Black State/Interstate Shields

[Quirksen]

Hello All,

Wondered if anybody has seen these two Black background, white lettered State and Interstate Highway Shields(links below)? These two are located in the Riverside,Ca area just miles from my house. I have not read or seen any State regulations approving of this color combo, so how would the state get reimbursement for the signs?...unless FED provided? and what do they designate? They really had to go out of there way for the Black State shield as the White Shield outline and "60" would just overlay the green sign background, as is typical. And yes I have seen them in person and they are black. TX

http://anationinperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Highway-Signs-001.jpg
http://anationinperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Highway-Signs-0021.jpg

[myosh_tino]

The advance guide sign for I-40 on eastbound northbound I-15 in Barstow also sports a black and white interstate shield.  I thought I posted a photo of it here but I can't find it off-hand.  If I can find the pic, I'll definitely post it here.

[1995hoo]

How about these odd ones that used to be located on 14th Street NW at Madison Drive in DC? They're erroneous all the way around, as obviously the roads in question are US routes (the "DC-US" is a peculiar thing DC has done for years; the second image below is more typical). Frankly I think someone at their DOT was just confused, as at around the same time these showed up they also put up a full-color I-29 shield on a BGS on the E Street Expressway (obviously should have been a US shield as well).

Both pictures from AARoads.com.

[myosh_tino]

The advance guide sign for I-40 on eastbound northbound I-15 in Barstow also sports a black and white interstate shield.  I thought I posted a photo of it here but I can't find it off-hand.  If I can find the pic, I'll definitely post it here.

Found it!

[kkt]

http://anationinperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Highway-Signs-001.jpg

The CA-60 shield looks dark green, not black, to me.  Maybe it's just a couple of shades darker green than it's supposed to be.

[Interstate Trav]

Hello All,

Wondered if anybody has seen these two Black background, white lettered State and Interstate Highway Shields(links below)? These two are located in the Riverside,Ca area just miles from my house. I have not read or seen any State regulations approving of this color combo, so how would the state get reimbursement for the signs?...unless FED provided? and what do they designate? They really had to go out of there way for the Black State shield as the White Shield outline and "60" would just overlay the green sign background, as is typical. And yes I have seen them in person and they are black. TX

http://anationinperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Highway-Signs-001.jpg
http://anationinperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Highway-Signs-0021.jpg

There is one on I-15 North at Barstow Road for I-40 too.  I always thought it was wear on the color on the sign.  I could have swonr that the I-10 one was red and blue at one point.

[myosh_tino]

There is one on I-15 North at Barstow Road for I-40 too.  I always thought it was wear on the color on the sign.  I could have swonr that the I-10 one was red and blue at one point.

Yep, I posted a photo of it in my last post.  (Just noticed that I said "eastbound I-15" when it should have been "northbound I-15"...  )

Anyways, I don't think this shield was ever red and blue.  Typically the colors on the shield tend to fade rather than turn black.

[Quirksen]

Thanks for all of the responses.......does anybody want to speculate on why these shields are Black instead of Green? Like I said, I've seen them in person(Definitely Black) and at least one of the source photos was seen on Google Maps as previously being Green....and that's 3? East or West Shields but no North or South yet?........ Thanks y'all

[Alps]

Thanks for all of the responses.......does anybody want to speculate on why these shields are Black instead of Green? Like I said, I've seen them in person(Definitely Black) and at least one of the source photos was seen on Google Maps as previously being Green....and that's 3? East or West Shields but no North or South yet?........ Thanks y'all

Well, plans are in black and white. I have no idea how a sign manufacturer wouldn't know that Interstate shields are red and blue, but when you see the plans and you're that stupid, you just copy what's on there without reading the colors. That really takes a special kind of stupid, though, but then again look at some of the other errors we've been seeing, especially lately.

[kkt]

Thanks for all of the responses.......does anybody want to speculate on why these shields are Black instead of Green? Like I said, I've seen them in person(Definitely Black) and at least one of the source photos was seen on Google Maps as previously being Green....and that's 3? East or West Shields but no North or South yet?........ Thanks y'all

Was there a convention at one time that the full colored shields would only appear on the route itself, and the "to" route markers would be in black and white?  Or maybe it was a way to save money putting two additional colors on the sign.

[deathtopumpkins]

Thanks for all of the responses.......does anybody want to speculate on why these shields are Black instead of Green? Like I said, I've seen them in person(Definitely Black) and at least one of the source photos was seen on Google Maps as previously being Green....and that's 3? East or West Shields but no North or South yet?........ Thanks y'all

Or maybe it was a way to save money putting two additional colors on the sign.

Well considering that there's no other black on the sign either I can't imagine it being any less expensive than adding red or blue would be (though it might be cheaper than both red and blue).

[agentsteel53]

Thanks for all of the responses.......does anybody want to speculate on why these shields are Black instead of Green? Like I said, I've seen them in person(Definitely Black) and at least one of the source photos was seen on Google Maps as previously being Green....and that's 3? East or West Shields but no North or South yet?........ Thanks y'all

they have all faded to black.  as you can see on your second photo, the shield for 10 WEST is half blue and half black, while the 10 EAST has just a tiny amount of blue on it.

Caltrans district 8 seems to have trouble with this.  I know of some "black" guide signs along CA-18 in Victorville which suffer from this problem as well.

as for the DC-US, that is just DC using a 1950s standard well into the 80s.

[agentsteel53]

Was there a convention at one time that the full colored shields would only appear on the route itself, and the "to" route markers would be in black and white?  Or maybe it was a way to save money putting two additional colors on the sign.

no.  my 1957 interstate manual (as far as I know, the first ever published spec) mandates the full red, white, and blue for all shields.

[Henry]

Oh, the strange things they do...

[cpzilliacus]

Was there a convention at one time that the full colored shields would only appear on the route itself, and the "to" route markers would be in black and white?

Prior to 1964 (when the entire road was completed), signs at some entrances to the (at the time) stand-alone sections of the Capital Beltway were signed with "shields" with a white (reflective) outline around white numerals "495" on a green  background.

But those were replaced with "spec" shields not long after the entire road was completed in 1964.

[Quillz]

Granted, I don't think those white on black shields look half bad. Wouldn't be a bad replacement for white on green, although I guess black would fade far quicker than any other color.

[agentsteel53]

Prior to 1964 (when the entire road was completed), signs at some entrances to the (at the time) stand-alone sections of the Capital Beltway were signed with "shields" with a white (reflective) outline around white numerals "495" on a green  background.

like this?



this appears in Iowa fairly frequently, though I think it is obsoleted as of five or six years ago.

[cpzilliacus]

Prior to 1964 (when the entire road was completed), signs at some entrances to the (at the time) stand-alone sections of the Capital Beltway were signed with "shields" with a white (reflective) outline around white numerals "495" on a green  background.

like this?



this appears in Iowa fairly frequently, though I think it is obsoleted as of five or six years ago.

Yes, exactly like that.  I have not personally seen one of those since the 1960's.

[Alps]

[Scott5114]

Staten is expressway? Good for Staten, I guess.

[Pete from Boston]

Seeing these outlines, I'm a little surprised Connecticut doesn't do them that way, since they do US and CT routes like that on BGSes.  I guess Interstates are special.

[Quillz]

Can't find a pic of it at the moment, but there are a few black 210 shields on both the 405 and 5. However, the signs themselves are pretty old, so it may be faded colors more than contractor error.

[Exit58]

Can't find a pic of it at the moment, but there are a few black 210 shields on both the 405 and 5. However, the signs themselves are pretty old, so it may be faded colors more than contractor error.

Quite a few entrance assemblies for SR 210 are turning black now too. I distinctly remember them all being green when posted. A lot are the 'neutered' type with no state name, and they are oddly shaped too: more like a rectangle with rounded bottom edges vs an actual spade.

FWIW, I drove by that same I-40 shield at Barstow Rd/SR 247 just today and it's actually not completely black. The 'Interstate' portion had discolored to a dark red and the green to black.