The worst State Route shields of the 50 states

[bassoon1986]

The recent posting of the awful Florida SR 100 sign made me wonder what are the worst of the worst. Which state route shield in your state got hit by the ugly stick? Let's stick to state routes and not interstate and US routes. Although for some states, I wonder what's the worst you could do to a simple square or a circle...

This is a horrible version done by Putnam County on the southbound side of CR 315.. No attempt to even be remotely close to the real thing.



Fixed the image code. -rmf67

I remember a positively awful one from Louisiana. US 71, do you have a picture of the hideous LA 1 shield paired next to a US 71 sign leaving downtown Shreveport northbound?

[cjk374]

Alot of the LA state shields on exit ramps in Shreveport & Bossier (I-20, I-220, LA 3132) some really ugly state shields that look like LA & MS traded northern parishes for southern counties, then kept taking over all of FL panhandle! 

http://www.instantstreetview.com/2bkqq3z1meiucz30hzopz2u

[1995hoo]

This sign is, thankfully, gone now that construction is finished. It was on the ramp from the Capital Beltway's Inner Loop to Telegraph Road (Virginia 241). I've seen plenty of odd renditions of Virginia's state route shield, but in my opinion this one was the ugliest I've seen.

[hotdogPi]

This sign is, thankfully, gone now that construction is finished. It was on the ramp from the Capital Beltway's Inner Loop to Telegraph Road (Virginia 241). I've seen plenty of odd renditions of Virginia's state route shield, but in my opinion this one was the ugliest I've seen.

That doesn't seem that ugly. If any specific state had it as the standard for the whole state, it would seem normal.

[agentsteel53]

I think the random circle makes it.

[1995hoo]

That doesn't seem that ugly. If any specific state had it as the standard for the whole state, it would seem normal.

Perhaps, but compare it to the standard Virginia marker. Hence why I cited it as ugly.

[Brandon]

Illinois and Indiana are hard to fuck up.  I mean, how hard can it be to make a boring-ass square or rectangle state route shield?

Yet, believe it or not (cue Ripley), it can be done!

Here's one from IDOT District 8, Collinsville, in Collinsville:



Then there are those who think we're Iowa (Manteno):



Then there are oddities like this:



Or we can use Clearview:



Then there used to be some that just omitted the "ILLINOIS" at the top of the shield altogether.

Indiana is much better than Illinois at the square.

Michigan can be pretty good about it, but occasionally, the alignment can be off.

Wisconsin just substitutes a US route shield usually. 

[Zeffy]

All of these are from Alpsroads.net:



It's kinda interesting, but how small the circle is in comparison with the rest of the sign is pretty awful.



Ew. All I can say here.



Ugh. This is definitely worse than the NJ 36 shield I posted before this...



Construction signage, but definitely worth noting under nasty.

[roadman]

Older Massachusetts state shields that do NOT have a border - this was an issue with shields on BGSes (and some LGSes) for some time.

[US71]

AR 244 (likely a contractor error)


Again, contractor error

[Kacie Jane]

To be fair, I don't think that's supposed to be a shield.  While sure a shield would work in that context, I think spelling it out on a blade is perfectly valid (though I think the blade should be orange).  That's how you'd sign it if it weren't a numbered route.

[Eth]

Apologies for the crappy photo (or, more correctly, capture from a phone video circa 2011)...



I don't know what that is, but it's not Georgia.

[Zeffy]

I think that's Missouri. Ironically, I remember confusing a MO route shield for a GA one before... and if you dig deep enough you can probably find it.

[Brandon]

I think that's Missouri. Ironically, I remember confusing a MO route shield for a GA one before... and if you dig deep enough you can probably find it.

No, that's definitely not Missouri in Eth's photo.  It's a mutant Georgia shield.

[Zeffy]

Yup, that definitely isn't Missouri... looked at it too quickly... 

[vtk]

In the aaroads shield gallery there are a couple of derpy Ohio shields that are labelled as something like "2002 spec". Some contractor out there must have a stockpile of blanks like that because they exist several places in the wild.

[national highway 1]

Tecate, Mexico

[amroad17]

Was that Hwy 178 Flippin Business or is the lower sign pointing the way to Flippin Business? 

[cjk374]

Was that Hwy 178 Flippin Business or is the lower sign pointing the way to Flippin Business? 

The name of the town is Flippin, AR.  That is the way to the downtown business district.

[spooky]

Older Massachusetts state shields that do NOT have a border - this was an issue with shields on BGSes (and some LGSes) for some time.

How about what I affectionately call the "TV set" MA shields on BGS?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4747853,-71.227533,3a,24.6y,283.41h,93.43t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sHnlc2nf1_fFyqDNN9n90gA!2e0

[formulanone]

[Brandon]

THIS is why I'm not a fan of every state using state-shaped route shields.  If you're gonna use them, keep the state properly proportional.  Otherwise, use a different marker.

[bassoon1986]

It looks like a pregnant Georgia

[PHLBOS]

Older Massachusetts state shields that do NOT have a border - this was an issue with shields on BGSes (and some LGSes) for some time.

Playing devil's advocate for a moment; one has to wonder if the reasoning behind omitting the border (truth be told such isn't that bad or worse IMHO) is similar to other states omitting the black background on shields mounted on BGS'/LGS'.

[Henry]

I can tolerate circle shields, but not squares. Too boring for me...