Largest BGS in Your Area

[AsphaltPlanet]

Some of Ontario's larger signs:

[machias]

Albany:

As much as I don't like diagrammatic signs, I really like the way the right split is signed (with an additional lane forming on the left after the split towards 87)

Also, why do the signs have a "mounting plate" à la UK motorway signs?

The mounting plate is actually backlighting. The signs on that installation are backlit like retail signage.

[KEK Inc.]

From the AARoads Gallery

The I-5 pull-through sign in the photo above is approximately 400 sq ft (40 ft wide by 10 ft high) and is probably one of the largest in the state (there's another pull through in Sacramento also spanning 4 lanes of traffic).  The only way there's a larger California BGS is a pull-through sign spanning 5+ lanes and I don't know of any freeway that wide.

What about two 4-lane signs on one sign bridge?

[cl94]

I grew up near Albany, so I'll steal those examples.

Now out near Buffalo, biggest is this without a doubt. But if you want to add a BWS category, this isn't too far away (from AARoads):

[xcellntbuy]

Albany:

As much as I don't like diagrammatic signs, I really like the way the right split is signed (with an additional lane forming on the left after the split towards 87)

Also, why do the signs have a "mounting plate" à la UK motorway signs?

That sign cost $1 million when it was installed in 1989.  Considered unbelievably expensive 25 years ago.

[myosh_tino]

What about two 4-lane signs on one sign bridge?

The OP specifically said a single sign, not a group of smaller signs...

What is the largest BGS (big green sign) in your area, or even perhaps you've seen? When I say largest, it could mean tallest, widest or largest area. Also, keep in mind I'm talking about one sign, not a large group of smaller signs.

With that said, both of the signs in your post are pretty close in square footage to the one I posted.

[jakeroot]

The mounting plate is actually backlighting. The signs on that installation are backlit like retail signage.

Mother of God. That must look pretty nuts. Never heard of such a thing.

That sign cost $1 million when it was installed in 1989.  Considered unbelievably expensive 25 years ago.

That must be some sort of record. I've never heard of a sign costing so much (then again, I'm not an expert on signage costs).

[SignGeek101]

This one is not close to my house (a few 1000 km away)  ), but it's quite large. I estimate the sign to be about 6 m (20 ft) wide and 5 m (16 ft) tall for about 30 sq m (320 sq ft).

http://goo.gl/maps/JtEv1

[roadfro]

Current largest in Nevada is this APL sign in Reno: I-80 eastbound approaching I-580/US 395

The signs eastbound are wider than westbound due to an additional eastbound lane.


The next largest, non APL sign in Nevada is probably this sign in Las Vegas: I-15 northbound offramp to Flamingo Road

This sign is probably several feet wider and a few feet taller than it needs to be (and one could potentially argue that the sign isn't needed at all).

[OracleUsr]

Can someone tell me why half these GMaps links come up as black screens?

[hbelkins]

The mounting plate is actually backlighting. The signs on that installation are backlit like retail signage.

Mother of God. That must look pretty nuts. Never heard of such a thing.

There are also some backlit signs on the WV Turnpike in the Beckley area (southbound at the 64-77 split, and northbound at the Corridor L/US 19 exit) but I have never seen them at night.

[SignGeek101]

Can someone tell me why half these GMaps links come up as black screens?

I get the same thing often. It seems to be some weird glitch of some type. Just move Pegman to a close location and it should work normally. I don't know why it happens.

[countysigns]

This probably WAS our biggest BGS in the Toledo metro area:

http://tinyurl.com/kjb63te

But due to road construction on I-75 through Downtown Toledo, this sign no longer exists.

[vdeane]

Can someone tell me why half these GMaps links come up as black screens?

I get the same thing often. It seems to be some weird glitch of some type. Just move Pegman to a close location and it should work normally. I don't know why it happens.

I think it has something to do with system resources or bandwidth, given that I see it far more often at work than at home.

[Tom958]

[andy3175]

This wretched assembly easily comes to mind:



Interstate 75 south approaching the split with I-275. Posted on https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0075sefl

I hope this one gets better once the construction is complete. It seems like the lanes for I-275 should be shown underneath the I-275 shield!

[mrsman]

From the AARoads Gallery

The I-5 pull-through sign in the photo above is approximately 400 sq ft (40 ft wide by 10 ft high) and is probably one of the largest in the state (there's another pull through in Sacramento also spanning 4 lanes of traffic).  The only way there's a larger California BGS is a pull-through sign spanning 5+ lanes and I don't know of any freeway that wide.

With a sign this big, there is no reason why they couldn't add Los Angeles to the BGS for I-5.

For those unfamiliar, Caltrans Dist. 11 in San Diego County signs I-5 with Los Angeles as the northbound control.  Caltrans Dist. 12 in Orange County also used to sign it that way, but they now sign the control city as Santa Ana between Santa Ana and the SD County line.  So now there is a discontinuity in control city: LA-Santa Ana-LA.  It would be better if they left all the signs LA or at the very least Santa Ana / Los Angeles.  On this sign, at least, there is plenty of room for it.

[Ned Weasel]

Probably this one:

https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.045186,-94.655596&spn=0.004783,0.010568&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.045148,-94.65569&panoid=_buwQF05TTuM5n9lOQmUdw&cbp=12,242.56,,0,-11.97

Runner-up:

https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.092216,-94.680519&spn=0.00478,0.010568&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.09213,-94.680517&panoid=rOXCMIZhM1nXTWUdqTEOBA&cbp=12,358.97,,0,-2.38

Edit: I forgot I wasn't supposed to post multiple times in a row, so I'm merging my previous post with this one.

I hope this one gets better once the construction is complete. It seems like the lanes for I-275 should be shown underneath the I-275 shield!

What the sign actually says is that all four lanes are for SB I-75, despite being split into two separate carriageways (such as express and local lanes), while the #4 lane is an option lane for both SB I-75 and SB I-275.

[jakeroot]

Runner-up:

https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.092216,-94.680519&spn=0.00478,0.010568&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.09213,-94.680517&panoid=rOXCMIZhM1nXTWUdqTEOBA&cbp=12,358.97,,0,-2.38

That arrowhead is absolutely ridiculous. I get that it's relative to thickness of the arrow, but they should have used smaller arrowheads all around.

[Zeffy]

This is what I don't like about Georgia's "APL" signs they seem to be placing around Atlanta - unless I'm blind, the lane the car taking the photo is in is not clearly marked - are you in the straight lane, are you in the exit lane for I-20? This could be a possible candidate for Redesign This!, I already have a few solutions in mind...

This wretched assembly easily comes to mind:

Same with this one. The point of APL signs is that the arrows are positioned over EACH lane! I don't see how diagrammatic signs were so confusing when these signs have arrows that don't match up to anywhere!

Construction is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

[NE2]

Same with this one. The point of APL signs is that the arrows are positioned over EACH lane! I don't see how diagrammatic signs were so confusing when these signs have arrows that don't match up to anywhere!

This one is under construction...

[Zeffy]

This one is under construction...

Oops... That makes more sense... the Georgia one however, still doesn't.

[Eth]

The Georgia sign would be fine if it were shifted to the right by about four feet, I think, but presumably they needed some minimum distance between it and the exit 248A sign.

Georgia's had issues with aligning arrows to lanes for a while now; it's certainly not a new thing with the introduction of APLs.

[cl94]

The Georgia sign would be fine if it were shifted to the right by about four feet, I think, but presumably they needed some minimum distance between it and the exit 248A sign.

Georgia's had issues with aligning arrows to lanes for a while now; it's certainly not a new thing with the introduction of APLs.

Actually, the problem with the Georgia sign is that APLs are only allowed if there's an option lane, which this example does not have.

[Eth]

Actually, the problem with the Georgia sign is that APLs are only allowed if there's an option lane, which this example does not have.

GDOT appears to care not one whit about that particular rule. Apart from perhaps wasting money on unnecessarily large signs, I don't really have a problem with it, as there's no loss of accuracy or clarity (assuming, again, that the arrows are actually lined up correctly).