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

[US71]

The ultimate ugly Louisiana shield

[cjk374]

The ultimate ugly Louisiana shield

Thankfully that monstrosity no longer exists!

[Buck87]

Noticed this today while on a walk. The overpass and the new configuration have been there for 14 years now, but apparently enough trucks were still getting stuck to prompt the installation of this sign. As far as I know this sign is relatively new.

[csw]

Lots of these small, white markers are posted in parts of southeastern North Carolina - I found these east of Lumberton and several more around Fairmont. Does anyone know anything about them (mainly how old they are)?


Another example - https://goo.gl/maps/Uwzq5SieNrMA8DZc7

[hbelkins]

^^^^

Can't speak to the age of those particular markers, but I certainly remember that style being used statewide back in the late 1960s. They certainly aren't as common as they used to be, but they're more prevalent in the eastern portion of the state.

[Mapmikey]

I think many counties are phasing them out, even in eastern NC.

In the 1980s there seemed to be a sharp dividing line at roughly I-77 where east of it these markers mostly showed distances to something and west of it gave a road name only.

NC has used a version of this marker back to the 1920s (then it was for primary routes). 

They have been on secondary routes back to the 1930s. 


Nov 1939, Marion Wolcott, Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)


At some point they used fractions too - here is a photo from the early 60s, when their secondary routes were all posted like the SR 100x series is now:


Joyner Library - ECU

[CoreySamson]

Let's give it up for construction signage! (all on Beltway 8 in Houston)

Orange on Black TX-225 shield (also note the other orange sign in the background)
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6936547,-95.1534727,3a,26y,36.36h,88.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s874Kz6po39_l3CSPbIyByw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This un-bordered mess:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6875121,-95.1535827,3a,15y,20.2h,93.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYEvKWaVm1pmAs1hxLOkkmg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This toll sign:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6203691,-95.1843975,3a,15y,115.48h,90.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxr-gydLmJs5ZRpaMsCDqSw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[fillup420]

Lots of these small, white markers are posted in parts of southeastern North Carolina - I found these east of Lumberton and several more around Fairmont. Does anyone know anything about them (mainly how old they are)?


Another example - https://goo.gl/maps/Uwzq5SieNrMA8DZc7

most of them that i have seen look pretty old. however, I have seen a few brand new installations recently. I believe one was somewhere along NC 41 or NC 58 in Lenoir or Jones county

[thenetwork]

Lots of these small, white markers are posted in parts of southeastern North Carolina - I found these east of Lumberton and several more around Fairmont. Does anyone know anything about them (mainly how old they are)?


Another example - https://goo.gl/maps/Uwzq5SieNrMA8DZc7

most of them that i have seen look pretty old. however, I have seen a few brand new installations recently. I believe one was somewhere along NC 41 or NC 58 in Lenoir or Jones county

One thing I liked about North Carolina and those wayfinder signs:  Not only would they designate "short cuts" to other towns and/or numbered highways, but they also would designate roads that dead-ended as well.

[Mapmikey]

Lots of these small, white markers are posted in parts of southeastern North Carolina - I found these east of Lumberton and several more around Fairmont. Does anyone know anything about them (mainly how old they are)?


Another example - https://goo.gl/maps/Uwzq5SieNrMA8DZc7

most of them that i have seen look pretty old. however, I have seen a few brand new installations recently. I believe one was somewhere along NC 41 or NC 58 in Lenoir or Jones county

One thing I liked about North Carolina and those wayfinder signs:  Not only would they designate "short cuts" to other towns and/or numbered highways, but they also would designate roads that dead-ended as well.

Also fairly common was "loop rd"

The distance shown on a sign in the 1960s photo I posted was 20 miles which gets me wondering what the longest distance on one of these in the modern era is/was.  Not sure if I've seen higher than 30.

Here is one with 28 - https://goo.gl/maps/U6WqrH46H5817xQZA

[CoreySamson]

I've seen signs with similar messages, but this sign is odd. I can't decide whether it belongs in the worst of road signs (for the font for It's The Law!) or not.

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.0213307,-94.1738382,3a,15y,66h,86.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svl7WJlcCenqi3eoPNnh17w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[hotdogPi]

I've seen signs with similar messages, but this sign is odd. I can't decide whether it belongs in the worst of road signs (for the font for It's The Law!) or not.

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.0213307,-94.1738382,3a,15y,66h,86.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svl7WJlcCenqi3eoPNnh17w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It's nowhere near worst of. To me, it looks fairly normal, with the exception that it's a custom message.

[D-Dey65]

Lots of these small, white markers are posted in parts of southeastern North Carolina - I found these east of Lumberton and several more around Fairmont. Does anyone know anything about them (mainly how old they are)?


Another example - https://goo.gl/maps/Uwzq5SieNrMA8DZc7

most of them that i have seen look pretty old. however, I have seen a few brand new installations recently. I believe one was somewhere along NC 41 or NC 58 in Lenoir or Jones county

I'm surprised that I see any new versions of these types of signs, but I have. I don't remember whether they were in Selma or Kenly though.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49740693111/in/dateposted-public/
Not only unique as being a four destination mileage sign, but the placement of the control cities.  Pelham should be number two.

[CoreySamson]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/49740693111/in/dateposted-public/
Not only unique as being a four destination mileage sign, but the placement of the control cities.  Pelham should be number two.

I noticed the picture was taken on a concurrency between US 19 and US 84. If you look at a map, 19 goes to Pelham and 84 goes to the other control cities. It seems they were trying to differentiate between where the two routes went, listing the destinations for 84 separately from 19's destination.

While I think Pelham should stay where it is on the sign, the sign is still unique and definitely qualifies for this thread.

[bcroadguy]

https://imgur.com/Uyk4tGa

People have previously posted in this thread about finding signs like this in Washington State, but I happened to walk past one near my house today.

Also if anyone can tell me how to embed images that would be great lol

[jakeroot]

https://imgur.com/Uyk4tGa

People have previously posted in this thread about finding signs like this in Washington State, but I happened to walk past one near my house today.

Also if anyone can tell me how to embed images that would be great lol

Nice find. These seem spectacularly common in WA but are definitely rare elsewhere. Perhaps yet another sign in BC that seems to have come from Washington State? (Thinking of the HOV "keep left" signs along Hwy 1).

For imgur, right click on the image and copy the address (ends in ".jpg" or ".png") and then paste it in here. Highlight the whole link, and then click the "insert image" button on the far left of the buttons above the reply box. This will automatically add the necessary BBCode elements around the link.

There are 500 other ways to do it, but that's probably the most straightforward.

[tylert120]

https://imgur.com/EXYWdFi

Route 48 in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, PA.

[ClassicHasClass]

https://imgur.com/Uyk4tGa

People have previously posted in this thread about finding signs like this in Washington State, but I happened to walk past one near my house today.

Nice find. These seem spectacularly common in WA but are definitely rare elsewhere. Perhaps yet another sign in BC that seems to have come from Washington State? (Thinking of the HOV "keep left" signs along Hwy 1).

The "no stopping" sign and hazard sign in particular are totes BC. Where in WA was this?

[jakeroot]

https://imgur.com/Uyk4tGa

People have previously posted in this thread about finding signs like this in Washington State, but I happened to walk past one near my house today.

Nice find. These seem spectacularly common in WA but are definitely rare elsewhere. Perhaps yet another sign in BC that seems to have come from Washington State? (Thinking of the HOV "keep left" signs along Hwy 1).

The "no stopping" sign and hazard sign in particular are totes BC. Where in WA was this?

You are referring to the "road to be continued" signs? Very common throughout WA. Here, here (look at the ground), here, here, and here are five that come to mind. There are many more and I could make a list (although at least one has been swallowed up by vegetation).

[roadfro]

You are referring to the "road to be continued" signs? Very common throughout WA. Here, here (look at the ground), here, here, and here are five that come to mind. There are many more and I could make a list (although at least one has been swallowed up by vegetation).

Is there some kind of legal requirement in WA to post these kinds of situations within the ROW? A lot of these situations it seems fairly obvious that a road extension could happen in the future just by how it's constructed (no turnaround or otherwise not a cul-de-sac), but I wouldn't think a sign (or message painted on the pavement) would be necessary.

[jakeroot]

You are referring to the "road to be continued" signs? Very common throughout WA. Here, here (look at the ground), here, here, and here are five that come to mind. There are many more and I could make a list (although at least one has been swallowed up by vegetation).

Is there some kind of legal requirement in WA to post these kinds of situations within the ROW? A lot of these situations it seems fairly obvious that a road extension could happen in the future just by how it's constructed (no turnaround or otherwise not a cul-de-sac), but I wouldn't think a sign (or message painted on the pavement) would be necessary.

I'm not aware of any legal requirement. If I had to guess, there are more dead-ends with those red/white chevron barriers without "to be extended" signs, than there are those with signs. It's just that some jurisdictions use the sign more than others.

[jakeroot]

This is a relatively new APL that was installed on northbound 5 at the WA-16 interchange in Tacoma, WA. Here on Street View (though it's not on there just yet).

The unique bit for me is two-fold: the APL for the HOV split, but also the usage of "TO" (this is an exit directly towards WA-16...I don't believe "TO" is necessary). All of the HOV signs for this interchange (three-way interchange with HOV ramps in all directions) have similar uses of "TO".

[roadfro]

This is a relatively new APL that was installed on northbound 5 at the WA-16 interchange in Tacoma, WA. Here on Street View (though it's not on there just yet).

The unique bit for me is two-fold: the APL for the HOV split, but also the usage of "TO" (this is an exit directly towards WA-16...I don't believe "TO" is necessary). All of the HOV signs for this interchange (three-way interchange with HOV ramps in all directions) have similar uses of "TO".

I'm intrigued that the HOV lane sign, despite seeming to be a new install, is still all black-on-white. 2009 MUTCD standard is to use white-on-green, but still have the diamond symbol and a black-on-white banner across the top.

[jakeroot]

This is a relatively new APL that was installed on northbound 5 at the WA-16 interchange in Tacoma, WA. Here on Street View (though it's not on there just yet).

The unique bit for me is two-fold: the APL for the HOV split, but also the usage of "TO" (this is an exit directly towards WA-16...I don't believe "TO" is necessary). All of the HOV signs for this interchange (three-way interchange with HOV ramps in all directions) have similar uses of "TO".

I'm intrigued that the HOV lane sign, despite seeming to be a new install, is still all black-on-white. 2009 MUTCD standard is to use white-on-green, but still have the diamond symbol and a black-on-white banner across the top.

Definitely a new install, although the project has been ongoing for some time. It's possible that it predates WA's adoption of the 2009 MUTCD in December 2011, but I doubt it.

The only white-on-green HOV signage was along the I-90 express lanes east of Seattle, installed in the late 2000s, but those have since closed to traffic (being replaced by light rail). Other than that, WSDOT does not use white-on-green HOV signs that I've seen, even on new installations.