Route numbers stamped into bridges

[mcdonaat]

Around my own state (Louisiana), many of the older bridges have the highway number stamped into the bridge, especially those built along major highways. This really helps when locating older highways, as the route numbers changed in 1955, so many of the route numbers are different than the highway signs say. I've attached a few photos below... is this just a Louisiana thing, or is it a national thing too?


State Route 200 (current LA 34)


State Route No. 152, current LA 19


State Route No. 13, current LA 546


And last, but definitely not least, US 80

Hopefully this isn't just Louisiana, since it makes it so much easier to find older alignments of highways.

Link to a US 90 bridge, recently refurbished - http://g.co/maps/3myr5

[SteveG1988]

NJ used to do this as well.

Photo From Steve Alps: Former NJ44, now US130

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

I have also seen this on a bridge along LA 300 (old LA 63) near Delacroix and the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge.

[mcdonaat]

I have also seen this on a bridge along LA 300 (old LA 63) near Delacroix and the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge.

Any chance you can take a snapshot of it? I'm personally trying to document all of the old highway stamps that I can in the state, have about 35 routes so far

[roadman65]

The Florida Turnpike overpass over US 17, 92, & 441 has the FL TPK Enterprise shield stamped into it.  This is a new structure that was just built in 05 when the Turnpike was widened.

Also, TOLL FL 408 shields are inscribed in the modified bridges over the streets and roadways of Orlando since it was widened in various stages over the past ten years. Some parts are still under construction like the area around the FL 408 and FL 417 interchange replacing some of the movements of the interchange with new flyovers.  I am guessing that these will have them inscripted into them as well or have already if not.

[US71]

Around my own state (Louisiana), many of the older bridges have the highway number stamped into the bridge, especially those built along major highways. This really helps when locating older highways, as the route numbers changed in 1955, so many of the route numbers are different than the highway signs say. I've attached a few photos below... is this just a Louisiana thing, or is it a national thing too?

It must be a state option: Arkansas and Missouri do not, to my knowledge.

But here are some more Louisiana shots:


Baton Rouge


US 11 near Slidell


Near Pineville

[agentsteel53]

But here are some more Louisiana shots:
[US-61 photo]

does that U/S/61 have holes for cateyes???

[US71]

But here are some more Louisiana shots:
[US-61 photo]

does that U/S/61 have holes for cateyes???

Yes.
I need to re-shoot that photo now that I have a better camera (that was taken in 2007, I replaced the camera in '08)

[formulanone]

Florida does it like this on some of their older bridges:


US Route 301 spanning SR 24 and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, in Waldo, Florida; built in 1964.

The newer (I'm guessing around the mid-1970s) bridges generally use some sort of black glass material to fashion the letters, and embed them into the concrete on both sides of the bridge.


Interstate 75 at US Route 27 at the former spot of Andytown, Florida; later demolished for the expansion of US 27.

[agentsteel53]

Yes.
I need to re-shoot that photo now that I have a better camera (that was taken in 2007, I replaced the camera in '08)

fancy.  I'd love to find one with cats intact.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Years ago I saw one on Wisconsin 64 in the western part of the state, on a very old bridge that had the route number in the triangle before the time of more modern signage where the rectangle was superimposed. No photo and I think others have documented old Wisconsin bridge signage.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I have also seen this on a bridge along LA 300 (old LA 63) near Delacroix and the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge.

The old Perkins Road overpass had the year carved into the abutement, not the route number.

[agentsteel53]

Years ago I saw one on Wisconsin 64 in the western part of the state, on a very old bridge that had the route number in the triangle before the time of more modern signage where the rectangle was superimposed. No photo and I think others have documented old Wisconsin bridge signage.

I have seen another like it, and I believe it is an 11. 

there is also this stone marker in Baraboo which survives to the present day.

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19180121&search=12

[florida]

I do believe that FL also does things like "Interstate Route ##" or "Interstate ##" on some of the older County Route overpasses dated in the 60s.

[mcdonaat]

I like those US 190/61 stamps! The Florida stamps look interesting, since we usually just use both sides, one with the route number, and the other side with the railroad or creek or river. Our Interstate highways have the route stamped as I-XX, at least if it's pre-1965.

If anyone around Baton Rouge wants to get a good photo, the La 64 bridge across the Amite (old State Route 37) is getting replaced. The crew will let people on the site to take photos... I'd love to, but I'm in NE LA

By the way, Texas also chooses not to. The La 12/Tx 12 bridge across the Sabine has the river name and date on the La side, but the concrete is blank on the Tx side.

[mcdonaat]

By the way, I've included a few more photos at my website. It's just too cumbersome to post all 20+ routes that I have photographed.

If anyone wants to submit a photo or two... I would be happy to credit you to the photo!

http://tinyurl.com/endcaps

The photos are posted in a backwards order, aka the newest photos are first.

[roadman65]

New Jersey on some bridges have the old NJ State Route numbers on the US Highways still marked in the 30s era bridges.  There are few places on US 46 that have NJ STATE ROUTE 6 stamped on the parapet as well as NJ ROUTE 4 along some old bridges over creeks on US 9.  One bridge in Bridgewater, NJ has both Routes 22 and 28 mentioned together there along US 22.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

I have also seen this on a bridge along LA 300 (old LA 63) near Delacroix and the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge.

The old Perkins Road overpass had the year carved into the abutement, not the route number.

"STATE HIGHWAY NO. 275" is stamped onto the abutment on the north end.

[mcdonaat]

I have also seen this on a bridge along LA 300 (old LA 63) near Delacroix and the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge.

The old Perkins Road overpass had the year carved into the abutement, not the route number.

"STATE HIGHWAY NO. 275" is stamped onto the abutment on the north end.

Any way you can email me a photo of it, if you get a chance? I've been in Baton Rouge for a week, JUST left too, and wanted to see for myself.

[D-Dey65]

I do believe that FL also does things like "Interstate Route ##" or "Interstate ##" on some of the older County Route overpasses dated in the 60s.

Not just interstates, and not just for county routes.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hernando-Sumter_CR_476_Bridge;_Cornerstone_Hi-5.JPG

Incidentally, NYSDOT added I-495 stamps to many of the rebuilt bridges of the Long Island Expressway when they were rebuilding it for the HOV Lanes in Medford.

[NE2]

I do believe that FL also does things like "Interstate Route ##" or "Interstate ##" on some of the older County Route overpasses dated in the 60s.

Not just interstates, and not just for county routes.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hernando-Sumter_CR_476_Bridge;_Cornerstone_Hi-5.JPG

Errr, no. This was never SR 5, pre- or post-renumbering. H15 is some sort of bridge loading designation.

[mcdonaat]

Just a quick blurb about the US 61 cateye stamp... I blasted my high beams, and it lit up like a disco ball. The quality of the reflectors leaves me in awe. 1940!!

[agentsteel53]

Just a quick blurb about the US 61 cateye stamp... I blasted my high beams, and it lit up like a disco ball. The quality of the reflectors leaves me in awe. 1940!!

can you get a photo for us please?  even a daylight shot with flash should make it obvious that the cateyes are working.

[bugo]

There used to be a train underpass in Birmingham, Alabama, with an Alabama US 78 shield, cutout style, embossed in the concrete sides of the bridge.  I understand that it's gone now.

[agentsteel53]

There used to be a train underpass in Birmingham, Alabama, with an Alabama US 78 shield, cutout style, embossed in the concrete sides of the bridge.  I understand that it's gone now.

it is.  I have a photo of it from the early 80s.