PA Color Detours

[andrewkbrown]

I've missed it if it has been discussed before, but in my back and forth travels between Washington, DC, and Wilmington, Ohio, I have noticed signs on I-70 and I-79 marking colored detours (Red Detour, Blue Detour, Black Detour, etc.) What do they detour and when would they use them?

I've also noticed folded rectangular signs with only directional tabs (North, South) showing. I assume these are related to the detours, yes?

[mightyace]

I've also seen them along I-80 in PA and along some of the parallel routes.

I'm not sure, but I think that they are detours already set up for closures due to accidents, weather and possibly construction.

[J N Winkler]

Yes, they are pre-agreed permanent diversions.  The signs are distinctive not just for the color coding, but also for using FHWA alphabet series without the standard filled-barb arrows.  Design details for the signs (unfortunately not pattern-accurate) can be found in PennDOT Publication 236M.

[Chris]

That links redirects to some other site

Is this similar to the permanent detours/diversions you can see in some European countries? If there is a road closure or severe congestion, permanently signed detours can be used.

[J N Winkler]

Yes, the color detours are conceptually similar to the yellow-and-black shape diversions used in Britain and indicated on fixed permanent direction signs.

[PAHighways]

I've missed it if it has been discussed before, but in my back and forth travels between Washington, DC, and Wilmington, Ohio, I have noticed signs on I-70 and I-79 marking colored detours (Red Detour, Blue Detour, Black Detour, etc.) What do they detour and when would they use them?

There are five different colors for use in varying lengths of a detour which I describe on my MUTCD site.

I've also noticed folded rectangular signs with only directional tabs (North, South) showing. I assume these are related to the detours, yes?

Yes, those are used in traffic control during a detour.

[J N Winkler]

That links redirects to some other site

It wouldn't if the forum software handled FTP URLs correctly.  Here is the correct URL:

Code Select Expand

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/PubsForms/Publications/PUB%20236M/236M%20Cover.pdf

This design lapse is inexcusable.  FTP URLs are URLs, just like HTTP URLs, Telnet URLs, and Gopher URLs.

Publication 236M is PennDOT's Handbook of Approved Signs.

[vdeane]

The problem is that some people feel that the http://www. part of urls should be dropped and some software supports this (some even require it!).

[hbelkins]

The problem is that some people feel that the http://www. part of urls should be dropped and some software supports this (some even require it!).

Straying off topic...

I can see getting rid of the "www" part of the name, since the Worldwide Web (WWW) is where you find hypertext. But the protocol part of the URL ought to remain to let the user and the software know if you are trying to access a hypertext page (hypertext transfer protocol) or download a file (file transfer protocol).

You can't omit the "www" from all URLs and reach the intended site, but on some (like Twitter) you can. Twitter specifically omits the "www" part of the address from its URLs.

[Alex]

I have several old gas station maps that both explain the purpose of the Color Detours and include a map with all of the beltways highlighted.

[PAHighways]

I have several old gas station maps that both explain the purpose of the Color Detours and include a map with all of the beltways highlighted.

I think you have the emergency detours routes and the Allegheny County Belt System confused.  I did the same thing back in 1989 when I saw my first "Orange Detour" up in Butler County.

[Alex]

I have several old gas station maps that both explain the purpose of the Color Detours and include a map with all of the beltways highlighted.

I think you have the emergency detours routes and the Allegheny County Belt System confused.  I did the same thing back in 1989 when I saw my first "Orange Detour" up in Butler County.

Ah yes, the maps reference the colored belt routes, not the colored detours...

[roadman65]

I see these colored detours all the time within the Keystone State.

Just what are their nature?

[Rothman]

I see these colored detours all the time within the Keystone State.

Just what are their nature?

Come now, Roadman..

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2401.0

[Rothman]

I see these colored detours all the time within the Keystone State.

Just what are their nature?

Come now, Roadman..

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2401.0

For future reference, searching the forum can take mere seconds by typing the following in Google search, as I did: site:aaroads.com colored detours Pennsylvania

You and I have been on this forum a  long time and I was taken aback that you would not have remembered the multiple times the detours have been mentioned and discussed.  The thread I linked to is only one of a variety of references.

In any matter, the answer to your inquiry lies therein.

[jeffandnicole]

Love the reopening of a 15 year old post.  Gives me a chance to gripe again.

The detour routes are an elaborate system of signage by PennDOT to use up funds that could've been used on road pavings, modernizing traffic lights, widening roads, or even taking down "Old Exit Number" signage from exit renumberings 2 decades ago. 

I've inquired about how often PennDOT has used these detour routes in the 15+ years they've been posted.  I've been criticized for asking, spat at, tarred and feathered, and attempted to be humiliated in roadgeek forums for questioning PennDOT's wisdom.  Yet, even though we have many road enthusiasts that live in and near PA, I think there has only been one example where it was documented PennDOT or others have used this signage as a suggested detour.  Being in a Philly TV, newspaper and radio market, I've heard these colored detours mentioned exactly 0 times. 

DelDOT decided to play this same game, putting up signage for "Red Detour" ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/eDgRpGnRrbVjr6MS9 ) along with "Blue Detour" signage, apparently to assist traffic around 95/896 closures.  DelDOT, also taking a page from PennDOT, has decided to largely ignore their own signage, and I don't recall seeing any references to the Red or Blue detours.  Being these detours tend to be specifically for getting back to 95 or 896, traditional Detour signage saying North/South 95/896 would be much more meaningful to motorists.

[74/171FAN]

I've inquired about how often PennDOT has used these detour routes in the 15+ years they've been posted.  I've been criticized for asking, spat at, tarred and feathered, and attempted to be humiliated in roadgeek forums for questioning PennDOT's wisdom.  Yet, even though we have many road enthusiasts that live in and near PA, I think there has only been one example where it was documented PennDOT or others have used this signage as a suggested detour.  Being in a Philly TV, newspaper and radio market, I've heard these colored detours mentioned exactly 0 times. 

I only saw it once on I-81 in 2015 when it was closed south of PA 174 due to a crash.

[ixnay]

I recall first becoming aware of PA's color detour system coming into the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area 30 years ago on a vacation built around a minor league baseball game in Moosic that evening and another MiLB game that I caught in Reading on the way home the next day.