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

[roadman65]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1A4xo9sHK3/

A Welcome sign with not only a governor name but his picture on it.

State road maps used to do that a lot too.

Some still do.

[hobsini2]

Another "GPS Wrong" variant:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ajU9AyFZgUi4L59j6

This one went missing a long time ago:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1gQPqgndVpUVa6UVA

School name on a signal's sign blade:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xqc2Vnh819Mizphe8

I like the Bear Right sign. Gave me a chuckle.

[hobsini2]

Several interesting ones I've spotted recently:

"AHEAD | NO TRUCKS LANE LEFT"
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8uP2MrRbV81xVhbq8

Bruh. Why so much green space on the sign? The advance signage is like this too!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qFvV9Ucpk7zwC5rn6

For some reason Houston suburbs cannot make a properly spec'd speed limit sign:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JLS9BntbBCiFNfz76

Looking at a map view, the answer is because it used to say US 69-75 on it. They just never bothered to get a smaller sign. That should have been obvious.

[CoreySamson]

Looking at a map view, the answer is because it used to say US 69-75 on it. They just never bothered to get a smaller sign. That should have been obvious.

Where are you seeing this? GSV doesn't have anything before 2018 of the signs, and other signs in the area installed around the same time also have similar green space issues. Also, US 69/75 was realigned from 9th Avenue way before the US 70 Durant bypass (and this sign) was built.

[hobsini2]

Looking at a map view, the answer is because it used to say US 69-75 on it. They just never bothered to get a smaller sign. That should have been obvious.

Where are you seeing this? GSV doesn't have anything before 2018 of the signs, and other signs in the area installed around the same time also have similar green space issues. Also, US 69/75 was realigned from 9th Avenue way before the US 70 Durant bypass (and this sign) was built.

That was a pure guess. I would have to look to see what came first. The 70 Bypass or 69-75 Bypass.

[74/171FAN]

On US 250 EB at US 340 SB on the east side of Waynesboro, VA, with "JUNCTION" written out.

US 250 EAST AT US 340 SOUTH (1) by Mark Moore, on Flickr

[kphoger]

with "JUNCTION" written out

Does anyone know if that was a pre-1961 standard?

[Mapmikey]

with "JUNCTION" written out

Does anyone know if that was a pre-1961 standard?

This is quite common in Virginia intersections in pictures older than 1960. You can still find a few that are newer replacement-in-kind banners.

I know at least one vintage assembly exists on the Eastern Shore (2023 GMSV still shows the back of it) - http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/316junction.jpg

my favorite ones were removed last few years - https://maps.app.goo.gl/crx5GjJCE8QPMqLB6 and http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/610whitesign.jpg

I have seen a couple with interstate junctions in Virginia, 30 years ago...

The Carolinas had them but most photos are older than 1950 I believe.

[hbelkins]

with "JUNCTION" written out

Does anyone know if that was a pre-1961 standard?

This is quite common in Virginia intersections in pictures older than 1960. You can still find a few that are newer replacement-in-kind banners.

I know at least one vintage assembly exists on the Eastern Shore (2023 GMSV still shows the back of it) - http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/316junction.jpg

my favorite ones were removed last few years - https://maps.app.goo.gl/crx5GjJCE8QPMqLB6 and http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/610whitesign.jpg

I have seen a couple with interstate junctions in Virginia, 30 years ago...

The Carolinas had them but most photos are older than 1950 I believe.

I remember seeing them as a kid at Alternate US 58/VA 75 and I-81 in Abingdon, and some of them survived (although not in that same iteration) into the late 1990s.

[plain]

I have seen a couple with interstate junctions in Virginia, 30 years ago...

When the initial section of I-295 opened (between the I-64 junctions), all of the intersecting surface routes had 295 JUNCTION spelled out. Most of them made it to at least the mid 1990's.

[ClassicHasClass]

Interesting setup in Richmond/El Cerrito, CA. Because I-580 and I-80 run so close to each other, at certain times of day you are expected to use I-580 east towards Oakland instead of I-80 west (remember that they are a wrong-way concurrency along the Eastshore Fwy past Albany, Berkeley and Emeryville). When you're allowed to go on I-80 west, this setup at the Central Avenue exit looks like this:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/k9gEGZPc7MjYCZRm6

But when you're not, it looks like this. (The best Google Maps picture I could get of the other configuration hails from 2020, not very recent, so this picture I took yesterday sitting in traffic.) Notice the left turn changeable sign is dark and the large one is lit. A "no left turn" during certain hours sign is added to make this clear.



Also, I would like to live on Jacuzzi St (if it weren't in Richmond).

[freebrickproductions]

with "JUNCTION" written out

Does anyone know if that was a pre-1961 standard?

This is quite common in Virginia intersections in pictures older than 1960. You can still find a few that are newer replacement-in-kind banners.

I know at least one vintage assembly exists on the Eastern Shore (2023 GMSV still shows the back of it) - http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/316junction.jpg

my favorite ones were removed last few years - https://maps.app.goo.gl/crx5GjJCE8QPMqLB6 and http://www.vahighways.com/oldsigns/610whitesign.jpg

I have seen a couple with interstate junctions in Virginia, 30 years ago...

The Carolinas had them but most photos are older than 1950 I believe.

I remember seeing them as a kid at Alternate US 58/VA 75 and I-81 in Abingdon, and some of them survived (although not in that same iteration) into the late 1990s.

IIRC, Alabama would also write-out "junction" on their banners.

[WNYroadgeek]

Quite the interesting NY 38 shield in Auburn: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xp52w1Vzzuaf4sSG7

[hobsini2]

A sign error shield for "To US 51" in Poynette, WI. At one point, this intersection was US 51 but has not been in ages.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3954781,-89.4027893,3a,20.4y,8.46h,83.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sX80l9Lh0-Fjxmbw82SVFYw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D6.508112892867118%26panoid%3DX80l9Lh0-Fjxmbw82SVFYw%26yaw%3D8.460569283948502!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyNS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Big John]

^^ And it is an erroneous Wisconsin highway shield too for a US highway.

[formulanone]

This center-line mounted "upcoming exits" guide sign on Missouri 364 is + + W I D E + +

[thenetwork]

This center-line mounted "upcoming exits" guide sign on Missouri 364 is + + W I D E + +

US-75 in Dallas says, "Hold my Lone Star"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xqZsf5KATWQYxLbw9?g_st=ac

[plain]

This center-line mounted "upcoming exits" guide sign on Missouri 364 is + + W I D E + +

US-75 in Dallas says, "Hold my Lone Star"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xqZsf5KATWQYxLbw9?g_st=ac

Smdh I can understand the MO example, but that TX example is wide for no reason

[roadfro]

This center-line mounted "upcoming exits" guide sign on Missouri 364 is + + W I D E + +

US-75 in Dallas says, "Hold my Lone Star"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xqZsf5KATWQYxLbw9?g_st=ac

Smdh I can understand the MO example, but that TX example is wide for no reason

Came here to say this. That TX example has at least 10 feet of extra width for no reason at all.

The text also violates MUTCD, as the forward slash ("solidus") is only supposed to be used with distance fractions. Multiple destinations/phrases are to be separated with a dash.

[kphoger]

The text also violates MUTCD, as the forward slash ("solidus") is only supposed to be used with distance fractions. Multiple destinations/phrases are to be separated with a dash.

Source?  I'm looking at §2E.24, and I don't see anything about how to treat multiple street names on an E9-1 or E9-2 sign.

Here in Wichita, we have signs that list them on separate lines instead of using a dash.

[D-Dey65]

The end of this video from Vermont in 1957 has an unusual warning road sign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwEMU7fyvYg
It's on a site run by a Long Island Mopar enthusiast.

[roadfro]

The text also violates MUTCD, as the forward slash ("solidus") is only supposed to be used with distance fractions. Multiple destinations/phrases are to be separated with a dash.

Source?  I'm looking at §2E.24, and I don't see anything about how to treat multiple street names on an E9-1 or E9-2 sign.

Here in Wichita, we have signs that list them on separate lines instead of using a dash.

I guess I mis-remembered. It's guidance statement, not a standard.

This is a provision that applies to all types of signage, so it's in the first chapter of Part 2 Signs. 2023 MUTCD §2A.08 Word Messages (PDF pg 46):

Guidance:

13 The solidus (slanted line or forward slash) is intended to be used for fractions only and should not be used to separate words on the same line of legend. Instead, a hyphen should be used for this purpose, such as "TRUCKS - BUSES."

Similar provision has appeared in previous editions.

[kphoger]

Honestly, I prefer a solidus instead of a dash.  To me, a dash means "through".  As in, the second line on the Texas example looks like "all cross-streets from Upper Bottom Road through Arena Parkway".

[Shedingtonian]

The end of this video from Vermont in 1957 has an unusual warning road sign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwEMU7fyvYg
It's on a site run by a Long Island Mopar enthusiast.

It reminds me of this sign native to British Columbia. Photo courtesy of Alps' Roads.

[Rothman]

In Cedar City, Utah: