Only in this state....

[cpzilliacus]

But California has to be the only state where the standard route marker for every level of highway (Interstate, US, state, county) is a cutout.  Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Oscar, I cannot think of even one cutout left in Virginia on a section of VDOT-maintained highway or street.

All cutouts that I can remember in Virginia these days are within the corporate limits of towns or cities.

[Eth]

In fact, I believe that Georgia is one of a kind with its exit numbers being on the main part of the sign inside a rectangle just like the PA Turnpike interchange names and unlike the NJ Turnpike that has the exit numbers within the sign, but not in a separate box.

Nope.  That's what I meant in my post when I said "centered text with full-width tab".

Exit 171 in Georgia: http://goo.gl/maps/LU8gd
Exit 171 in Washington: http://goo.gl/maps/HOUUi

In fact, had I not just proven it wrong, I'd have been tempted to put this up as an "only in Washington".  Full-width tabs are also common in Illinois and Maryland, but there they have the good sense to put the text on the right side (or left for left-hand exit).

Also, no longer the case in Georgia for signs erected since roughly 2008 (which is still a small minority of them right now); they've switched over to "normal" right- or left-aligned non-full-width tabs.  Phased out at the same time, an actual Georgia exclusive: use of all-Series D legend on BGSes.

[Takumi]

Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Indeed, Virginia may be the only state where older cutouts still exist in more than one or two locations. (Incidentally, there's one less cutout in Virginia now; the US 58 cutout in Franklin is now gone.)

[DaBigE]

But I think that obsessively signing on- and off-ramps to and from freeways (as Caltrans does) are one way to deter (not prevent) wrong-way incursions (and the resulting head-on and frequently fatal wrecks).

I understand where you're coming from with that statement, but "obsessively signing" IMO, is a very dangerous term. The more over-used a sign becomes, the quicker drivers will learn to "tune it out" and the less overall meaning it will have. It's a problem/pet-peeve of mine I see happening with certain fellow designers and the PED XING assembly. The intention of that assembly was to warn of unexpected and/or high volume crossings, not every crosswalk you encounter in an urban area. It also increases the competition with other signs for a driver's attention (the span of which seems to be getting shorter and shorter with each passing year and new in-car tech gadget).

That is why I am more in-favor of selective use of the FREEWAY ENTRANCE assembly.

[bugo]

Texas is the only state where I've seen U-turns under underpasses leading from one frontage road to the other. They are actually quite handy.

There are several along I-44 in Tulsa.  They are indeed very handy.

[thenetwork]

Presumably the sign 1) marks the point of no return, beyond which you cannot escape joining the route marked and/or the freeway, and 2) marks the beginning of any laws which may apply to freeways (minimum speed, maximum heights, no self-propelled vehicles, etc.), much like the chopsticks sign on British motorways.

Or in the case of I-70 in Grand Junction, CO, the FREEWAY ENTRANCE sign is used to direct people onto the proper roadway to get on the interstate:  http://maps.google.com/maps?q=81506&hl=en&ll=39.111349,-108.540287&spn=0.009623,0.026157&sll=38.997934,-105.550567&sspn=4.93428,13.392334&hnear=Grand+Junction,+Colorado+81506&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=39.111444,-108.540381&panoid=uGaeuaHghskV396Zt2mmYA&cbp=12,146.7,,0,0

Just to the right is a dead-end road leading to the Visitors Center.  Also notice the I-70 East marker using a diagonal-right up arrow.  In this situation, the arrow should angle down or be a normal horizontal-right arrow.

[bugo]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

[Alex]

Also, no longer the case in Georgia for signs erected since roughly 2008 (which is still a small minority of them right now); they've switched over to "normal" right- or left-aligned non-full-width tabs.  Phased out at the same time, an actual Georgia exclusive: use of all-Series D legend on BGSes.

Several of the "normal" exit tabs on I-20 east near the Alabama line and I-85 northeast of Atlanta. It appears that the tabs are used now to accommodate the new "LEFT EXIT" sign specifications required by the MUTCD revision. Is that the case?

[DaBigE]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

It depends on the spacing between the interchanges. But yes, other states use this setup. There are a couple in the Madison, WI-area I can think of right off the bat. If the interchanges are less than half a mile apart, generally WisDOT will utilize a continuous lane.

[NJRoadfan]

Also, speaking of NYS, I have only seen the box girder guardrails there so far.  PennDOT used to use it on I-70 from Washington, PA to New Stanton decades ago, but last I know they might of changed  it to Jersey Barrier.  That may be a New York thing now.

I spotted box beam guardrail in Virginia. Its used in the median of I-85/US-460 in Petersburg (the old Richmond-Peterburg Turnpike section). There appears to be some on I-95 in the area too.

[US81]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

Texas has some stretches where this is done.  I'm thinking of I(H)-35, particularly in the Austin area, although I know I've seen it elsewhere.  Austin also tends to have the exit ramp retain its own lane along the service/access/frontage road as far as the intersection or even the next freeway entrance ramp, so that there should be be less urgency to merge.

[The High Plains Traveler]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

It depends on the spacing between the interchanges. But yes, other states use this setup. There are a couple in the Madison, WI-area I can think of right off the bat. If the interchanges are less than half a mile apart, generally WisDOT will utilize a continuous lane.

Much of the T-Rex project completed a few years ago, where I-25 was widened on the south side of Denver, includes auxiliary lanes between interchanges as you describe.

[J N Winkler]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

I think it is not uncommon in urban areas--Topeka has it on I-70, for example.  I am not totally keen on it because the lane that is gained and dropped between interchanges can easily be confused for a through lane (especially if lane assignment signing for the drop at the next exit does not begin immediately after the gain) and can thus lead to unnecessary lane changes.

[myosh_tino]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

In California, these are called an "auxiliary lane" and they are quite common here.  In fact there is a current construction project on US 101 from route 85 in Mountain View to the San Mateo county line to add these auxiliary lanes in both directions.

[Scott5114]

But California has to be the only state where the standard route marker for every level of highway (Interstate, US, state, county) is a cutout.  Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Oscar, I cannot think of even one cutout left in Virginia on a section of VDOT-maintained highway or street.

All cutouts that I can remember in Virginia these days are within the corporate limits of towns or cities.

I can recall a cutout US-460 on I-85 as of 2008. May be dead by now though.

[Alps]

But California has to be the only state where the standard route marker for every level of highway (Interstate, US, state, county) is a cutout.  Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Oscar, I cannot think of even one cutout left in Virginia on a section of VDOT-maintained highway or street.

All cutouts that I can remember in Virginia these days are within the corporate limits of towns or cities.

I can recall a cutout US-460 on I-85 as of 2008. May be dead by now though.

But that's not an old one.

[Takumi]

No, those (I think there are four total) are from the 1990s when 460 was moved onto 85. Most of the old cutouts are in the western part of the state.

[oscar]

Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Indeed, Virginia may be the only state where older cutouts still exist in more than one or two locations. (Incidentally, there's one less cutout in Virginia now; the US 58 cutout in Franklin is now gone.)

Hawaii had multiple old cutouts in the field (all at least 40 years old) last I was out there in 2009.  Some disappear now and then, but since neither Hawaii's sign thieves nor its state or county DOTs (except on Kauai) are particularly efficient at removing old signs, there probably are multiple cutouts still out there.

[vtk]

Only in West Virginia for a limited time: guide signs featuring black Clearview legend on bare aluminum.

[Mapmikey]

But California has to be the only state where the standard route marker for every level of highway (Interstate, US, state, county) is a cutout.  Other states (Virginia, for example) have some US and state route cutouts, but they are not the norm and, regrettably, are becoming less common.

Oscar, I cannot think of even one cutout left in Virginia on a section of VDOT-maintained highway or street.

All cutouts that I can remember in Virginia these days are within the corporate limits of towns or cities.

There are still cutouts outside incorporated cities...

Within the last 3 months I have observed the Gordonsville cutouts are still present, plus US 33 east of Harrisonburg, plus VA 208 at Spotsylvania CH.

Going back 6 months there were still some in Hillsville and Pearisburg, plus the lone 42 cutout in Churchville, plus Highland County still has some.

I know of other locations of cutouts not in incorp places but I haven't been by them in a year to see if they are still present (VA 18, VA 63, and VA 227, for example).

Someone asked about the 460 cutouts on I-85 ... they were there Dec 7.

Mapmikey

[thenetwork]

Only in Ohio, when ODOT is too cheap to create a new BGS to accommodate a route shield properly...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=canton+ohio&hl=en&ll=40.827547,-81.398591&spn=0.001181,0.00327&sll=41.537302,-81.641199&sspn=0.001168,0.00327&hnear=Canton,+Stark,+Ohio&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.827547,-81.398591&panoid=XnpyUGtk10RCEI1PfYiipA&cbp=12,227.92,,0,0

This also happened at I-90 @ E.72nd St (OH-283) in Cleveland and I-71@ Polaris Parkway (OH-750) in Columbus, although I believe the latter has been fixed over the years due to sign upgrades.

[jeffandnicole]

New Jersey, at one time, did not allow 2 lane roads to be posted at 55 mph, and had the same rule as Delaware.  I believe that the Garden State, though, only let two 2 lane highways to have the 55 mph: NJ 54 and NJ 72.

Other 2 lane, 55 mph'ers in NJ:

NJ 70 has a 55 mph (which was raised from 50 mph several years ago), and Cape May County Route 625 has a mile or so stretch of 55 mph before entering Sea Isle City.

I'm going to argue US 130 South has a 1/2 mile, 55 mph stretch below the Commodore Barry Bridge after the roadway drops the 2nd lane.  I would say it's due to a sign that went missing a few years ago...but then again, the entire sign assembly has been missing for a few years now with seemingly no attempt to reinstall it.

[jeffandnicole]

Another NJ-only thing that I'm having trouble recalling elsewhere - on the NJ Turnpike, GS Parkway and AC Expressway, there are NO reduced speed limit signs approaching the cash lanes of the toll plazas.  In most cases, the speed limit is 65 mph on the roadways. 

(Quite a contrast to Delaware, as one crosses the Del Mem Bridge the speed limit is reduced to an unmaintainable 20 mph almost a 1/2 mile prior to the toll plaza!

[agentsteel53]

Hawaii had multiple old cutouts in the field (all at least 40 years old) last I was out there in 2009.  Some disappear now and then, but since neither Hawaii's sign thieves nor its state or county DOTs (except on Kauai) are particularly efficient at removing old signs, there probably are multiple cutouts still out there.

Mississippi has cutouts in about 3 different cities that I can think of offhand.  probably more.

[kphoger]

In Oklahoma, many entrance ramps to freeways are continuous and become exit only lanes for the next exit.  These are great because you have until the next exit to merge over, instead of having to worry about the entrance merge ramp ending before the exit lane begins.  Is this unique to Oklahoma or do other states use this setup?

I think it is not uncommon in urban areas--Topeka has it on I-70, for example. 

Also along I-135 in Wichita, southbound from 13th Street to Harry (ignoring the half-exit at Central); northbound from Harry to K-254 (again ignoring the half-exit at Central).

I am not totally keen on it because the lane that is gained and dropped between interchanges can easily be confused for a through lane (especially if lane assignment signing for the drop at the next exit does not begin immediately after the gain) and can thus lead to unnecessary lane changes.

Texas does a good job of striping the in-between sections with a dotted line, making it obvious that the auxiliary lane is not an added lane, such as here.  Kansas, or at least Wichita, is terrible at this.