Signs placed months, or even years before they served their intended purpose

[ozarkman417]

I've seen a few signs that were placed by MoDOT that really didn't make since (or still don't) because they accompany a project that had/has not been completed yet.

Two Examples: These exit only signs were labeled Exit only seven years before the exit only lane was built.

Near BELLA VISTA... Only time will tell with this one.

EDIT: Historical GSV data for example 1.

[sprjus4]

I've seen a few signs that were placed by MoDOT that really didn't make since (or still don't) because they accompany a project that had/has not been completed yet.

Two Examples: These exit only signs were labeled Exit only seven years before the exit only lane was built.

Near BELLA VISTA... Only time will tell with this one.

Any freeway that suddenly ends at an interchange and dumps you onto ramps, with stubs designed for an extension eventually.

[US 89]

There's a full set of signs for SR 131 posted at this intersection in Bluffdale, Utah:



SR 131 currently dead-ends on the other side of the river, and a bridge likely won't be built for several years. Ironically none of the present extent of 131 is signed, so the only posted SR 131 signs are at an intersection where it doesn't exist yet!

[stevashe]

I've seen a few signs that were placed by MoDOT that really didn't make since (or still don't) because they accompany a project that had/has not been completed yet.

Two Examples: These exit only signs were labeled Exit only seven years before the exit only lane was built.

Near BELLA VISTA... Only time will tell with this one.

Any freeway that suddenly ends at an interchange and dumps you onto ramps, with stubs designed for an extension eventually.

Prime example of that right here at the I-210/would be I-710 interchange in the LA area, these have been up for decades and will almost certainly never serve whatever purpose they were originally meant for.

https://goo.gl/maps/kzEx8ZEY5HygcBLN9

[jeffandnicole]

On I-295 in NJ, when Interchange 17 was reconstructed back in the late 90's or early 2000's, they placed this sign up for "Exit 16": https://goo.gl/maps/NLY8KwfEGLjxJGMcA .  Even though there are two exits, Exit 16B and A (in that order, as we're going Southbound), the next project to revamp the interchanges in this area was to combine the two interchanges into a single interchange.  Due to resistance from the community, that project never happened, and Exits 16A & 16B remain.  https://goo.gl/maps/5m5X1bspLS5h4GUB8 .  The Exit tab was never modified to show the 2 exits.  And to be more accurate, the sign should have a distance of 3/4 Mile, not 1 Mile.

[odditude]

This sign on the exit off VA SR 28 NB for Frying Pan Rd has been up for years. The blank section will for turning right directly into a left-turn lane (similar to this) - if development ever happens and the road you'd turn left onto is ever built.

[jp the roadgeek]

Certainly, any of the exposed I-86 signage in the Middletown area would qualify, as the highway has yet to be officially designated in the area.

[hbelkins]

The overhead signs for I-68 on WV 43 (Mon-Fayette Expressway) were installed many years before that road was finished.



That was taken in late summer. For more pics from several months later, see http://www.millenniumhwy.net/2007_SWPA_meeting/index.html

[Rothman]

The overhead signs for I-68 on WV 43 (Mon-Fayette Expressway) were installed many years before that road was finished.



That was taken in late summer. For more pics from several months later, see http://www.millenniumhwy.net/2007_SWPA_meeting/index.html

Heh.  I remember seeing that gantry from I-68 for years.

[vdeane]

The new signs on I-390 NB towards I-490 were placed last year as part of the first phase of the interchange reconstruction.  The intent is to change the exit only lane to be for I-490 WB instead of EB, but they're waiting on the end of sound wall construction to actually make the switch, so the signs have sat there with "exit only" greened out for a while.
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9338.JPG
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9339.JPG

(and yes, that sign in the background really does say "1000 feet" - this is the first notice of the exit for NY 31, too!)

http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9340.JPG

Likewise, the signage for Lexington Ave has been up with the "exit only" legend even though those lanes have been closed for construction too.

http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9342.JPG

[Mergingtraffic]

On the Henderson Bridge in East Providence, RI.  RI-152 was suposed to extend south at one point and the bridge was supposed to be part of an expressway.



Newport, RI.  This was intended to be the NB lanes of a spur to downtown. 


Baltimore, MD. This sign was put up for a future I-170 spur from I-70.  The blank spot was for an I-170 shield "straight ahead" type arrow.


Baltimore, MD.  This sign was intended for I-170 to connect to I-70. If you look closely you can see a scar from an interstate shield underneath US-40.

[webny99]

The new signs on I-390 NB towards I-490 were placed last year as part of the first phase of the interchange reconstruction.  The intent is to change the exit only lane to be for I-490 WB instead of EB, but they're waiting on the end of sound wall construction to actually make the switch, so the signs have sat there with "exit only" greened out for a while.
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9338.JPG
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9339.JPG
(and yes, that sign in the background really does say "1000 feet" - this is the first notice of the exit for NY 31, too!)
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9340.JPG
Likewise, the signage for Lexington Ave has been up with the "exit only" legend even though those lanes have been closed for construction too.
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9342.JPG

You beat me to it (which is good, since you're the one with the photos)!

I'm hoping to get a good chance to do some roadgeeking around the project area at some point.
Based on how much better the afternoon traffic has been flowing the past few weeks, I figure they have completed Phase 2 and wrapped for the season: when 390 NB is congestion-free - that's a sure sign that the lane reconfiguration is complete. Likewise for 490 WB - traffic has been moving so well that I can only assume both lanes on the WB to NB ramp are now open (and on that note, I should mention the mini-tarps over half of the option lane arrow on the 490 WB APL's).

[Roadsguy]

This thread has become more of a "Signs placed years ago that still haven't served their intended purpose," though in my opinion, signs put up for a future project that did end up getting used with that project without being replaced are a more interesting example (albeit much rarer), since the other case exists in many places with stubs.

OP's example from Springfield and the WV 43 example are perfect cases. (Though at some point, they overlaid the yellow LEFT 2 1/2 MILES section of the left sign with a plain green LEFT 2 MILES, perhaps related to the downgrade of the interchange design to reuse the original diamond?)

[Mergingtraffic]

This thread has become more of a "Signs placed years ago that still haven't served their intended purpose," though in my opinion, signs put up for a future project that did end up getting used with that project without being replaced are a more interesting example (albeit much rarer), since the other case exists in many places with stubs.

OP's example from Springfield and the WV 43 example are perfect cases. (Though at some point, they overlaid the yellow LEFT 2 1/2 MILES section of the left sign with a plain green LEFT 2 MILES, perhaps related to the downgrade of the interchange design to reuse the original diamond?)

I was going to ask were the signs replaced already?  I see I-79 was added to the right sign and I don't see any label scars from the I-68 sign being moved.

[Roadsguy]

This thread has become more of a "Signs placed years ago that still haven't served their intended purpose," though in my opinion, signs put up for a future project that did end up getting used with that project without being replaced are a more interesting example (albeit much rarer), since the other case exists in many places with stubs.

OP's example from Springfield and the WV 43 example are perfect cases. (Though at some point, they overlaid the yellow LEFT 2 1/2 MILES section of the left sign with a plain green LEFT 2 MILES, perhaps related to the downgrade of the interchange design to reuse the original diamond?)

I was going to ask were the signs replaced already?  I see I-79 was added to the right sign and I don't see any label scars from the I-68 sign being moved.

Wow, I didn't even notice the addition of the 79 shield... Also, looking again at the one on the left from different Street View angles, it seems like it was completely replaced as well, rather than overlaying the yellow part. The slightly different shade of green seems to be an optical illusion from the way the panel segments are put together.

The only Street View on this section is from November 2018 (It took them that long to get any at all...), so I don't know if the signs were replaced when the road actually opened or not.

[ErmineNotyours]

More for the "signs placed years ago that never served their intended purpose": Bidding a final farewell to a DC ghost road

[Roadsguy]

More for the "signs placed years ago that never served their intended purpose": Bidding a final farewell to a DC ghost road

Were the pieces of that sign saved or scrapped? At the time, I thought I read somewhere that the pieces would be saved and displayed somewhere, but I haven't heard of anything since.

[sprjus4]

More for the "signs placed years ago that never served their intended purpose": Bidding a final farewell to a DC ghost road

Were the pieces of that sign saved or scrapped? At the time, I thought I read somewhere that the pieces would be saved and displayed somewhere, but I haven't heard of anything since.

Haven't heard anything since the article, but the article mentioned -

"This sign is going to go to our office and we are going to install it in an area where we can preserve its history,"  said Ogechi Elekwachi, citywide field manager for the District Department of Transportation. Elekwachi watched as pieces of the sign were carefully dismantled and lowered into the back of a truck.

[1995hoo]

The "display"  is in a location not accessible to the general public.

[jeffandnicole]

When NJ 55 was built in the mid-1980's, these signs hovered over an empty roadbed. https://goo.gl/maps/MA9TN6mZfh4N2tqZA

Route 55 (the northern portion) was first built from NJ 42 to CR 553, Exit 53.  These signs would be for traffic that would be driving Northbound.  That portion of the roadway wasn't completed for another 4 years.

The GSV is from 2018, and I don't believe the signs have been replaced since.  If you take a close look, these signs are button copy, meaning they are original to the roadway and now approximately 36 years old.

[jay8g]

WSDOT is normally pretty good about not installing signs until roads are actually ready. However, the massive delays and phased construction of the SR 99 tunnel project led to some signs (and markings) on the approaches being installed well before the tunnel itself was ready, like these on the north end off-ramp. More recently, all the tolling-related signage was installed prior to the tunnel opening, but tolling itself was not planned to start for another few months (and has since been pushed back even further, to early November), leading to a lot of signs with temporary greenout and even some that were left completely blank.

[PHLBOS]

When the stretch of I-95 in Danvers, MA between Exits 46 and 50 opened circa 1974; the majority of BGS' along the mainline were erected several years prior to its opening.  Ramp signs at Exits 47 through 50 featured either entire blank panels or portions of such were blank.

Going by memory:

For Exit 46's original configuration (opposite movements of what was actually constructed) a partially-complete advance BGS for the would-be left-lane I-95 southbound exit along US 1 southbound was at roughly this location.  All but the I-95 shield was on the panel.  Such read:
        SOUTH
     Lynn
   Boston
      \|/

BGS was on an overhead gantry next to a 1 SOUTH Saugus BGS (also with a center-positioned downward arrow underneath the legend).

Exit 47/MA 114 - Three completely blank BGS panels for the I-95 northbound entrance ramps (two ground-mounts at the ramp itself & one structure-mounted one (on the I-95 mainline overpass) facing 114 eastbound traffic).  When the ramps opened, demountable 95 NORTH Salisbury NH-Maine lettering and applicable arrows were added.  2 ground-mounted ramp BGS' for the US 1 southbound exit ramp off 114 were originally intended to have I-95 shields added to them later (space was reserved for such on the panels) but when Exit 46 was built as southbound 95 to southbound 1/northbound 1 to northbound 95 instead of the other way around; such was never added (the direct ramps to I-95 southbound from 114 came decades later).  The BGS' remained until they were replaced during the 1990s.

Exit 48/Centre St. - BGS' with blank spaces for Boston message (for I-95 south) but contained northbound US 1 info. for Topsfield as well as an I-95 shield (for northbound traffic would access via US 1)) were erected several years before the ramp to I-95 south opened.  Interestingly, the old very early 70s-vintage overhead gantry never received an overhead sign for I-95 southbound traffic even after the ramp ultimately opened until these panels & gantry replaced it along with the original NORTH 1 TO 95 Topsfield NH-Maine ramp BGS.

Exit 49/MA 62 - Two blank ground-mounted BGS' for I-95 southbound at the base of the ramp (actually a signalized intersection w/MA 62 for access to a shopping center) that ultimately received 95 SOUTH Boston legends.  On the mainline I-95 overpass facing 62 westbound traffic one BGS intended as an advance BGS for I-95 south remained blank until the ramp opened.  2 other overhead BGS', one mounted on the US 1 mainline overpass and another on an overhead gantry at the US 1 north exit ramp (both facing 62 eastbound traffic) also remained blank until I-95 southbound in this area opened.

Exit 50/US 1 - Two overhead BGS for the I-95 southbound ramp had partial information on them.  When first erected, both simply had the Lynn Boston legends on them.  The 95 SOUTH and applicable arrows were added when the ramps ultimately opened.

[vdeane]

The new signs on I-390 NB towards I-490 were placed last year as part of the first phase of the interchange reconstruction.  The intent is to change the exit only lane to be for I-490 WB instead of EB, but they're waiting on the end of sound wall construction to actually make the switch, so the signs have sat there with "exit only" greened out for a while.
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9338.JPG
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9339.JPG
(and yes, that sign in the background really does say "1000 feet" - this is the first notice of the exit for NY 31, too!)
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9340.JPG
Likewise, the signage for Lexington Ave has been up with the "exit only" legend even though those lanes have been closed for construction too.
http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i390&state=NY&file=101_9342.JPG

You beat me to it (which is good, since you're the one with the photos)!

I'm hoping to get a good chance to do some roadgeeking around the project area at some point.
Based on how much better the afternoon traffic has been flowing the past few weeks, I figure they have completed Phase 2 and wrapped for the season: when 390 NB is congestion-free - that's a sure sign that the lane reconfiguration is complete. Likewise for 490 WB - traffic has been moving so well that I can only assume both lanes on the WB to NB ramp are now open (and on that note, I should mention the mini-tarps over half of the option lane arrow on the 490 WB APL's).

There is still at least some work; the acceleration lane for exit 20A needs some finishing, and the sound wall isn't 100% done.  But it is in the new lane configuration, so those signs I mentioned are a perfect example for this thread.

Not sure of the status north to Lexington.  I was only on the part south of I-490 today.

[SeriesE]

Here's one:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9974251,-117.8628664,3a,60y,113.97h,101.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sF5yJD18B_n5F7oaYaRrtcA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The first line had green out for Lemon Avenue since at least 2007. When the new exit finally opened in 2019, Caltrans decided to add another green out saying "Lemon Ave/Brea Cyn Rd" instead of removing the green out.

[roadman65]

In NJ on I-78 NJDOT had signs affixiated to the Main Street overpass in Springfield, long before the highway opened.  I do not know if this counts as no one saw them and it was over 40 years ago.   However they were there for the road to open later, but the stumbling block that happened between the current Exits 41 to 48 that caused the road to open several years after the state wanted the interstate opened caused this to happen.