Official road signs having nothing to do with the road

[roadman]

"Entering XYZ Watershed (usually with a fancy logo)".  Massachusetts used to have such signs for the Neponset Valley watershed (until FHWA directed MassHighway to remove them), and they were rather large panels.  IIRC, such large signs still exist for the Chesepake Bay Watershed.

[deathtopumpkins]

I'd argue that's at least indirectly related to the road, because it informs you where the litter you throw from your car will end up, in case knowing that might deter you.

[J N Winkler]

In the same vein as law advisories at boundary crossings:  signs warning motorists approaching the Mexican border that firearms and ammunition are illegal in Mexico.  These exist in Arizona and Texas for sure, and possibly also in California and New Mexico.  Arizona DOT uses bespoke designs (I don't think I have ever seen a design for this sign in the Manual of Approved Signs), but TxDOT's SHSD has multiple standardized designs, including a large-format text-message sign ("Warning:  Firearms/Ammo Illegal In Mexico:  Penalty -- Prison By Mexican Law") and a square circle-and-slash prohibitory sign with a six-shooter-and-bullets graphic.

In a similar vein, Loop 375 on the Fort Bliss military reservation near El Paso has bilingual signs warning of unexploded ammunition.

[kphoger]

[roadman]

I'd argue that's at least indirectly related to the road, because it informs you where the litter you throw from your car will end up, in case knowing that might deter you.

Point taken.  However, you don't need a 12 foot by 8 foot extruded BGBWS (Big Green/Blue/White sign - like the Neponset ones were) on steel beam posts to convey that message.  A 4 foot by 3 foot "Do Not Litter" sign would do just fine.

[vtk]

Signage at Ohio rest areas (often indoor) is frequently manufactured like real road signs, with the same colors, fonts, and retroreflective materials. The signs tell you things like building inventory codes, emergency phone numbers, whose donations made possible the landscaping, and which is the men's or women's restrooms.  I once found a rest area building closed; this fact was made evident by a 12" by 9" retroreflective orange panel with the word CLOSED in 3" Series C affixed to the inside of the glass door.

[cpzilliacus]

"Entering XYZ Watershed (usually with a fancy logo)".  Massachusetts used to have such signs for the Neponset Valley watershed (until FHWA directed MassHighway to remove them), and they were rather large panels.  IIRC, such large signs still exist for the Chesepake Bay Watershed.

There used to be one on the east side of the Allegheny Tunnel for eastbound traffic on I-70/I-76 (Penna. Turnpike), but it's  gone.

There was also one at the crest of Meadow Mountain on eastbound I-68 in Garrett County, Maryland, with a very cool Eastern Continental Divide sign - both gone.

There was one on northbound I-95 in Prince George County, Va. south of Petersburg - gone.

Only one I know of that's left is on I-95 (JFK Highway) in Cecil County, Md. just south of Md. 279 (Exit 109).

[sp_redelectric]

Point taken.  However, you don't need a 12 foot by 8 foot extruded BGBWS (Big Green/Blue/White sign - like the Neponset ones were) on steel beam posts to convey that message.  A 4 foot by 3 foot "Do Not Litter" sign would do just fine.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=47.079796,-122.684573&spn=0.000007,0.009452&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=47.079763,-122.684695&panoid=3ga-slmhf4QA5fJ16EGZyg&cbp=12,266.88,,0,5.02

[1995hoo]

There is a very big spiffy Arctic Watershed sign, almost like a monument, on the Route 11 part of the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario somewhere along the segment from North Bay to Cochrane, complete with a parking area for people who wish to take pictures. I guess that makes it a bit different from a run-of-the-mill sign. (The other side says "Atlantic Watershed." Both sides say "From this point all streams flow [north/south] into the [Arctic/Atlantic] Ocean" and give the elevation, which I recall to be 318 m.)

Frankly we found it to be pretty cool, in part because it broke up what I remember being a fairly monotonous part of the trip north.


Edited to add: Found a picture online. It looks different from when I saw it–back then the sign was in English only. The presence of the "Ontario" sign suggests some sort of "official" status (whatever that really means). Even if I knew where my pictures were, it wouldn't help because I don't have a negative scanner (they were all taken on film, many as slides). Street View: http://goo.gl/maps/dwQXJ

[hbelkins]

I have photos of some of those Chesapeake Bay watershed signs and got contacted by someone for permission to use one of them in some publication somewhere, but I have long since forgotten the details.

Kentucky used to have posted, just beyond state borders on the interstates, big brown guide signs announcing the Ryder Cup and FEI Equestrian Games prior to the years that our state hosted them. I searched for photos because I know that I took some when the signs were up, but can't find them.

We have a policy about signs denoting championship athletic teams, etc., that I may post if I get motivated enough to look it up. 

[webfil]

Until early 2008, Québec city had three «Québec, ville de champions» ("Québec, city of champions") signs posted on A-40 and A-73 when entering the urban area, in lieu of a MGS announcing the name of the town.

They had logos of Rouge & Or (college football), Remparts (major junior hockey) and Capitales (Can-Am baseball league), which all won their championship in 2006.

[1995hoo]

Georgia STILL has something about the state being the site of the 1996 Olympic Games on the welcome sign found on northbound I-95 entering from Florida. I've never paid enough attention to notice whether the same is true on the southbound drive and I'm not motivated to look on Street View since it seems to be loading very slowly for me this morning. Whenever I see that sign I kind of roll my eyes because I feel like promoting something from almost 20 years ago is akin to saying "Our state has accomplished nothing since then."

[SteveG1988]

How about gee wiz info?

"Wow, i am at 2,250 Feet....aaand how does it affect me?"

[kphoger]

But it does very much, obviously have to do with the road.

[agentsteel53]

all that shit in Maryland about "if you see something, say something".

[kphoger]

all that shit in Maryland about "if you see something, say something".

I did a Google Images search for {if you see something say something road sign}, and this was the 15th result:

[oscar]

There is a very big spiffy Arctic Watershed sign, almost like a monument, on the Route 11 part of the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario somewhere along the segment from North Bay to Cochrane, complete with a parking area for people who wish to take pictures. I guess that makes it a bit different from a run-of-the-mill sign. (The other side says "Atlantic Watershed." Both sides say "From this point all streams flow [north/south] into the [Arctic/Atlantic] Ocean" and give the elevation, which I recall to be 318 m.)

I saw similar signs on other continental divide crossings in Ontario, including on ON 17 west of Thunder Bay, and (IIRC) ON 144, in July and October 2012.

Here is a different set of ON 11 continental divide signs, this from the segment west of Thunder Bay, which I took in June 2012:

[Pete from Boston]

I think the watershed signs are pretty much what I was talking about.  The ones pictured are very glorified and touristy, but those here are small and prosaic and have made me question what exactly I am supposed to do with this information.

[Pete from Boston]

How about gee wiz info?

"Wow, i am at 2,250 Feet....aaand how does it affect me?"

This, along with possibly the Susquehanna cooling towers, is the only visually interesting thing on 80 in Pennsylvania.

[kphoger]

Obviously written by someone who lives near an abundance of trees.

Having grown up where there are few, I find it hard to be bored anywhere there are hills, trees, and overall green.  I remember, when I was growing up in western Kansas and our family was considering moving to Wisconsin, someone once asked the question, What does Wisconsin have that Kansas doesn't?  Someone else privy to the conversation answered, Trees!

[sp_redelectric]

2,250 feet above sea level is probably the lowest point on I-90 in the state of Montana.  But there's no sign for that.

(I don't actually know, Kalispell is around 2,500 feet and there's a lot of really big mountains in every direction.)

[corco]

I can tell you with certainty that the lowest I-80 gets in Wyoming is 5,000 feet, right at the Nebraska line, but no sign for that either.

[1995hoo]

I saw similar signs on other continental divide crossings in Ontario, including on ON 17 west of Thunder Bay, and (IIRC) ON 144, in July and October 2012.

....

I saw the "Atlantic Watershed" side of the one on Route 144 somewhere between Timmins and Sudbury on the way back south, and I remember it looking the same as the one I posted above (again in English only, and probably with a different elevation). Didn't stop for pictures that time for two reasons–streams flowing into the Atlantic was less interesting to us than the Arctic, but more importantly it was pouring rain.

[PHLBOS]

2,250 feet above sea level is probably the lowest point on I-90 in the state of Montana.  But there's no sign for that.

(I don't actually know, Kalispell is around 2,500 feet and there's a lot of really big mountains in every direction.)

Speaking of I-90 elevations; this sign's along the western stretch of the Mass Pike between Exits 2 (US 20 Lee-Pittsfield) & 3 (US 202/MA 10 Westfield-Northampton):

[agentsteel53]

nah, the next highest elevation would be 1724 plus epsilon feet, just east of Oacoma, SD.

yes, South Dakota roads can get pretty bad (US-18, anyone?) but I don't imagine there being a 5 foot drop anywhere on I-90.