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

[1995hoo]

I assume most of us have seen the ordinary diamond-shaped signs advising of what the lower speed limit ahead will be (in lieu of the generic black-on-white "Reduce Speed Ahead" sign).

As familiar as those are, I can't say as I've ever seen any this big before. Seen yesterday on southbound US-15 in Maryland approaching the Frederick area. They certainly caught the eye!

[1995hoo]

Another odd sign assembly I saw yesterday....Street View is clearer than my dashcam in this case. Seen in the town of Gettysburg, it's a standard STOP sign with a black-on-white "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" underneath it. I can't say I recall seeing this sort of thing handled that way ever before. This spot likely sees a fair amount of traffic because it's on the Barlow Knoll segment of the Gettysburg Auto Tour. (I've been to the battlefield many times but had never done any of the Auto Tour before because when I was growing up we always hiked the battlefield.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.836879,-77.235314,3a,66.8y,293.34h,79.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVkiLrL1TnkGmd66r6fCOQg!2e0

[PHLBOS]

Another odd sign assembly I saw yesterday....Street View is clearer than my dashcam in this case. Seen in the town of Gettysburg, it's a standard STOP sign with a black-on-white "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" underneath it. I can't say I recall seeing this sort of thing handled that way ever before. This spot likely sees a fair amount of traffic because it's on the Barlow Knoll segment of the Gettysburg Auto Tour. (I've been to the battlefield many times but had never done any of the Auto Tour before because when I was growing up we always hiked the battlefield.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.836879,-77.235314,3a,66.8y,293.34h,79.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVkiLrL1TnkGmd66r6fCOQg!2e0

There's quite a few of those in PA.

[thenetwork]

Another odd sign assembly I saw yesterday....Street View is clearer than my dashcam in this case. Seen in the town of Gettysburg, it's a standard STOP sign with a black-on-white "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" underneath it. I can't say I recall seeing this sort of thing handled that way ever before. This spot likely sees a fair amount of traffic because it's on the Barlow Knoll segment of the Gettysburg Auto Tour. (I've been to the battlefield many times but had never done any of the Auto Tour before because when I was growing up we always hiked the battlefield.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.836879,-77.235314,3a,66.8y,293.34h,79.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVkiLrL1TnkGmd66r6fCOQg!2e0

That seems to be a common assembly in Pennsylvania.  I've seen that sign combo in a number of places in Western PA.

[Big John]

^^ "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" is MUTCD standard W1-10P for under the stop sign.

[jemacedo9]

I was somewhere in Central PA a couple of weeks ago (I clinched PA 235), and somewhere in there was an "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" under a YIELD sign...only time I've ever seen that combo.  I wish I remembered the exact location...it was a T intersection where I would have expected a STOP sign with the EXCEPT RIGHT TURN...

[freebrickproductions]

Another odd sign assembly I saw yesterday....Street View is clearer than my dashcam in this case. Seen in the town of Gettysburg, it's a standard STOP sign with a black-on-white "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" underneath it. I can't say I recall seeing this sort of thing handled that way ever before. This spot likely sees a fair amount of traffic because it's on the Barlow Knoll segment of the Gettysburg Auto Tour. (I've been to the battlefield many times but had never done any of the Auto Tour before because when I was growing up we always hiked the battlefield.)

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.836879,-77.235314,3a,66.8y,293.34h,79.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVkiLrL1TnkGmd66r6fCOQg!2e0

Got a few of them here in Huntsville, AL as well.

[formulanone]

Comb Ahead - Missouri State Route 90

[jakeroot]

For some reason, I don't remember seeing these "Historic US-99" markers along WA-99. This one was taken near Des Moines.

Inexplicably, about half of them are placed below speed limit signs.

[Bruce]

For some reason, I don't remember seeing these "Historic US-99" markets along WA-99. This one was taken near Des Moines.

Inexplicably, about half of them are placed below speed limit signs.

!!

Finally! I hope a few will make their way north up to Snohomish County.

[thefraze_1020]

For some reason, I don't remember seeing these "Historic US-99" markets along WA-99. This one was taken near Des Moines.

Inexplicably, about half of them are placed below speed limit signs.

That is "best of" material, simply because I have been waiting years for these to be put up. If not "best of", then "best of Washington".

[noelbotevera]

For some reason, I don't remember seeing these "Historic US-99" markers along WA-99. This one was taken near Des Moines.

Inexplicably, about half of them are placed below speed limit signs.

It reminds me of the Burma Shave ads that have to do with speeding in the Arizona desert. It just doesn't make sense.

[jakeroot]

Saw this sign yesterday on my way into Joint Base Lewis-McChord McChord AFB along East Gate Drive...I matched up the text in Illustrator. It is definitely Transport:

[bassoon1986]

And you thought fraction routes were only in West Virginia. This is located in Minden, LA.

79 over 80 Minden by Josh Bumgardner, on Flickr

[noelbotevera]

And you thought fraction routes were only in West Virginia. This is located in Minden, LA.

79 over 80 Minden by Josh Bumgardner, on Flickr

That's actually the old style of signing the US 79/US 80 concurrency.

[bassoon1986]

I had forgotten how many 79/80 signs there actually were in northwest Louisiana. I found 7 on streetview. There are always approaching junctions and never mainline shields. Here are a couple:

East bound US 80 turning onto Texas St. in downtown Shreveport. Very small and narrow digits.
US 80 east bound Shreveport by Josh Bumgardner, on Flickr


Coming off the exit ramp at exit 8 on I-20 in Shreveport
I-20 Exit 8 by Josh Bumgardner, on Flickr

[ethanhopkin14]

Not ugly, but very unique.

https://www.google.com/maps/@31.6059483,-97.2032818,3a,19.1y,287.07h,86.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJtwKIpYloYzPwgdchoBKSA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

More like oddly specific since Texas doesn't normally have END shields.

[roadfro]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

[Mapmikey]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

presumably because the route does not end at another state maintained highway...not super familiar with Texas to know if in the other instances of that you would see a similar posting...

North Carolina has a couple state routes with advance warning END signs (NC 184 and US 76)

Mike

[ethanhopkin14]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

presumably because the route does not end at another state maintained highway...not super familiar with Texas to know if in the other instances of that you would see a similar posting...

North Carolina has a couple state routes with advance warning END signs (NC 184 and US 76)

Mike

It is very rare to see an END assembly in Texas, even at the exact end of the highway period.  Just not a TxDOT thing.  And I have never seen an END assembly telling you exactly where the end is in any state.  I have seen the WARNING END before, but never an exact distance down to the foot.

It was so odd I couldn't stop staring at it.

It is for the purpose of letting you know the road continues after the state designation stops, but the way that usually goes down in Texas is there will be a small rectangular sign, black letters on a white field that reads "STATE MAINTENANCE ENDS", and when you are going the opsoite direction, the shield will be displayed with the same rectangular sign reading "STATE MAINTENANCE BEGINS".

Example, but they are not on the same assembly:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2879817,-98.0678835,3a,17.7y,127.36h,86.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sN_cH9YLaXINWmakqi7bulA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[JCinSummerfield]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

Ohio does it with I-280 NB.  The end assemble is on an overhead BGS, 1 mile before the junction with I-75.  I believe that OH-15 WB is the same, near the junction with US-23.

[jeffandnicole]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

Ohio does it with I-280 NB.  The end assemble is on an overhead BGS, 1 mile before the junction with I-75.  I believe that OH-15 WB is the same, near the junction with US-23.

I don't recall seeing a ground-mounted assembly as described above with advanced warning of a route number that ends, but I have seen BGSs (both overhead and ground-mounted) with such info.

These 2 in NJ, for example:

https://goo.gl/maps/y8ICH

https://goo.gl/maps/fDaHB

[vtk]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

Ohio does it with I-280 NB.  The end assemble is on an overhead BGS, 1 mile before the junction with I-75.  I believe that OH-15 WB is the same, near the junction with US-23.

Also I-670 EB has an advance end BGS at a distance of, IIRC, 1¼ miles. And then no further mention of 670 at all, even at its actual end.

OH 315 SB has an end assembly a bit before its actual terminus, but it appears to say 315 ends right there. I wonder if there was once a distance plaque posted below the shield...

[bassoon1986]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

presumably because the route does not end at another state maintained highway...not super familiar with Texas to know if in the other instances of that you would see a similar posting...

North Carolina has a couple state routes with advance warning END signs (NC 184 and US 76)

Mike

It is very rare to see an END assembly in Texas, even at the exact end of the highway period.  Just not a TxDOT thing.  And I have never seen an END assembly telling you exactly where the end is in any state.  I have seen the WARNING END before, but never an exact distance down to the foot.

It was so odd I couldn't stop staring at it.

It is for the purpose of letting you know the road continues after the state designation stops, but the way that usually goes down in Texas is there will be a small rectangular sign, black letters on a white field that reads "STATE MAINTENANCE ENDS", and when you are going the opsoite direction, the shield will be displayed with the same rectangular sign reading "STATE MAINTENANCE BEGINS".

Example, but they are not on the same assembly:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2879817,-98.0678835,3a,17.7y,127.36h,86.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sN_cH9YLaXINWmakqi7bulA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I remember seeing a good many of those signs for FM routes in Texas. They are usually in rural areas or at places where the highway does not end at another numbered highway. Many times the road would lose state maintenance and turn to gravel.

[thenetwork]

I don't think I've ever seen something like this, essentially an "advance end" assembly. Not sure why that would even be necessary...

Ohio does it with I-280 NB.  The end assemble is on an overhead BGS, 1 mile before the junction with I-75.  I believe that OH-15 WB is the same, near the junction with US-23.

I-77 North has a BGS announcing it's end approaching I-90 in Downtown Cleveland:


https://goo.gl/maps/4azIZ