I-540 Signage (ATTN AHTD)

[US71]

bugo, Clearview is harder to read at night?  I'm just glad AHTD stopped using all caps on certain signage... That IS harder to read, based on studies.

Most of the signs on 540 were already U/L case, though I noticed on directions they're now using the larger initial letter

I'm not talking about Interstate signage... I'm talking about this:

http://goo.gl/maps/vsNV4

and

http://goo.gl/maps/mGfJM

and those stupid arrows they use...

Like these?

[andy3175]

We are moving away from including the state name on ground-level Interstate route markers. Signs in this area that were installed incorrectly (wrong version of sign) will be removed and replaced with the correct version.

Bummer. I have worked with Caltrans, and I know others have worked with UDOT, TxDOT, and LaDOTD to restore the state name to ground mounted Interstate highway signs. Although I do not presume to know what drove the decision apparently made by AHTD to move toward eliminating the state name from ground mounted Interstate highway signs, I do think it will be a mistake and sad, especially for a state surrounded on all sides (except Tennessee) that now utilizes the state name on their new ground-mounted Interstate highway signs. Hopefully this decision can be reversed, in my opinion, as there is no loss of sign legibility.

Regards,
Andy

[US71]

We haven't been putting state name on overhead (green) signs. We are currently removing from the ground- mounted signs.

Since they have already been posted, why not leave them in place? Seems like a waste of money to replace perfectly good new signs.

[US71]

I noticed today a couple discrepancies in the Exit Numbering.

Most of the new exit signs have no number yet, but a few do.

US 64 at Van Buren is posted as Exit 2A 64 West / 2B  64 East  as you are going south on 540. Yet northbound 540,  it's 2A 64 East / 2B 64 West, so the A-B designations have traded places.  I just caught this today when the sign crews were installing more signs.

Also, the Janet Huckabee Nature Center is posted as Exit 4, instead of Exit 11 (AR 253 - Zero Street).

I'm not sure your sign vendors know what they are doing

UPDATE 4-3-14
That was fast: the erroneous exit numbers have been removed from the signs.  Looked like the "drill team" was busy today, too 

[AHTD]

We put them on it as soon as we read your post.

Appreciate the input!

[US71]

We put them on it as soon as we read your post.

Appreciate the input!

I noticed the sign yard today: do you need me to inspect the signs before you post them?  

[M86]

I noticed the sign yard today: do you need me to inspect the signs before you post them?  

They didn't include state initials for the Oklahoma City sign.  I'd call that a win.  Control cities should not have state abbreviations... Good job, AHTD!

Now, please, for the love of anything holy, sign concurrent routes.

[M86]

http://goo.gl/maps/mGfJM

and those stupid arrows they use...

Like these?

Nope, the weird up and over arrows on signage... Not county, but state:

http://goo.gl/maps/VDyDw

I've never see those arrows on any signage outside of Arkansas.

[bjrush]

Well if that is the intersecting roads' geometry, I don't see any problem with abandoning standards that don't fit the situation in the field

[US71]

I noticed the sign yard today: do you need me to inspect the signs before you post them?  

They didn't include state initials for the Oklahoma City sign.  I'd call that a win.  Control cities should not have state abbreviations... Good job, AHTD!

Now, please, for the love of anything holy, sign concurrent routes.

OOPS! 

[cjk374]

I noticed the sign yard today: do you need me to inspect the signs before you post them?  

They didn't include state initials for the Oklahoma City sign.  I'd call that a win.  Control cities should not have state abbreviations... Good job, AHTD!

Now, please, for the love of anything holy, sign concurrent routes.

OOPS! 

I'm blind....what am I not seeing that earned the OOPS?   

[bjrush]

Exit numbers

[cjk374]

^ I thought that was intentional for planning the future permanent exit numbers.

[US71]

Exit numbers

US 71 is missing.

The exit numbers are slowly beginning to show up.

[robbones]

I noticed the sign yard today: do you need me to inspect the signs before you post them?  

They didn't include state initials for the Oklahoma City sign.  I'd call that a win.  Control cities should not have state abbreviations... Good job, AHTD!

Now, please, for the love of anything holy, sign concurrent routes.

Now with old I 540 north being reassigned as I 49, they will have to update the I 40 EB control signs to say something as I 40 East Little Rock/ TO I 49 North Fayetteville

[agentsteel53]

I'm okay with some control cities having state abbreviations.  hell, I'd love it "Pensacola/Pascagoula" (tried reading that at 70mph if you're from the other side of the country) were signed "Florida/Mississippi". 

also, international destinations should always have them.  (even though it's funny if someone ends up in Vancouver without a passport.)

[robbones]

We put them on it as soon as we read your post.

Appreciate the input!

Since I 540 from Alma north has became I 49,  will the signs in Van Buren at the US 64/71B and I 40 interchanges be updated before the sign crew is finished in that area.

[US71]

I caught 3 more goofs today:

NB 540 at AR 22: the sign at the beginning of the ramp says Exit 7 (should be 8, I think?)

NB 540 approaching Kelley Hwy: the sign for the State Police says Exit 10 (should be 5 ?)

SB 540 at US 271: sign at the ramp says Exit 1 (should be 14 ?)

I'm guessing the sign vendor missed the memo about the exit numbers not changing. 

On a brighter note, things are beginning to look much better along the construction zone.

[RBBrittain]

I'm okay with some control cities having state abbreviations.  hell, I'd love it "Pensacola/Pascagoula" (tried reading that at 70mph if you're from the other side of the country) were signed "Florida/Mississippi". 

also, international destinations should always have them.  (even though it's funny if someone ends up in Vancouver without a passport.)

It's necessary on I-40/I-55 in West Memphis, where the next control cities past Memphis are Jackson, TN (I-40 EB) vs. Jackson, MS (I-55 SB). But then I can also remember when TDOT used just "Arkansas" (not Little Rock, or Blytheville, or even West Memphis) as the control city west of Memphis; I think that's how the I-55 Memphis & Arkansas Bridge got its name.

[AHTD]

I caught 3 more goofs today:

NB 540 at AR 22: the sign at the beginning of the ramp says Exit 7 (should be 8, I think?)

NB 540 approaching Kelley Hwy: the sign for the State Police says Exit 10 (should be 5 ?)

SB 540 at US 271: sign at the ramp says Exit 1 (should be 14 ?)

I'm guessing the sign vendor missed the memo about the exit numbers not changing. 

On a brighter note, things are beginning to look much better along the construction zone.

Thank you!

This has been verified and the contractor has been instructed to correct the signage ASAP.

[US71]

I apologize to all my fellow road enthusiasts:

All the Interstate Arkansas 540 shields have been replaced (yes, even the new ones).

All the signs are now Interstate 540 (no state name)

[robbones]

I apologize to all my fellow road enthusiasts:

All the Interstate Arkansas 540 shields have been replaced (yes, even the new ones).

All the signs are now Interstate 540 (no state name)

Have they updated the signs in Van Buren to reflect I 49?

[Alex]

I apologize to all my fellow road enthusiasts:

All the Interstate Arkansas 540 shields have been replaced (yes, even the new ones).

All the signs are now Interstate 540 (no state name)

And I see that the shield needlessly retains the space meant for ARKANSAS. If you are going to neuter a shield, at least neuter it correctly:

[txstateends]

I still don't get, why is it, neutered or non, that these I-540 shields have to have 2 posts to hold them up?  Are they *that* heavy?  It's not that windy up there, either, I wouldn't think.  I could see it if there were other routes being represented (like IF someone, oh, maybe highway-related, actually put US 62 and US 71 shields, one on each post, under the interstate shield), but this is a single route, with a sign that doesn't look THAT unwieldy.  Oh well, what do I know.....

[US71]

Have they updated the signs in Van Buren to reflect I 49?

Not yet. Last I heard, AHTD is working on the intersecting roads along 49 north of Alma this week. I don't expect the overheads to change for at least another week.  I may run to Alma this weekend and see.

[txstateends}: The new signs are larger than the old signs were. Almost all the signs on 540 are now on the heavy I-beam posts.