Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[Big John]

^^ Yes, they are project-specific but start off at a higher number, such as 100+00 (10,000 feet) so if the projected alignment gets extended at the beginning you won't end up with negative stationing.

[Dirt Roads]

^^ Yes, they are project-specific but start off at a higher number, such as 100+00 (10,000 feet) so if the projected alignment gets extended at the beginning you won't end up with negative stationing.

That's a railroad thing too.

[stevashe]

Dumb question: I've seen survey stationing numbers on structures like bridges; do these correspond to the coordinates of the marker (and thus the structure) or something else entirely?

To the best of my current knowledge, station numbers are not absolute numbers. They're not related to real coordinates. They're used for laying out a linear build, such as a road, and the first number represents 100 feet. To answer your question, they are just relative to whatever the plans define the initial station (0 + 00 or 1 + 00) to be.

Someone who knows more, please feel free to correct me or add on.

Noelbotevera, the station refers to the location of the marker along the alignment, which is relative to the highway, but does not give you absolute coordinates, you would have to figure those out using the definition of the alignment.

JoePCool14, you are correct in general, though of course the alignment is "related" in a way to coordinates since it must have a location on the coordinate grid in order to be surveyed! However, I have experience working with WSDOT, and it would seem that they define permanent alignments with stationing for each highway that carry forward beyond individual projects, which is probably why they bothered putting stationing on an actual sign (with hundredths of a foot, no less!).

[noelbotevera]

Dumb question: I've seen survey stationing numbers on structures like bridges; do these correspond to the coordinates of the marker (and thus the structure) or something else entirely?

To the best of my current knowledge, station numbers are not absolute numbers. They're not related to real coordinates. They're used for laying out a linear build, such as a road, and the first number represents 100 feet. To answer your question, they are just relative to whatever the plans define the initial station (0 + 00 or 1 + 00) to be.

Someone who knows more, please feel free to correct me or add on.

Noelbotevera, the station refers to the location of the marker along the alignment, which is relative to the highway, but does not give you absolute coordinates, you would have to figure those out using the definition of the alignment.

So if I'm reading this correctly, this marker is located 22,956.59 feet from station zero. That's about four miles, so this is located four miles past the beginning of the project (likely the tunnel portal)

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/DumpRhmnbwfTiXm87
US 40 & 322 as a fraction.

[JoePCool14]

https://goo.gl/maps/DumpRhmnbwfTiXm87
US 40 & 322 as a fraction.

This sign is so close to being decent looking, yet at the same time manages to fall quite short. Might be a good one to try and redesign.

[ethanhopkin14]

https://goo.gl/maps/DumpRhmnbwfTiXm87
US 40 & 322 as a fraction.

This sign is so close to being decent looking, yet at the same time manages to fall quite short. Might be a good one to try and redesign.

I took it as subtraction.  US -282

[roadman65]

It was a fraction before the circle was redone.

[roadfro]

Dumb question: I've seen survey stationing numbers on structures like bridges; do these correspond to the coordinates of the marker (and thus the structure) or something else entirely?

To the best of my current knowledge, station numbers are not absolute numbers. They're not related to real coordinates. They're used for laying out a linear build, such as a road, and the first number represents 100 feet. To answer your question, they are just relative to whatever the plans define the initial station (0 + 00 or 1 + 00) to be.

Someone who knows more, please feel free to correct me or add on.

Noelbotevera, the station refers to the location of the marker along the alignment, which is relative to the highway, but does not give you absolute coordinates, you would have to figure those out using the definition of the alignment.

JoePCool14, you are correct in general, though of course the alignment is "related" in a way to coordinates since it must have a location on the coordinate grid in order to be surveyed! However, I have experience working with WSDOT, and it would seem that they define permanent alignments with stationing for each highway that carry forward beyond individual projects, which is probably why they bothered putting stationing on an actual sign (with hundredths of a foot, no less!).

It's worth further mentioning that you'll often see in plans multiple alignment lines, each with a uniquely-identifiable name, such as ("A" or "X" or "PQ"). There can be multiple lines with stationing, such as an overall "15" for the centerline of an I-15 alignment, but "15N" for the alignment of the northbound lanes, a separate alignment line for each ramp, etc. The specific location of structures, signs, etc. in a road construction project are often referenced with respect to a named line, station, and distance left/right of the line to the object in question.

[wanderer2575]

For those having difficulty choosing a preferred state outline, Columbia OH offers three variations on one assembly.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/PEUxMemwAbGaF86c7
Interesting that there is no shield to warn motorists on US 202 north to turn left here. A text "Route 202"  on a green sign instead.

[CoreySamson]

Here's a truck crossing sign that lights up. I can't recall seeing a sign like this that lights up anywhere else.

[ClassicHasClass]

https://goo.gl/maps/PEUxMemwAbGaF86c7
Interesting that there is no shield to warn motorists on US 202 north to turn left here. A text "Route 202"  on a green sign instead.

The more interesting part is that Square Plaza has no components of its sign that are, in fact, square.

[rellis97]

Whenever I've traveled to Minnesota, I've noticed at some intersections, especially in rural areas, these "Traffic Approaching - When Flashing" warning signs, alerting you to oncoming cross-traffic. If I can remember correctly, the "Approaching Traffic" is always illuminated, but the beacons only illuminate when there is oncoming traffic. Since I'm not from Minnesota, I'm not sure if these are a common occurrence or not, but I find them interesting! Here is an example at the intersection of County Rd 5 NE and MN-29 near Miltona, Minnesota.

[formulanone]

Like this?

[rellis97]

Yes, exactly!

[thenetwork]

Yes, exactly!

SW CO has something like that in a few intersections except the setup is more lime the Truck Crossing sign ^^.

[Rothman]

NY has at least one installation north of Syracuse near Southwick Beach.

[Scott5114]

https://goo.gl/maps/PEUxMemwAbGaF86c7
Interesting that there is no shield to warn motorists on US 202 north to turn left here. A text "Route 202"  on a green sign instead.

The more interesting part is that Square Plaza has no components of its sign that are, in fact, square.

The building isn't square either. What a disappointment.

[LilianaUwU]

I was randomly browsing Google Street View (as we all do) and found this yield sign placed in an odd spot in Vermont. https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.0529124,-72.5243024,3a,75y,120.53h,77.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6AAP3qx0vx30xkRmtAR5DA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[kphoger]

Whenever I've traveled to Minnesota, I've noticed at some intersections, especially in rural areas, these "Traffic Approaching - When Flashing" warning signs, alerting you to oncoming cross-traffic. If I can remember correctly, the "Approaching Traffic" is always illuminated, but the beacons only illuminate when there is oncoming traffic. Since I'm not from Minnesota, I'm not sure if these are a common occurrence or not, but I find them interesting! Here is an example at the intersection of County Rd 5 NE and MN-29 near Miltona, Minnesota.

This seems to be an amped-up version of the below...

MN-23 northeast from Willmar to Saint Cloud.  That corridor has warning signs with flashing yellow lights in advance of red stoplights, but also in advance of a couple of unsignalized intersections; there must be a sensor for the cross road, and the lights activate to warn of turning traffic.  Pretty cool.  The warning signs saying "Acceleration lane 500 feet", however, are pointless.  What hazard does an acceleration lane present?

AIUI, those signs are used only when a divided highway has acceleration lanes that allow traffic turning left out of a side road to come up to speed before merging from the left.  This is fairly unusual provision (I think I have seen it only in Minnesota), so the signs mitigate lack of driver expectancy.

[hbelkins]

Conflict warning signs. Increasingly being installed in Kentucky in areas where traffic pulls out onto a road where the oncoming drivers don't stop. Here's an installation in the western part of the state:

2017 Western Kentucky meet weekend Day 3 - 35 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

[CardInLex]

Conflict warning signs. Increasingly being installed in Kentucky in areas where traffic pulls out onto a road where the oncoming drivers don't stop. Here's an installation in the western part of the state:

2017 Western Kentucky meet weekend Day 3 - 35 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

Here is another Kentucky install. This one includes the direction in which the traffic is coming.
https://goo.gl/maps/bzizLMqBKH6hryhb6

[jakeroot]

"STOP" "Right Turn Permitted Without Stopping"

Extremely common, I know. But take a look around: why is this stop sign here at all? It's like putting a stop sign in the middle of a curve: there's no traffic to stop for anyways.

[kphoger]

In my view, the stop sign also governs the left-turn lane, which has to yield to traffic from the right.