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[roadman65]

I remember the old Exit 15, before I-287 changed that into Exit 15 and 15A, there was an old blue sign there even in the early 80's.  Then they had one button copy green and one of them referred to NY-NJ as Route 17, most likely because of the two states using that particular route number, but the exit guide from the Thruway itself showed NY 17 going south into NJ on a later added sign. 

Those older blue and one button copy green were either on NY 17 SB at the ramp leading to that former flyover that used to let SB NY 17 onto the toll road and Exit 15 traffic off onto NY 17 NB.  The original Exit 15 as some might of remembered was a trumpet which defaulted into the NJ 17 expressway and movements into Hillburn or from Hillburn used a common loop flyover ramp.  Prior to the Woodbury Plaza further north Spring Valley used to be the southern ticket terminus and Exit 15 had a toll plaza which was why that awkward interchange was there.

Also the NE Thruway had one at US 1 near New Rochelle even in the 80's.  It used "Route 1" instead of US 1 as I guess the NYSTA used "NY" for its own state routes and "ROUTE" for the US routes opposite of what the PA Turnpike did prior to the 1984 button copy change in PA.

The Thruway authority used Route for everything on the blue guide signs and the first run of green guide signs.  NYSDOT (and its predecessor) used N Y, U S, etc.

Come to think of it, the NB NY Thruway guide for NY 59 in Nanuet had "ROUTE 59" on it up until NYSTA installed the overhead signs throughout Rockland County back in circa 88-89.  It was the last of its kind, and it only had Spring Valley as a control city with "Nanuet" on a tacked on placecard beneath the main assembly.

[PHLBOS]

Early 80s shots of interchange signage at I-95/195 in Providence, RI are seen in 7:11 (I-95 northbound) & 7:52 (I-195 westbound) respectively.  Too bad there wasn't a photo shot of the southbound I-95 signage of that period; the interchange BGS for I-195 East which featured experimental full-width, borderless EXIT tabs with the text left-justified (to match the location of the exit ramp). 

[Mergingtraffic]

This video has some nice stills of old Thruway signs. None in color, but a nice look back:

Anybody know what book this is from?  I'm trying to build a collection of old road books.  Speaking of...any old CT Tpke signage anywhere?

[machias]

Okay, for some fascinating films on YouTube for vintage NY Thruway signs, here are some tidbits:

The top link's author also has other home movies with both upstate and downstate roads from 1950s and 1960s.

Very cool video! I was particular intrigued by the "EXIT HERE FOR Monticello Liberty..." sign, because I remember secondary signs (the oldest white on green) said "EXIT 3/4 MILE FOR... " I don't ever remember seeing an "EXIT HERE FOR..." sign which makes me think that the blue and white vs green and white with the exit number on the bottom format might have been two different generations of signs. I can't imagine that signs from the original building of the Thruway would have made it until 1987 like some of those signs did.

[route17fan]

Okay, for some fascinating films on YouTube for vintage NY Thruway signs, here are some tidbits:

The top link's author also has other home movies with both upstate and downstate roads from 1950s and 1960s.

Very cool video! I was particular intrigued by the "EXIT HERE FOR Monticello Liberty..." sign, because I remember secondary signs (the oldest white on green) said "EXIT 3/4 MILE FOR... " I don't ever remember seeing an "EXIT HERE FOR..." sign which makes me think that the blue and white vs green and white with the exit number on the bottom format might have been two different generations of signs. I can't imagine that signs from the original building of the Thruway would have made it until 1987 like some of those signs did.

Agreed. I was also amused at how close the signs were to the side of the road. Oh if we could turn back time.... 

[shadyjay]

Speaking of...any old CT Tpke signage anywhere?

A quick Google image search for original Connecticut Turnpike signage turns up many examples.  The stretch between East Haven and Guilford (Exits 51-59) lasted until the early 1990s.  That's pretty impressive, considering it was installed in 1958.  That's 33 years out of that signage.  Granted, it was pretty beat up and faded, but it was there.  I distinctly remember it.  I really should've taken more pictures back then.  What was I thinking?  Oh yeah, at the time I was just glad to see the old signs go and replaced by the present (Exits 54-59) Phase III outline button copy. 

[route17fan]

Speaking of...any old CT Tpke signage anywhere?

There is this CT Tpke specimen on Midland Ave - ironically just down from the state-named 95-287 (NY) shields:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9858471,-73.6738816,3a,15y,332.68h,85.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNkv9WSXlOHDZY73Jk_sOkQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[roadman]

Speaking of...any old CT Tpke signage anywhere?

A quick Google image search for original Connecticut Turnpike signage turns up many examples.  The stretch between East Haven and Guilford (Exits 51-59) lasted until the early 1990s.  That's pretty impressive, considering it was installed in 1958.  That's 33 years out of that signage.  Granted, it was pretty beat up and faded, but it was there.  I distinctly remember it.  I really should've taken more pictures back then.  What was I thinking?  Oh yeah, at the time I was just glad to see the old signs go and replaced by the present (Exits 54-59) Phase III outline button copy. 

Somewhere in my archives, I have a book of postcards of the Connecticut Turnpike that was issued a year or two after the highway first opened.  A number of the photos show the blue signs.

[Scott5114]

Bumping this thread from two Presidential administrations ago to see if anyone has an answer to this—what did the exit direction sign with the arrow look like? Did one even exist, or was the final sign before the exit the "KEEP RIGHT" sign? (The 1956 home video of the Harriman exit doesn't seem to show one, but I don't know whether it was just clipped out or it really was the last sign before the exit.)

[shadyjay]

Bumping this thread from two Presidential administrations ago to see if anyone has an answer to this—what did the exit direction sign with the arrow look like? Did one even exist, or was the final sign before the exit the "KEEP RIGHT" sign? (The 1956 home video of the Harriman exit doesn't seem to show one, but I don't know whether it was just clipped out or it really was the last sign before the exit.)

I know on the Connecticut Turnpike, exits traditionally got 2 signs... a 1 mile advance and a "KEEP RIGHT" sign (similar to what you see in that video of the Harriman exit).  This was on the more rural section east of New Haven.  \Some exits had a unique exit gore sign before the gore, acting sort of as an "exit now" sign.  West of New Haven, there were more proper "exit now" signs with downward arrows angled towards the exit.  All signs were blue.  So it wouldn't surprise me if the Thruway's original blue signs had the same characteristics of "1 Mile" and "Keep Right" in the rural areas.  Those signs were long gone when I started traveling the Thruway, but I do remember a good 10 miles of original blue signage on the Connecticut Turnpike which stuck around until 1991.

[roadman65]

The Connecticut Turnpike used different signing techniques west of New Haven than east of New Haven.  From NYS Line to I-91, the ramp signs read "WESTBOUND NEW YORK" and "EASTBOUND NEW HAVEN."  While east of New Haven and up former CT 52, it was NEW HAVEN AND WEST and PROVIDENCE AND EAST.   Then some EB ramps used "RHODE ISLAND AND EAST" with most ramps lacking I-95 shields as well.

This was all back in the 70's I recall a trip to New London with my folks then.  Of course, the road was tolled then as well.

[DJ Particle]

In the color video above...  I noticed a makeshift gantry for an intersection with NY-208.  I assume that's the current "I-86" Exit 130.  Was NY-17 a freeway there yet at that time?