Recent posts

#1

Southeast / Re: Florida

Last post by Alex - Today at 08:14:32 AM

Following over six and half years of construction, the Gateway Expressway (SR 686A/690) in Pinellas is finally set to open this Friday!

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the new toll roads and I-275 Express Lanes are expected to open to traffic on Friday, April 26.

The Gateway Expressway not only connects U.S. 19 and I-275 but also directly connects the Bayside Bridge — north of 49th Street N. — to I-275.

Opened today as planned! Just clinched 686A headed "westbound." I'll get some pictures soon.

IMHO it's an EXTREMELY impressive project overall, lots of room for future expansion.

Drove both legs in both directions yesterday afternoon and the I-275 Express lanes from SR 686 north and south. The toll road system is toll free until May 3.

The posted 40 MPH speed limit ln the flyovers at the west end of SR 690 at U.S. 19 was a surprise. I easily drove the flyover at 60 MPH.

No reassurance markers posted on either, but two for CR 296 westbound remain. I posted some of what I shot on the AARoads facebook page after I got back yesterday. Will add them to AARoads this weekend.

#2

Traffic Control / Re: Road Sign UNO

Last post by formulanone - Today at 07:57:45 AM

MD-482 > MD-485

This is probably the dumbest signed route in Maryland, which is a pretty high bar, given some of the roads that are signed.

Nonsense, they are all America's children, deserving of respect, even if they're orphaned...and...uh; wait, does that route serve only a single homestead?

#3

Mid-South / Re: April bid openings: $1.09 ...

Last post by Scott5114 - Today at 07:47:39 AM

As a UT fan, any use of my tax dollars to help OU fans get to Dallas is a non-starter for me.

The governor as a fellow longhorn must stand up to such fiscal frivolousness.

He better not rollover and let out of state crimson and cream influences dictate Texas policy.

Suggesting that programming of transportation projects should be based not on actual need but on college football loyalties is absolutely unhinged behavior.

#4

Suggestions and Questions / Re: Where are tne personal mes...

Last post by rickmastfan67 - Today at 07:38:54 AM

I got an email that I had received a personal message, but I don't see the option on the home page to access it. There used to be a "My Messages" notification on the home screen, but it's not there now.

Top bar, there's the "My Messages" button.  It's beside the "Alerts" text.

#5

Mid-Atlantic / Re: Francis Scott Key Bridge (...

Last post by Scott5114 - Today at 07:15:31 AM

But as Alex said, there's no word on when the new bridge will have a different name, so let's just assume that it'll also be called the Key Bridge.

It would be funny if they named it after John Locke.

#6

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: US 33 Upgrades in Ohio

Last post by carbaugh2 - Today at 06:25:41 AM

I just discovered that the two expansion projects- Athens to Darwin and Five Points to Ravenswood- are now open for public comment (https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/mega-projects/mega-projects/33-expansion). Here are a couple of interesting responses from the Q & A section of the webpage that provide insight to some of the questions raised here.

• As of early January, ODOT and WVDOH were working to select a consultant to study the Ravenswood bridge and direct connection to I-77. It will be interesting to see any proposed alternatives (if any) for a high-speed connection between I-77 and 33 westbound.
• WVDOH has an upcoming deck replacement project for the existing Ravenswood Bridge.
• ODOT specifically mentions re-evaluating the speed limit of 55 between the Nelsonville Bypass and Athens. I think it currently warrants an increase to 60, but there are a lot of low traffic access points with poor sight lines that may keep things at 55.
• A pair of comments mention the connector to Bashan Rd near Racine, and I tend to agree with the concept. ODOT should build a new connector for the eastbound lanes to access Bashan Rd following the concept of the current 33-681 intersection near Darwin. This would prepare the road for a full interchange here and allow for realigning the intersection of Bashan and Bowmans Run Rds.

#7

Traffic Control / Re: The road sign city name ph...

Last post by TBKS1 - Today at 01:57:41 AM

I don't have very many E- plays that don't end with another E, so here's this.

Grantsville -> Ennis, TX (taken 24 February 2024)

#8

Mountain West / Re: US 93 In Arizona Progress

Last post by J N Winkler - Today at 01:32:44 AM

TI is an Arizona DOT initialism for traffic interchange.  The "half TI" being discussed in the US 93/Pierce Ferry Road feasibility study would grade-separate some movements but not others and would necessarily be an interim improvement.

#9

Northeast / Re: Pennsylvania

Last post by noelbotevera - Today at 01:18:49 AM

Penn State happens to publish old campus maps that I personally find interesting. I've yet to find a town map of State College in PSU libraries or published by the state, so for now this page has to suffice. Walking around campus, there's some geography notes I've found interesting:

• Allen Street was once the main street of State College, though Atherton Street replaced it beginning in the 1950s when it began to be expanded to four lanes north of campus. I have no idea how far north Allen Street went; currently it's chopped up into several pieces, with the northernmost piece stopped by development near I-99 / US 220. Even earlier than that, sometime before 1938, Allen Street was cut off by the construction of Pattee Library.
• PA 45 was once on College Avenue in the 1940 map, but now bypasses State College to the south. Frazier Street was renamed Fraser Street at some point.
• The east side of campus develops throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Aside from Beaver Stadium expanding, roads like University Drive and Bigler Road are constructed. Much of campus east of Shortlidge Road is still pretty empty (in the 1960 map, Eisenhower Auditorium doesn't exist, along with many of the chem/bio buildings now off Shortlidge).
• The 1960 map still shows the Bellefonte Central RR, though I'm pretty sure the train station (now the bus station) wasn't used by this point.
• 1992 map: what on earth are those phone numbers? I've seen 7 digit phone numbers (area code is implied), but never 5 digit ones. The only major changes between the 1992 map and today is the construction of the IST Building (1999-2000; cut off Pollock's connection to Atherton, and then Curtin was extended to restore this connection) and cut off of Shortlidge Road (2004). Also a lot more buildings have been built in the last 30 years.

#10

General Highway Talk / Re: Canadian MUTCD???

Last post by J N Winkler - Today at 01:16:00 AM

I think our friends from north of the border would know the answer to this, but is there an online/PDF version of their MUTCD, similar to the American one? I've Googled it and found nothing so far.

The Transportation Association of Canada--a loose equivalent to AASHTO--publishes the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada.  Unlike its counterparts in the US and many other countries, it is not made available free of charge.

https://www.tac-atc.ca/en/publications-and-resources/mutcdc

As LilianaUwU notes, provinces tend to have their own design references for traffic signing.  Some make them available free of charge, while others do not.