The CT, MA, RI and ME highway shield

[Duke87]

Ah, I didn't know that about the CT shields. I remember one sign up into maybe the early 2000s on the Merritt Parkway that still had the outline shield.

Oh there were tons until about then. Almost every guide sign on the parkway featured the outline shields (on non-reflective button copy) until they were replaced with the current sawtooth design.

I know of five 1970s outline shields still in existence in the wild today. Two of them are in my avatar. I find it a bit amazing that the 137 has survived so long considering it's in a highly visible location, but then I also know ConnDOT doesn't pay much attention to Stamford and Greenwich since they're rather far from the district 3 office in New Haven. CT 137 and CT 104 are both sparsely signed, especially 104.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Another thing is that numbers often carry over at state lines in this part of the country. Think NY/MA 2, VT/NH 9, NY/VT 22A (there is no VT 22), etc. It's the same number, so the shield really doesn't matter.

The fun part of NY/VT 22A is that it has been artificially created over the years. NY 22A was NY 286 and VT 22A was VT 30A. They renumbered 286 to 22A and 30A was renumbered to match.

[ixnay]

Personally, I'm still suprised that when I-68 first came about that Maryland didn't renumber just MD 68 to MD x68 or some other number; especially given its relatively close proximity the then-newly designated Interstate.

Sixty-eight is not the only route number used by MD on a state-numbered road as well as an interstate.  I-97 comes within +/- 22 miles of MD 97 as the crow flies.

OTOH I-283 and PA 283 do the cloverleaf square dance in suburban Harrisburg.

ixnay

[PHLBOS]

OTOH I-283 and PA 283 do the cloverleaf square dance in suburban Harrisburg.

One has to wonder if there ever were any actual plans to make PA 283 an extension of I-283?  I know somebody posted a fictional I-383 plan that does just such.

[dgolub]

I know of five 1970s outline shields still in existence in the wild today. Two of them are in my avatar. I find it a bit amazing that the 137 has survived so long considering it's in a highly visible location, but then I also know ConnDOT doesn't pay much attention to Stamford and Greenwich since they're rather far from the district 3 office in New Haven. CT 137 and CT 104 are both sparsely signed, especially 104.

Also, those towns don't exactly have many state routes in them.  Greenwich literally has nothing other than I-95, US 1, and CT 15 passing through it.

[Alps]

OTOH I-283 and PA 283 do the cloverleaf square dance in suburban Harrisburg.

One has to wonder if there ever were any actual plans to make PA 283 an extension of I-283?  I know somebody posted a fictional I-383 plan that does just such.

Nothing has ever surfaced. Considering PA 283 uses up the internal 300 number, it should just be signed 300. That makes it make sense as a spur off US 30.

While we're talking about confusing, neighboring, square shields: IL and IN.

[Doctor Whom]

I would consider changing the "black digits on a white square" route shields, not because they look too much like neighboring states' route shields, but because they look too much like speed-limit signs.

[hotdogPi]

I would consider changing the "black digits on a white square" route shields, not because they look too much like neighboring states' route shields, but because they look too much like speed-limit signs.

In Massachusetts, it's only a problem with MA 60 and maybe MA 70. (45, 50, 55, 65, and 75 don't exist, while 30, 35, and 40 are reasonable speed limits for those routes).

[SectorZ]

I would consider changing the "black digits on a white square" route shields, not because they look too much like neighboring states' route shields, but because they look too much like speed-limit signs.

In Massachusetts, it's only a problem with MA 60 and maybe MA 70. (45, 50, 55, 65, and 75 don't exist, while 30, 35, and 40 are reasonable speed limits for those routes).

If someone could hit 60 on 60 even at 3 AM, I'd be impressed.

70, on the other hand, is not even a challenge between 2 and 117 in Lancaster.

[Pete from Boston]

I would consider changing the "black digits on a white square" route shields, not because they look too much like neighboring states' route shields, but because they look too much like speed-limit signs.

In Massachusetts, it's only a problem with MA 60 and maybe MA 70. (45, 50, 55, 65, and 75 don't exist, while 30, 35, and 40 are reasonable speed limits for those routes).

If someone could hit 60 on 60 even at 3 AM, I'd be impressed.

70, on the other hand, is not even a challenge between 2 and 117 in Lancaster.

60 on 60 would have to be Squire Rd in Revere.  The rest you'd get nabbed doing much past 35 (not that 60 on Squire Rd is all that inconspicuous).

[connroadgeek]

It never dawned me that CT and MA had an I-291 that close to each other. I thought there was a rule that you can't have the same 3DI in neighboring states? There are two I-291s in different states within about 30 miles (eyeballing it from google maps) of each other. That other I-84 out west already bothers me. Wish they would change that as there are no people out there to drive on that fake I-84 anyway.

[hbelkins]

I thought there was a rule that you can't have the same 3DI in neighboring states?

Nope. Kentucky and Tennessee both have an I-275, and at one time both had an I-265. Tennessee and North Carolina have I-240, 440 and 640.

[cl94]

I thought there was a rule that you can't have the same 3DI in neighboring states?

Nope. Kentucky and Tennessee both have an I-275, and at one time both had an I-265. Tennessee and North Carolina have I-240, 440 and 640.

If that was the case, MA couldn't have any x90s because NY has 9 (or 2 of NY's x90s couldn't exist). There are a bunch of other examples (especially concerning I-95).

[empirestate]

I thought there was a rule that you can't have the same 3DI in neighboring states?

Nope. Kentucky and Tennessee both have an I-275, and at one time both had an I-265. Tennessee and North Carolina have I-240, 440 and 640.

If that was the case, MA couldn't have any x90s because NY has 9 (or 2 of NY's x90s couldn't exist). There are a bunch of other examples (especially concerning I-95).

Oo, oo, let's make a list of them all! 

[Alps]

I thought there was a rule that you can't have the same 3DI in neighboring states?

Nope. Kentucky and Tennessee both have an I-275, and at one time both had an I-265. Tennessee and North Carolina have I-240, 440 and 640.

If that was the case, MA couldn't have any x90s because NY has 9 (or 2 of NY's x90s couldn't exist). There are a bunch of other examples (especially concerning I-95).

Oo, oo, let's make a list of them all! 

Not here.

[kurumi]

...That other I-84 out west already bothers me. Wish they would change that as there are no people out there to drive on that fake I-84 anyway.

I grew up near eastern I-84 and should be a homer, but: just Google I-84 Columbia River. Or better yet, take a drive out there. Western I-84 is awesome.

And Portland does have a few people still driving cars (KOMO picture):

[dgolub]

Oo, oo, let's make a list of them all! 

NY, MA I-495

NY, RI/MA I-295

NY, NJ I-295

DE, MD I-495

I'm done.

MD, VA I-395

[dgolub]

I grew up near eastern I-84 and should be a homer, but: just Google I-84 Columbia River. Or better yet, take a drive out there. Western I-84 is awesome.

Just poked around on Google Street View.  I need to go to Oregon.

[KEVIN_224]

The above picture is Portland, Oregon, but the credit is for ABC channel 4 in Seattle? (KOMO-TV?)

[NE2]

I grew up near eastern I-84 and should be a homer, but: just Google I-84 Columbia River. Or better yet, take a drive out there. Western I-84 is awesome.

Where it hasn't been destroyed to build I-84, the old road is even better.

[architerp]

Oo, oo, let's make a list of them all! 

NY, MA I-495

NY, RI/MA I-295

NY, NJ I-295

DE, MD I-495

I'm done.

MD, VA I-395

MD, VA I-195, I-295

[ctsignguy]

I've always wondered if CT would go back to the original shields with the state outline.

Those shields are not "original", they were mostly put up in the 1970s and were only ever used on and in the vicinity of the Merritt Parkway. The old style from the rest of the state and from that area before then was a state named square (with "CONN" in it).

All six New England states historically used a square for their state highway markers, a practice which arose from signage for the now long-defunct "New England interstate" system. NH switched to the old man of the mountain shield a while back and VT switched from squares to circles before creating their current shield in the 1990s, but examples of old square shields still exist in the wild in both states.

Ah, I didn't know that about the CT shields. I remember one sign up into maybe the early 2000s on the Merritt Parkway that still had the outline shield.

Forget any change along those lines.   When i was at the STC Sign Shop back in October, i was advised by Jeff (the Sign Shop boss) that Connecticut would be switching to the Mass style of shields including 24x30 for 3-di routes.....

i had tried to get a modified state outline shield pushed over the last few years, but he told me in the same breath that because of that decision by the higher-ups, that my project, while well-liked by many in the Department, was dead....
.

[Pete from Boston]

i had tried to get a modified state outline shield pushed over the last few years, but he told me in the same breath that because of that decision by the higher-ups, that my project, while well-liked by many in the Department, was dead....

Probably makes you a hero here to even have someone assess your proposal.  Good for you.

[Alps]

CT is officially switching? That explains why the MA shields have been proliferating. Bummer.

[Zeffy]

Out of curiosity, what do you guys think of some of these concepts in lieu of the current shields?
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9795.msg2038611#msg2038611

Forget any change along those lines.   When i was at the STC Sign Shop back in October, i was advised by Jeff (the Sign Shop boss) that Connecticut would be switching to the Mass style of shields including 24x30 for 3-di routes.....

i had tried to get a modified state outline shield pushed over the last few years, but he told me in the same breath that because of that decision by the higher-ups, that my project, while well-liked by many in the Department, was dead....

Ugh, so they are going to look exactly like the Massachusetts shields? Hopefully they don't standardize the 2dsr shields as well...