Routes with only one shield left

[TBKS1]

Me and a few friends were discussing this in another group when I drove by this, but (allegedly) a few months ago, someone drove into the last remaining sign of Arkansas Highway 935-1 in Pine Bluff. The route shield was moved and is currently leaning up against a fence post in Pine Bluff, and remains the very last remaining shield left of this route. If this shield gets either removed completely or stolen, the route will technically be unsigned by definition (at least until the sign contractors install a new shield, which AR 935-1 is less than a mile long and wasn't signed until 2018).

I'm curious to see if anybody knows of any other examples in other states of this, where certain routes are just one sign thief or vandal away from being de facto unsigned.

Here's a picture of the AR 935-1 shield, taken 8 December 2025.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 153 has only a single shield posted on-route.  It is claimed to be the shortest state highway but is actually a good ways down the list. 

https://flic.kr/p/2qZU581

In the recent past CA 262 and CA 114 had single reassurance shields.  The CA 114 shield was removed during a project on the Bayshore Freeway.  I am unclear if the gantry displaying CA 262 still exists.

[Road Hog]

9/16" nut. All I'm gonna say about that.

[JayhawkCO]

The only thing that mildly qualifies in Colorado I can think of is Business Loop I-70 in Idaho Springs. The only vestige of it is one BGS on EB I-70.

[jay8g]

This is a weirdly specific thread... but somehow I have an example. SR 513, which is somehow still on the books despite being almost entirely controlled by Seattle (I think the only thing WSDOT still maintains is the Montlake Bridge), has one random reassurance shield midway along the route.

For a time, I believe this temporary sign was SR 519's only shield, but the section along Alaskan Way is now fairly well signed. The rest of the route, connecting to the terminus of I-90, is still unsigned.

[Scott5114]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

[Rothman]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

I-124...

[pderocco]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

I-124...

I'm wondering if that's because I-124 is slated to be signed and extended further up US-27 in the future. Was there ever any I-124 signage?

[jlam]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

I-124...

I'm wondering if that's because I-124 is slated to be signed and extended further up US-27 in the future. Was there ever any I-124 signage?

I think all unsigned Interstates are included on the site. See I-878 and I-315.

[pderocco]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

I-124...

I'm wondering if that's because I-124 is slated to be signed and extended further up US-27 in the future. Was there ever any I-124 signage?

I think all unsigned Interstates are included on the site. See I-878 and I-315.

... and I-305.

[formulanone]

TM exceptions were made for all Interstates. So I-910, I-444, I-595 (Maryland), et cetera...are included as a legacy of Clinched Highways Mapping's process.

[roadman65]

In Lakeland, FL, State Road 539 Southbound only had one shield at its southern end its entire short route.  Now its got none thanks to a developer removing it (and other shields for FL 563) from the roadway.

[CoreySamson]

In Tenaha, TX, TX Loop 168 has two shields, but they are mounted on opposite sides of the same pole, so it almost applies for this thread:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hsZxMdov1JTvYTdx6

[CoreySamson]

I found out today that only one shield exists for TX Park Road 51, located here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PRpaJ8WceaQQrRj86

The odd thing is is that this shield is located 1.5 miles away from the actual route!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/catdCD2zTziaapnt8

[ClassicHasClass]

"JCT EVENTUALLY"?

I found out today that only one shield exists for TX Park Road 51, located here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PRpaJ8WceaQQrRj86

The odd thing is is that this shield is located 1.5 miles away from the actual route!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/catdCD2zTziaapnt8

[ClassicHasClass]

CA 259. There is exactly one shield, at the southern ramp, and even that one is possibly accidental: D8 posted it during construction and left it up after they removed the other construction signage.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/u11xs4zAnurCs8S87

Otherwise the route is "TO 210,"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yews3u5yJbEELKT4A

(with blue tabs ready for the day CA 210 becomes I-210), or "CA 210/CA 330" (I assume the TO is meant to go on the left),

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EPycV5mZaKmwJE199

... including this monstrosity:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dPVTbn3un5P1Pkeg6

[oscar]

This is a weirdly specific thread...

Travel Mapping doesn't include routes if they're unsigned, so one sign existing is the bare minimum for a route to appear there. And if that one sign goes missing, the route gets deleted from TM. (I mean, assuming Jim or whoever maintains that state on TM knows about it.)

Some discretion for the state's, etc. maintainer to wait a bit, to see if the sign is replaced. We've had instances where a route marker disappeared, then returned, then vanished again. Something to be said for waiting a year or two, to make sure the removal is permanent, and avoid a yo-yo situation.

TM exceptions were made for all Interstates. So I-910, I-444, I-595 (Maryland), et cetera...are included as a legacy of Clinched Highways Mapping's process.

When CHM was still around, another exception was made for a supposed unsigned Autoroute in Quebec. TM removed it when it was determined that route didn't officially exist. TM later had an unsigned but official Autoroute show up in MTQ's online mapping. We waited for route signage to be posted (one marker in each direction), before we added short Autoroute 915 in St-Jerome to the Highway Browser.

[mrsman]

CA 259. There is exactly one shield, at the southern ramp, and even that one is possibly accidental: D8 posted it during construction and left it up after they removed the other construction signage.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/u11xs4zAnurCs8S87

Otherwise the route is "TO 210,"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yews3u5yJbEELKT4A

(with blue tabs ready for the day CA 210 becomes I-210), or "CA 210/CA 330" (I assume the TO is meant to go on the left),

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EPycV5mZaKmwJE199

... including this monstrosity:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dPVTbn3un5P1Pkeg6

There are several short highways like this in CA that have their own number but aren't adequately acknowledged on the signage.  CA-244 and CA-275 in Sacramento come to mind.

IMO, CA-259 would be better as an extension of CA-18.  CA-18 is fairly well-known in the area, and the signage could be utilized a little better.  CA-18 on the side of the road and on mile markers.

Northbound signage:  [18] NORTH to [210] EAST:  Mountain Resorts , Highland
Southbound signage:  [18] SOUTH to {215} SOUTH: Riverside, (Los Angeles)*



* Some of the street signage to on-ramps to 259 south use Los Angeles as a legacy for the era before 210 was extended this far east.  Obviously, in those days, the quickest way into LA was using 215 south to 10 west.  Now that 210 is continuous all the way to Pasadena and beyond, it is less clear that Los Angeles is still necessary or desired as a control for the current southbound 259.  I say get rid of Los Angeles and make the signage consistent

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 275 completely lacks Postmile Paddles.  244 has the paddles with the route number on them but lacks Highway shields.  283 up in Rio Dell more or less posted the same as 244.

[ClassicHasClass]

IMO, CA-259 would be better as an extension of CA-18.

Well, it was exactly that until 1965-ish, at least pre-freeway. Even as late as 2010 there was an old button copy sign up for "ROUTE 18 30" with arrows for FREEWAY and BUSINESS (along Highland Avenue).

[Max Rockatansky]

IMO, CA-259 would be better as an extension of CA-18.

Well, it was exactly that until 1965-ish, at least pre-freeway. Even as late as 2010 there was an old button copy sign up for "ROUTE 18 30" with arrows for FREEWAY and BUSINESS (along Highland Avenue).

I'm surprised it isn't classified as 215S.

[1995hoo]

I believe VA-338 would qualify if the shield at Seven Corners bore the correct number (WillWeaverRVA has submitted the error to VDOT). There used to be an old cutout shield attached to a utility pole near the route's other end in the City of Falls Church, but it disappeared some years back and this location just over the Fairfax County line is, as far as I know, the only current attempt at posting that route number.

A friend of mine went and got a picture, and holy crap, not only is it wrong, it's also ugly.

[minneha]

I don't know of any highways in Kansas that only have one shield left. Maybe someone else can find one. Even the shortest highway in the state, K-247 in Ellis, has at least four shields. There are K-247 shields at the end of both the eastbound and westbound ramps from I-70 and there are K-247 end shields at both the north and south ends of the highway.

[gonealookin]

Nevada SR 760 is a spur road from US 50 to the USFS facilities at Nevada Beach.  There's only one state route shield, shortly after you leave US 50:



The only other indication of SR 760's existence is a single paddle at the campground exit.  The signage on US 50 reads "Elks Point Road" with no reference to SR 760.

[formulanone]

Florida's SR 777 was an FDOT upgrade to Sarasota County Road 777 announced in 2018. The first sign was posted about six months ago, but there's only one...every other posted sign still shows the pentagon. They're still working on widening and improving the road, so it may get more signs in the future.