AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Mid-South => Topic started by: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 04:27:45 PM

Title: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 04:27:45 PM
Texas is notoriously bad for not marking the end of s state maintained road.  Some instances don't really call for it because the ending road defaults onto another routing, or the end is obvious because of a "T" intersection, but sometimes it would be nice to know the route you have been on is ending.  Conversely, it would be nice to know that the route you are looking for begins right here.  Can you think of instances of BEGIN/END shields in Texas?

Here is one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: formulanone on August 11, 2020, 05:01:14 PM
They're not common in Texas, but still more common than Mississippi!

These two routes end/begin at each other in Austwell:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/5324/31231807631_9ac7bf25f6_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PzRbiV)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/5685/30524466234_63c25f8f20_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NvkSmA)

There's one for US 75's end and a Begins for I-635, but that's not quite what you're looking for.
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 05:22:52 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 11, 2020, 05:01:14 PM
They're not common in Texas, but still more common than Mississippi!

These two routes end/begin at each other in Austwell:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/5324/31231807631_9ac7bf25f6_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PzRbiV)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/5685/30524466234_63c25f8f20_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NvkSmA)

There's one for US 75's end and a Begins for I-635, but that's not quite what you're looking for.

BGSs count!:

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7042531,-96.6244427,3a,75y,35.94h,88.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKXzVW6V15gQZzEPddH052Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7042531,-96.6244427,3a,75y,35.94h,88.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKXzVW6V15gQZzEPddH052Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7046658,-96.6245293,3a,29y,235.03h,89.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snGIiNWO-_4pTn7jquV9fcg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7046658,-96.6245293,3a,29y,235.03h,89.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snGIiNWO-_4pTn7jquV9fcg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

Any instance of a route ending, Interstate, US, State, FM.  They all work because Texas doesn't have them much regardless of route. 
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: debragga on August 11, 2020, 05:33:55 PM
Do State Maintenance Begins/Ends signs count?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5672215,-96.4840415,3a,15.2y,138.9h,91.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seOjx5YiA9HdnZHCMwpBGfg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.567085,-96.4840672,3a,15.3y,76.17h,90.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEUasBbG1B2bTcD41lgeUuA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 06:46:35 PM
Quote from: debragga on August 11, 2020, 05:33:55 PM
Do State Maintenance Begins/Ends signs count?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5672215,-96.4840415,3a,15.2y,138.9h,91.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seOjx5YiA9HdnZHCMwpBGfg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.567085,-96.4840672,3a,15.3y,76.17h,90.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEUasBbG1B2bTcD41lgeUuA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I kinda think that one is in more of a grey area.  The reason I say that is because that's usually what Texas does in lieu of a END or BEGIN shield.  A hard to read sign that most people look at it and say, what does that mean?
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: -- US 175 -- on August 12, 2020, 08:04:16 AM
There is one for I-27 in Amarillo at the interchange with I-40.  Before the interchange was redone a few years ago, there wasn't one there for I-27.

In recent years, I have started seeing advance END signage on some FMs as they're about to transition to county roads, or come to a "T" end.  I don't know how much TxDOT will do on these, but it's good to see that some thought is being given to FMs that end abruptly out in the sticks with no numbered intersecting road.

Wow, that's **very** rare to see a BEGIN instance in TX.
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: GreenLanternCorps on August 13, 2020, 09:07:16 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 04:27:45 PM
Texas is notoriously bad for not marking the end of s state maintained road.  Some instances don't really call for it because the ending road defaults onto another routing, or the end is obvious because of a "T" intersection, but sometimes it would be nice to know the route you have been on is ending.  Conversely, it would be nice to know that the route you are looking for begins right here.  Can you think of instances of BEGIN/END shields in Texas?

Here is one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

I would say that sign is there because it appears that where Ranch Road 2023 ends the maintenance and the construction of the road change and the lane striping disappears.  But it does it at a seemingly random spot in the middle of nowhere.  The road itself continues on as Puckett Road all the way to US 285. 
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: ethanhopkin14 on August 13, 2020, 09:17:55 AM
Quote from: GreenLanternCorps on August 13, 2020, 09:07:16 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on August 11, 2020, 04:27:45 PM
Texas is notoriously bad for not marking the end of s state maintained road.  Some instances don't really call for it because the ending road defaults onto another routing, or the end is obvious because of a "T" intersection, but sometimes it would be nice to know the route you have been on is ending.  Conversely, it would be nice to know that the route you are looking for begins right here.  Can you think of instances of BEGIN/END shields in Texas?

Here is one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.7161681,-102.5179234,3a,42.2y,189.51h,92.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoDDuS6f4-JhBizEiRrL2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

I would say that sign is there because it appears that where Ranch Road 2023 ends the maintenance and the construction of the road change and the lane striping disappears.  But it does it at a seemingly random spot in the middle of nowhere.  The road itself continues on as Puckett Road all the way to US 285.

I would agree with you, but behold:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2879024,-98.0676852,3a,24.5y,296.27h,87.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4ablnOsEKvKEIEXP9SzCIQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2879024,-98.0676852,3a,24.5y,296.27h,87.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4ablnOsEKvKEIEXP9SzCIQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

This is actual SOP in Texas.  This is the way it's mostly handled.  For some stupid reason this happens a lot on Farm to Market roads, where the FM designation just randomly ends in the middle of the continuous pavement.  This is the end of FM 3238.  A very small and hard to read at 40 MPH "State Maintenance Ends" is all you get in a very populated area (not a middle of nowhere sign like the original sign), and the road from that point on becomes a narrow road with a few switchbacks.  It might be good to know the state designation ended so that you know you are getting an inferior county road from here on out, I mean something way more robust than the small sign.  Something like an END shield maybe?
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: -- US 175 -- on August 13, 2020, 02:56:32 PM
Here's one I was referring to earlier:
(https://i.ibb.co/26wm6PX/20200813-135046.jpg)

After 500 feet, this FM transitions to a county road.  It is in Henderson County near Poynor.

Hopefully TxDOT will do more of these.
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: Brian556 on August 18, 2020, 10:39:41 PM
END FM 2181 in Denton. Was installed when interchanged rebuilt, so its inclusion was an engineer's decision, not the decision of the sign crew. FM 2181 went all the way to US 77 until 1988.https://www.google.com/maps/@33.1936388,-97.1240756,3a,18.7y,45.47h,91.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBx-JziK9HLkJQ1sR9oaN_A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@33.1936388,-97.1240756,3a,18.7y,45.47h,91.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBx-JziK9HLkJQ1sR9oaN_A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: sydneyclaridge on August 19, 2020, 08:32:28 PM
Not your ordinary end shield, but there is a large (at least at the time Google went through there) "I-635 Ends" sign southbound at I-635's terminus with I-20 in Balch Springs:

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7045943,-96.6245724,3a,75y,222.3h,90.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRqYci2gCkUFdDQIw_tbkkw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7045943,-96.6245724,3a,75y,222.3h,90.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRqYci2gCkUFdDQIw_tbkkw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

That said, this sign has been there as long as I can remember.
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: formulanone on September 15, 2020, 10:29:26 AM
Houston's Business FM 1960 has a BEGIN banner:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/837/41814657270_f9d0ed09b1_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26H23NJ)
Title: Re: Texas END/BEGIN Shields
Post by: -- US 175 -- on September 15, 2020, 11:46:45 AM
Quote from: formulanone on September 15, 2020, 10:29:26 AM
Houston's Business FM 1960 has a BEGIN banner:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/837/41814657270_f9d0ed09b1_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26H23NJ)

Wow, 2 TX rarities on 1 post.  Still weird to see a Bus FM, even with having seen 1 (Bus FM 1187 in Crowley) in person.