Road Names Beside Shields

[Henry]

What states put their road names besides the highway shields? In IL (and at the very least, the Chicago metro area) the expressway/tollway names appear to the right of whatever shields appear on the signs (i.e., I-55/Stevenson Expressway, I-294/Tri-State Tollway).

[Max Rockatansky]

California does on occasion:

https://flic.kr/p/2g3hX7G

[kphoger]

James River Freeway – Springfield, MO
https://goo.gl/maps/HH6i9J24LS8cptfb6
https://goo.gl/maps/DAdvhFsBuszs8AAY9

But its name only appears on the intersecting routes.  Coming in from the east on US-60 makes no mention.

[KCRoadFan]

Kansas does that a lot - putting the shield right next to the street name on the traffic light mast arm.

So does Minnesota, but that state puts their shields on a separate green panel, complete with an accompanying arrow pointing either left, right, or both directions, depending on which way the route goes. I really like how Minnesota does it.

[wriddle082]

Back in the early 80's, when Tennessee added hundreds of miles of new state routes to their network, they retrofitted a lot of existing BGSs by adding a section or two of new corrugated metal in order to place a shield next to the road name.  Most BGSs for state routes that include road names are marked this way, but some are marked with the road name below.  I personally prefer the road name next to the shield.

Kentucky also does this, mostly in urban areas, with the road name in all caps.

I want to say Florida does this but their signage varies a lot depending on region.  I think they do this in SW Florida along I-75, and the road name is in all caps.

[hbelkins]

Back in the early 80's, when Tennessee added hundreds of miles of new state routes to their network, they retrofitted a lot of existing BGSs by adding a section or two of new corrugated metal in order to place a shield next to the road name.  Most BGSs for state routes that include road names are marked this way, but some are marked with the road name below.  I personally prefer the road name next to the shield.

And most all of Tennessee's are the triangle secondary route markers.

[Bitmapped]

West Virginia does this in exactly three places: I-64 Exit #156 for US 60/Midland Trail at Sam Black Church (https://goo.gl/maps/CmTRyNqZQMyu39fD6), I-77/I-64 Exit #96 for US 60/Midland Trail near Charleston, and the US 19 exit for US 60/Midland Trail near Ansted.

There is one other place along this stretch of US 60 that has BGS, at its intersection with WV 16/WV 39 at Gauley Bridge. Midland Trail is not mentioned on the BGS there.

[Dirt Roads]

West Virginia does this in exactly three places: I-64 Exit #156 for US 60/Midland Trail at Sam Black Church (https://goo.gl/maps/CmTRyNqZQMyu39fD6), I-77/I-64 Exit #96 for US 60/Midland Trail near Charleston, and the US 19 exit for US 60/Midland Trail near Ansted.

There is one other place along this stretch of US 60 that has BGS, at its intersection with WV 16/WV 39 at Gauley Bridge. Midland Trail is not mentioned on the BGS there.

There are others in West Virginia, but like most of the examples from other states, the road name is listed with the BGS destinations instead of next to the shield.  Road names for county secondaries are often included on BGS, too many to list.  BGS having shields and street names are not included, with a couple of exceptions:

I-64 Exit 47 - WV-622 Goff Mountain Road*
I-64 Exit 54 - US-60 MacCorkle Avenue**
I-64 Exit 58A - US-119 Oakwood Road***
I-64 Exit 125 - WV-307 Airport Road
WVTP/I-77 Exit 42 - WV-16/WV-97 Robert C. Byrd Drive** (may also be marked as WV-121 now, can't remember)
WVTP/I-77 Exit 44 - WV-3 Harper Road***
I-77 Exit 102 - US-119 Westmoreland Road***
I-79 Exit 125 - WV-131 Saltwell Road*

* These exits were originally had CR shields (county secondaries) and the roads later upgraded to State Routes.  In these cases, the BGS retained the exit name (which was the road name).
** These "street names" are applied over long distances and should qualify as "road names" for the purpose of this thread.
*** Oakwood Road and Westmoreland Road in Charleston and Harper Road in Beckley could be considered as "street names" for the purpose of this thread.

[ran4sh]

What states put their road names besides the highway shields? In IL (and at the very least, the Chicago metro area) the expressway/tollway names appear to the right of whatever shields appear on the signs (i.e., I-55/Stevenson Expressway, I-294/Tri-State Tollway).

That would be my preferred way of doing it if it had to be done. My actual preference is to not include highway names when the route is indicated on maps with a route number. The only argument I can think of for including the names is because traffic reports on the radio use the names.

Most of the Southeast does not use road names next to shields. There are a few exceptions such as in Atlanta, I-20's name appears on the sign, but not in the format that Chicago/Illinois does.

[kphoger]

The only argument I can think of for including the names is because traffic reports on the radio use the names.

I think it makes sense for signage to call a highway what people actually call the highway.  Not everybody drives around with a map.  If people commonly give directions that include phrases like "Take Baseline Road from there to the southbound Boaty McBoatface Turnpike", then isn't it reasonable to expect that highway name to be mentioned on the sign–even if maps call it Hwy 69?

[LilianaUwU]

Alright, hear me out: a green banner below the shield with the road name in such cases where a road is known by name.

[kphoger]

Alright, hear me out: a green banner below the shield with the road name in such cases where a road is known by name.

A green banner on a green guide sign?  So...greenout?

[epzik8]

Maryland does this on a lot of its urban freeway segments, especially in Baltimore city limits and on both beltways.

[roadman65]

I'm surprised no one yet mentioned New York.

[Dirt Roads]

There are several locations in North Carolina.  But the two I'm posting once had the distinction of actually having the "road name" written just right of the shield on the old BGS (before they were replaced).  Can't remember how long ago.  This style signage was in play as far back as GSV is posting.

I-277/NC-16 Brookshire Freeway (BGS on I-77)
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2472138,-80.8466785,3a,31.4y,210.03h,93.91t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sz_sHbwZn5mPjEtHklrSz5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i39

NC-147 (now I-885) Durham Freeway (BGS on I-40)
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.902846,-78.8803306,3a,75y,116.62h,90.82t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPAfXfPjS2b0oO10BqXkCsg!2e0!5s20090501T000000!7i16384!8i8192
Bonus!  This set of BGSs also has Toll NC-885 (was Toll NC-147) Triangle Expressway.

[Scott5114]

Besides Shields, this sign on I-240 also lists Walker and Santa Fe.

[webny99]

Maryland does this on a lot of its urban freeway segments, especially in Baltimore city limits and on both beltways.

Yes, that's just what I was going to mention. I actually like the practice. It can make the signs look a bit wordy at times but it's otherwise a good way to distinguish the road name from the exit destinations.

In New York it's more or less road names only in urban areas, and exit destinations only in rural areas. There's some cases where both are used, mostly in suburban areas, but not many.

[plain]

Happens in VA on BGS's.


US 258/VA 134 Mercury Boulevard (name is above the route numbers)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pqrnBGA8w21kYH788

VA 134 Neil Armstrong Parkway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/THeBRhGgyvfLYXRo7

VA 195 Downtown Expressway (RMTA signage)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eT8u4tH5BMyPTrHy9

VA 286 Fairfax County Parkway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/o8Dex64uyCmpUHq37

VA 294 Prince William Parkway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DPA9G1DDzsfbJ4weA

SR 631 5th Street
https://maps.app.goo.gl/63ow2Wio3Krd83QP9

SR 8900 Centreport Parkway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LpvzYJrgPKfJPFoz7

[jp the roadgeek]

I'm surprised no one yet mentioned New York.

Mostly for Long Island County Routes.

https://goo.gl/maps/tThjMuuicZKFXi7f6

[ozarkman417]

Arizona places freeway names below shields in Phoenix and surrounding communities.
My picture of the Superstition Freeway shield & name combination:


Other examples include the I-17 Black Canyon & Maricopa freeways, and the Loop 202 Santan Freeway.
Based on my observations of the area back in March, I could not find any of these freeway names on a BGS.

[Ned Weasel]

I think it makes sense for signage to call a highway what people actually call the highway.  Not everybody drives around with a map.  If people commonly give directions that include phrases like "Take Baseline Road from there to the southbound Boaty McBoatface Turnpike", then isn't it reasonable to expect that highway name to be mentioned on the sign–even if maps call it Hwy 69?

On one hand, it disappoints me that many of the modern signs for US 54/400 in Wichita, KS make no mention of the name Kellogg (whether you want to call it Kellogg Avenue, Kellogg Freeway, Kellogg Corn Flakes, etc. [yes, I know it's a different Kellogg from the Corn Flakes guy]).  On the other hand, there are message loading issues to take into consideration.  Especially here: https://goo.gl/maps/5gWRJ8mjrxwXDNf58 , and here: https://goo.gl/maps/jHgsTwDYaH6Q1y4S8 , where they apparently even decided control cities would be too cumbersome.  You also have the MUTCD's guidance against mixing road names with destination names, which would be an issue here: https://goo.gl/maps/SvJyJnkubp8cMDaS7 (those arrows, though!).  And then you have this interchange, where I guess they decided not even US 400 is worth mentioning: https://goo.gl/maps/Nzv5wWyMnh4dRhJw9 .  It still shows up sometimes, but not consistently, like here, where old-school NJDOT decided to make another Kansas cameo: https://goo.gl/maps/GgfM3MSJe3KpTgTj6 . 

[MisterRoadgeek]

Arizona places freeway names below shields in Phoenix and surrounding communities.

I love how Arizona lists the freeway names under the route shields, even at interchanges

[Quillz]

The only argument I can think of for including the names is because traffic reports on the radio use the names.

I think it makes sense for signage to call a highway what people actually call the highway.  Not everybody drives around with a map.  If people commonly give directions that include phrases like "Take Baseline Road from there to the southbound Boaty McBoatface Turnpike", then isn't it reasonable to expect that highway name to be mentioned on the sign–even if maps call it Hwy 69?

This is the strange thing about CA-27. It's almost universally referred to by its local name, Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Even the VMS will refer to it as "Topanga Cyn," despite listing other routes like CA-23 or CA-118. White background signs that have commercial trucking info will strictly refer to CA-27, but it's one of the few routes where I live where the number is almost never mentioned.

There are a few other instances, like the Pasadena Freeway or the San Diego Freeway, but the numbers are just as well known as usually referred to as such (especially with the former).

[wanderer2575]

In metro Detroit, M-39 is the only freeway for which signs show no control cities, only the freeway name.

[GaryV]

The exit signs on I-696 for Gratiot (M-3) and Groesbeck (M-97) have both the words and the shields. Because ain't nobody but the Google Maps lady who calls them by their highway numbers.

Example: https://goo.gl/maps/aaTkVcJJb7XihDSp6