The Arbutus Oak | Notable Points of Interest within Interchanges

[talllguy]

^{I posted this in MTR a few weeks back, before I read about this site's existence. Pretty interesting}

Who has heard of the Arbutus Oak? I noticed this signed tree inside the interchange of I-695 and I-95 in Maryland (south side). I read more into the tree and mapped it on OpenStreetMap. The tree is over 300 years old, and the highway ramps were built to avoid disturbing it, however it is practically inaccessible to the public. There is a small dirt track leading to the tree from I-695 OL. It is most visible from I-95 SB. On Google Street View you can barely see the sign and the fence around the tree.

Anyone know any thing about this one? I found a few articles on the web. I looked over the SRC plats for this area but they do not actually give any mention of the tree, despite their typical high level of detail.

Additionally, I'm curious if any of you know of any interesting points of interest hidden inside interchanges or medians, not typically observed by the passerby, and inaccessible without permission of DOT?

[froggie]

While creating my reworking of I-375 Detroit, I noticed some sort of marker within the I-75/I-375 interchange.

[kj3400]

^{I posted this in MTR a few weeks back, before I read about this site's existence. Pretty interesting}

Who has heard of the Arbutus Oak? I noticed this signed tree inside the interchange of I-695 and I-95 in Maryland (south side). I read more into the tree and mapped it on OpenStreetMap. The tree is over 300 years old, and the highway ramps were built to avoid disturbing it, however it is practically inaccessible to the public. There is a small dirt track leading to the tree from I-695 OL. It is most visible from I-95 SB. On Google Street View you can barely see the sign and the fence around the tree.

Anyone know any thing about this one? I found a few articles on the web. I looked over the SRC plats for this area but they do not actually give any mention of the tree, despite their typical high level of detail.

Additionally, I'm curious if any of you know of any interesting points of interest hidden inside interchanges or medians, not typically observed by the passerby, and inaccessible without permission of DOT?

That's pretty damn cool. I've never even seen that tree and I've been through that interchange thousands of times. Granted it's next to the one ramp I'd never use, living here, and I've never thought to look that way heading south on I-95.

[talllguy]

That's pretty damn cool. I've never even seen that tree and I've been through that interchange thousands of times. Granted it's next to the one ramp I'd never use, living here, and I've never thought to look that way heading south on I-95.

I know, right? I've also driven by this thousands of times. It comes and goes in the blink of an eye. The only reason I noticed it at all was when I was a passenger, headed south, and was peering out the window. I'm always on the lookout for signage, so that one caught my eye.

[Mr. Matté]

CR 547 at the I-195 (NJ) interchange briefly divides around a cemetery here: https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.16333,-74.153209&spn=0.007051,0.013937&t=h&z=17

[txstateends]

In Irving, near the SE corner of DFW Airport, there is a cemetery, Tompkins Cemetery, between EB TX 183 and the EB service road, just west of TX 161-Bush Turnpike and also Valley View Lane.  When the ramps were added for EB TX 183=>to=>TX 161-Bush Turnpike, a bit of the embankment was taken away from the cemetery's edge (hopefully without much disturbance).

Overview aerial (south side of TX 183 just west of Valley View Lane bridge):  http://goo.gl/maps/GTCJl
Closer aerial (clump of trees in the middle): http://goo.gl/maps/4yK2u
View from TX 183 service road:  http://goo.gl/maps/59Ooz

Tompkins Cemetery page at FindAGrave:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1972261

[talllguy]

@txstateends that is awesome! Looks like there is a former road under the interchange as well, east of the cemetery right under 161.

[6a]

This one is only noticeable for the sign saying what it is.  Otherwise it would be an unremarkable line of trees. At OH 16 & OH 79, Newark.

[bing101]

How about Lynch Canyon near the CA-12 @ I-80 west interchange in Fairfield, CA does it count I know theres US parks Brown Signs used but not many people pay attention to that.

Also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY9AHZQYpLw

In Dallas, Texas theres a CottonWood Trail Near the high 5 interchange.

[talllguy]

How about Lynch Canyon near the CA-12 @ I-80 west interchange in Fairfield, CA does it count I know theres US parks Brown Signs used but not many people pay attention to that.

Where in that interchange?

[txstateends]

@txstateends that is awesome! Looks like there is a former road under the interchange as well, east of the cemetery right under 161.

I'm not sure if that's an actual former road, or if that's a construction leftover from when the 161-183 interchange was built.

[bing101]

How about Lynch Canyon near the CA-12 @ I-80 west interchange in Fairfield, CA does it count I know theres US parks Brown Signs used but not many people pay attention to that.

Where in that interchange?

OK Its near it not exactly on the Western Section of CA-12 @ I-80 (Not Truck Lanes on the East section). I seen signs within the area for this.

[Alps]

The Peace Arch: http://goo.gl/maps/hF4SF

Border traffic was so bad, my family hopped out for a quick photo. Others were having picnics. (It is technically accessible from elsewhere, but trust me, the picnickers were all waiting at the crossing too.)

[talllguy]

The Peace Arch: http://goo.gl/maps/hF4SF

Border traffic was so bad, my family hopped out for a quick photo. Others were having picnics. (It is technically accessible from elsewhere, but trust me, the picnickers were all waiting at the crossing too.)

Whoa, I've never seen a crosswalk on an Interstate.

[hubcity]

The Shoemaker Holly, over 350 years old, stands in the center of a Garden State Parkway rest area that was purpose-built to preserve it. It's at milepost 22.7.

http://www.hiddennj.com/2014/01/reroute-dont-uproot-parkway-and.html

[Brandon]

The Peace Arch: http://goo.gl/maps/hF4SF

Border traffic was so bad, my family hopped out for a quick photo. Others were having picnics. (It is technically accessible from elsewhere, but trust me, the picnickers were all waiting at the crossing too.)

It is accessible from elsewhere without going through the crossing.  Google has some Street View images of the interior:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.002038,-122.756512&spn=0.000511,0.001321&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.002072,-122.756529&panoid=1nys0nJ1G3ulDbyYmqrIsA&cbp=12,297.11,,0,-5.03&z=20

Here's the entrance to the state park: https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.000763,-122.751558&spn=0.002045,0.005284&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.000668,-122.751566&panoid=9BTyjFPH1KJjpBf_xQ6xig&cbp=12,1.08,,0,8.82&z=18

[Pete from Boston]

It's not as isolated as some of the other examples, but the Easton Tower in Paramus, N.J., is on a street (Red Mill Road) with a parking lot that street serves as a de facto circulator for traffic in the Route 4/Paramus Road interchange.

http://goo.gl/maps/ONhkS

In fact, though I've passed through there dozens of times, it was not until looking at the map that I even realized you could turn in and access by car it at all.  In fairness to myself, access is very limited, only possible from southbound Paramus Road.

People in the area seem to think it was the Red Mill for which the road is named, but it was actually more part of the landscaping of the once-expansive grounds of Edward Easton, founder of Columbia Records.  The mill and its predecessors are all gone.

[Ga293]

Rome, Georgia has the an homage to the ancient Roman aqueducts that serves as the "Gateway to Rome" in the US 27/US 411/GA 1/GA 20/GA 53 interchange.

Google street view.