Virginia cutout havens still remaining?

[hbelkins]

The Secondary Route 648 "cutout" (more likely an signposting error) in Fairfax County on Bren Mar Drive just off Edsall Road is gone, as are the Interstate shields that were on the same signpost.

That one was notable because froggie and Mapmikey confirmed it was the only secondary route cutout they'd ever seen anywhere in Virginia.

I remember that one well.  I think it was not a cutout as much as it was a shield intended to be installed on a BGS panel (perhaps on I-395?) and it never ended up there.  There are similar U.S. 50 "cutouts" in the commuter lot adjacent to the interchange at U.S. 50/U.S. 301 and MD-424 in Anne Arundel County. Maryland seldom used cutouts for anything, except Interstate shields.

There are a couple of those for the US routes along the I-64/US 60/US 220 concurrency. Or at least they were there the last time I was on I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge, which has admittedly been a few years.

[Mapmikey]

The Secondary Route 648 "cutout" (more likely an signposting error) in Fairfax County on Bren Mar Drive just off Edsall Road is gone, as are the Interstate shields that were on the same signpost.

That one was notable because froggie and Mapmikey confirmed it was the only secondary route cutout they'd ever seen anywhere in Virginia.

I remember that one well.  I think it was not a cutout as much as it was a shield intended to be installed on a BGS panel (perhaps on I-395?) and it never ended up there.  There are similar U.S. 50 "cutouts" in the commuter lot adjacent to the interchange at U.S. 50/U.S. 301 and MD-424 in Anne Arundel County. Maryland seldom used cutouts for anything, except Interstate shields.

There are a couple of those for the US routes along the I-64/US 60/US 220 concurrency. Or at least they were there the last time I was on I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge, which has admittedly been a few years.

Also US 11 with I-81 at Natural Bridge.

This used to be the default way cutouts were signed on interstate overlays in Virginia, plus VA 44 was signed this way.

[1995hoo]

There used to be two on northbound Patrick St (US 1) in Old Town Alexandria.  Are they still there?

On Saturday afternoon we passed through Old Town on Duke Street. When I looked around the corner to the left onto Patrick Street, I did not see the first US-1 cutout that used to be on the left side there, and it's missing on Google Street View as well.    Don't know about the one on the right side just north of King Street because we didn't go past there.

Following up on this, we drove through Old Town this afternoon. The cutout on the left just north of Duke Street is definitely gone. The one on the right just north of King is still there (as of earlier today!) and is a nice new-looking one.

[Mapmikey]

Went on a ten hour ride yesterday...

These cutouts were still up in Winchester.  I didn't drive all over town looking, just went to go see the one on Kent St because I was only recent made aware there had been some there:

Kent St at Millwood.  Not sure why just US 50 is posted as this is US 17-50-522:
https://goo.gl/maps/g64nCDMPBVfbi2YE7


Pleasant Valley Rd at VA 7


Photo by Adam Froehlig, Jubal Early leaving Apple Blossom

Also still up is this lovely posting:

[plain]

How old is that VA 7 cutout? It almost looks new.

[Mapmikey]

Winchester replaced almost all of its cutouts between 1995-2003 going from this vintage below to the one I posted with VA 7...


Michael Summa 1995

By 2012 Winchester replaced most of those newer cutouts with actual shields

[hbelkins]

Photo by Adam Froehlig, Jubal Early leaving Apple Blossom

That one was up two years ago when I went through on southbound US 522 as part of my clinching effort.

[Takumi]

It is sad that the cutouts are going away - and are not being replaced by  newer cutouts (but then cutouts are not VDOT-spec any longer).

There was that one in Hopewell that I posted a few years ago, but it was universally panned here.

[roadman65]

Williamsburg the last time I was on VA 5, I saw them all on large panels along its routing.  Cut outs were big  as once  Henry Street and Lafayette Street had them all over once up a time.

[csw]

Williamsburg the last time I was on VA 5, I saw them all on large panels along its routing.  Cut outs were big  as once  Henry Street and Lafayette Street had them all over once up a time.

I don't think I would classify them as cutouts - I'd say they're unisigns. This is a typical sign in Williamsburg from when I went through about a month ago.

[Takumi]

^ Indeed, those are unisigns, using the old sign specs. Newport News does the same, just with a different color background.

[cpzilliacus]

Williamsburg the last time I was on VA 5, I saw them all on large panels along its routing.  Cut outs were big  as once  Henry Street and Lafayette Street had them all over once up a time.

I don't think I would classify them as cutouts - I'd say they're unisigns. This is a typical sign in Williamsburg from when I went through about a month ago.

Agree these are not cutouts - but - I really like the rather retro look of this.

[1995hoo]

I agree with cpzilliacus. Those are very clearly not cutouts, but I think the Williamsburg area has some of the sharpest-looking unisigns around, and those state route shields have a lot less of an amorphous "gumdrop" or "blob" rounded look to them than a lot of the ones I've been seeing lately.

[csw]

I don't remember seeing any in Winchester, Staunton, or Gordonsville when I went through them last summer. I probably just missed the one in Gordonsville but I'm pretty sure the ones in Staunton got replaced by unisigns.

I was in Staunton the other day and this statement I made a while ago isn't completely correct. There are still 2-3 VA 252 cutouts and 8-9 VA 254 cutouts standing, but all of the US 11 and US 250 shields are on unisigns. All but one of them are located west of downtown.

[Mapmikey]

Was in Bluefield yesterday...

There are still 2 normal VA 102 cutouts up, one of which is in terrible shape
Most of the I-102 shields from 15+ years ago are still up
Some of the triangle 102 cutouts at US 19 are still there
There is 1 US 19-460 cutout assembly left, WB about 3 blocks from VA 102.

Was intending to also check out Covington and Clifton Forge but time got away from me...

The last two Gordonsville cutouts (US 15-33 truck at VA 231) which outlasted the assembly at the traffic circle were also finally replaced.

[Mapmikey]

Recent confirmations...

US 460 cutout in Christiansburg still up as of yesterday
US 17 cutout in Tappahannock was still up as of a few weeks ago

The VA 251 cutout at US 11-11 Bus Lexington has now been replaced with a US 251 shield

[plain]

...The VA 251 cutout at US 11-11 Bus Lexington has now been replaced with a US 251 shield

Damn smdh if there gonna take away a cutout they could've at least did it with the correct shield, not Petersburg the thing

[WillWeaverRVA]

Recent confirmations...

US 460 cutout in Christiansburg still up as of yesterday
US 17 cutout in Tappahannock was still up as of a few weeks ago

The VA 251 cutout at US 11-11 Bus Lexington has now been replaced with a US 251 shield

The US 251 shield is on Google Street View.

[hbelkins]

Can confirm that there are two old-style VA 102 cutouts remaining in Bluefield (along with most all of those other crazy versions).

And although a few of the cutouts last seen in Tazewell have been removed since my last visit in 2016 (replaced with nothing), the vast majority of them are still in existence along VA 61 and VA 16 in North Tazewell and along the business routing of US 19/460 in downtown.

Two cutouts (one each for US 23 and US 58) in Big Stone Gap.

I probably need to get down to Norton to get pics of all of those that are probably still up. The neat thing about the ones in Norton are that several of them have modern reflective sheeting.

[Mapmikey]

Recent confirmations...

US 460 cutout in Christiansburg still up as of yesterday
US 17 cutout in Tappahannock was still up as of a few weeks ago

The VA 251 cutout at US 11-11 Bus Lexington has now been replaced with a US 251 shield

The US 251 shield is on Google Street View.

Actually that is the first US 251 error shield, which has been there 12+ years.

The VA 251 cutout was here - https://goo.gl/maps/zscrGiRDjDG1i8Uo9

[froggie]

The phethora of VA 254 cutouts in Staunton are still there as of this afternoon.  Also passed by the still-remaining VA 55 cutout in The Plains.

[hbelkins]

The phethora of VA 254 cutouts in Staunton are still there as of this afternoon.  Also passed by the still-remaining VA 55 cutout in The Plains.

So, was your "where am I" post in the Freewayjim group I-66 westbound? 

[froggie]

I'll let you off the hook since you're probably not familiar with I-66...😊  That milemarker is right about where a huge park-and-ride is being built as part of the  "Outside the Beltway" project.

[Takumi]

I think all of the cutouts in Richmond are gone. I spent a few hours driving through the city a couple weeks ago and didn’t see any, and I want to say the last known location (147 westbound at 161) had a standard Richmond unisign then. Still some state-name I-195 shields and other 70s stuff floating around though.

Some, but not all, of the US 460 modern cutouts on I-85 have been replaced with standard shields.

[hbelkins]

I'll let you off the hook since you're probably not familiar with I-66...😊  That milemarker is right about where a huge park-and-ride is being built as part of the  "Outside the Beltway" project.

Yeah, and you clarified it later. I was looking at Street View, and really didn't realize that the Haymarket exit (the end of the urban area) is so close to I-81. I've been on the route a handful of times and it seems farther from Haymarket to the end of the route.