw in the Bay State that were not demountable were the ones erected in Peabody along both I-95 & MA 128 near/at their respective interchange.  The original 1987-1988 vintage approach BGS' for Lowell St. (Exit 26) along MA 128 northbound (mounted on the Forest St. overpass) initially read EXIT 26 Lowell St. Peabody-Lynn 1/2 MILE which matched the older 1976-vintage BGS along MA 128 southbound.  Shortly thereafter, Salem placards were placed over the Lynn lettering on the newer northbound signage and the old southbound signage (which was demountable copy_ simply had its Lynn removed but nothing put in its place.  These BGS were all replace sometime around 2009.

During the early 90s, many but not all of the BGS' that listed NH-Maine for I-95 northbound in that vicinity simply had Portsmouth NH masked over the older legend.

See all those BGS with revised/masked legends were an indicator that MA was no longer using demountable copy... at least not in that district.  Roadman can add to/correct/confirm the above.

[SidS1045]

You might want to look a tad closer to your MA example (dated circa the early-to-mid 1990s); I could be mistaken but I don't believe those letters are demountable.

Yes, you're mistaken.  With enough magnification on the picture, you can definitely see the fasteners on each letter.

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Are we considering non direct application as demountable copy? If so, Arkansas has standards for it. I'd have to ask or go out and look for some examples.

Here are the drawings:
https://www.arkansashighways.com/roadway_design_division/usunits/71-shs-6.pdf

[roadman]

Massachusetts specifications still call for the use of demountable copy on extruded aluminum BGS panels, also for numerals for Interstate shields applied to overhead BGS panels (these numerals used to be button copy).  However, MassDOT has recently begun allowing fabricators to substitute directed applied copy for legends on newer sign projects.  Until the current specifications are changed to permit this option, the use of direct applied copy has to be specifically requested by the fabricator, and is then reviewed on a case by case basis.

[roadman]

If a state uses greenout (I'm looking at you, Pennsylvania) then that's a tell-tale sign it does not use demountable copy.

Not necessarily.  Greenout, or new legend on overlay panels, is often used in demountable copy states because it's often easier to fabricate an overlay off-site and install it on the sign - especially an overhead BGS - than it is to remove and replace the individual letters, which would normally require the sign be removed and brought back to the shop for revisions.  Also, unless the sign has been in place for a relatively short time (usually 6 to 8 months), removal of the old letters results in a "shadowing" effect on the background sheeting - even if new individual letters are installed over where the old legend was.

As an example, Norwood Hospital, which is south of Boston, had signs installed on I-95 that originally read Caritias Norwood Hospital.  When the hospital was sold, the Caritias portion of the name was removed from the signs.  However, at night, you can still see the outline of the Caritias name on the signs due to this shadowing effect.

[PHLBOS]

You might want to look a tad closer to your MA example (dated circa the early-to-mid 1990s); I could be mistaken but I don't believe those letters are demountable
Edit: I didn't think that MassHighway was still using demountable copy that late (1997).

Yes, you're mistaken.  With enough magnification on the picture, you can definitely see the fasteners on each letter.

Noted and previous post has been edited accordingly per above.

If a state uses greenout (I'm looking at you, Pennsylvania) then that's a tell-tale sign it does not use demountable copy. When I-376 was extended over I-279 and PA 60, Pennsylvania had to put greenout I-376 markers over the existing markers. If it had been Kentucky, those markers would have been removed and new markers riveted on without the need for greenout.

For lettering, I don't believe that PennDOT or the PTC ever used demountable copy.  Both agencies went straight from button-copy to direct-applied-copy, at least for lettering sometime during the late 1980s/early 1990s.

[Pink Jazz]

I think Arizona still uses demountable copy.

[Bitmapped]

West Virginia does, at least on state-manufactured panels. I'm not 100% sure about the contractor-made ones. When street names changed along the US 50 corridor after a contractor-installed signage replacement, DOH installed full new panels but that may be a case where the new legend didn't fit the existing sign. I've not seen WVDOH use green-out.

[oscar]

Georgia might. On NB I-95, I saw a BBS with one of the three destinations (I think for a museum at Ft. Stewart) removed. The letters for that destination looked demounted, rather than covered with brown-out, because of the sharp shadow under the demounted letters compared to the sun-faded sign background.