One of the atendees (A.J. Bertin) had a photo album of all the M-routes in Michigan. I took a photo of his M-46 photo because I have an M-46 shield (see sign collection album).
We all are lunch at the Red Brick Station restaurant in White Marsh, MD.
I scored a few highway maps given out by other enthusiests.
All the attendies at the meet.
This fairly old buttoncopy sign is on the I-695 beltway at exit 35B.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. The top left flyover carries the I-95 southbound lanes to I-695 south and the right top flyover carries the I-95 northbound lanes to I-695 north. The flyover on the level below the top carries I-695 southbound traffic to I-95 northbound. The ground ramp closest to us carries I-95 southbound traffic to I-695 north. We are looking south here.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh. The flyover is for I-95 south to I-695 south. The I-95 express toll lanes were supposed to have ramps to both directions of I-95, but MdTA (Maryland Transportation Authority, NOT a state business, thats MdSHA which is the State Highway Authority) ran out of money for those ramps, leaving a few stubs.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. The top flyover carries I-95 north to I-695 north.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh stop #1.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1.
Here is a view of yours truly in front of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. Notice the poor old house down there which has to listed to Baltimore traffic 24/7!
I thought this was interesting. Yes, I took a photo of a driveway, but why? Well, the house's driveway is an old road! It used to continue straight ahead but was cutoff by the I-95/I-695 interchange. The only evidence of it ever being a road is the bridge with an old faded object marker to the right.
Another view of the driveway mentioned in the previous photo.
It was too tempting to hop the fence, but we know better...
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. The bridge with the green I-beams used to carry I-95 southbound.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. JFK is exactly who you think it is (I hope), John F. Kennedy. Since I-95 is technically the JFK highway, the new bridges have JFK embedded into the sides.
Closer view of the JFK.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1..
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. SO MANY FLYOVERS!!
I saw this little sign mounted on a telephone pole at the first stop. I took this photo because, if it is unlawful to posts signs on the pole, then why is a SIGN telling you do not do so on the telephone pole? Fail...
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. The bridge with the green I-beams is over the old I-695 southbound lanes and used to carry the I-95 southbound lanes.
Yours truly in front of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1.
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1. Notice: poor old house having to listed to the traffic 24/7!
Here is a view of the I-95/I-695 interchange reconstruction project in White Marsh, stop #1 (sorry, I have a lot).
On I-695 Baltimore beltway approaching the reconstruction project with I-95.
On the brand new ramp from I-695 westbound to I-95. The blank space on the sign was going to be for the I-95 express toll lanes (ETL) but since the MdTA ran out of money, the ramps from I-695 to the I-95 ETL's are currently on hold for construction, leaving these signs.
In the new ramp from I-695 westbound.
A view of the I-95/I-695 reconstruction project in White Marsh.
A view of the I-95/I-695 reconstruction project in White Marsh. The flyover from I-95 southbound to I-695 southbound runs over the lanes we are on, which is the I-695 north to I-95 south. Notice the stub ramp where the construction sign is on the left. That is because the ramps from I-695 to the I-95 ETL's are currently on hold due to lack of $$$.
A view of the I-95/I-695 reconstruction project in White Marsh. Sorry for all the reflections. The bridge without cars on it is the old I-95 northbound bridge which ran over the old I-95 southbound bridge. Before this whole reconstruction project, this interchange was very awkward, and still viewable from google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=39.351556,-76.496494&spn=0.00813,0.019205&t=k&z=16
A view of the I-95 ETL (express toll lane) project. We are traveling on I-95 southbound.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Old buttoncopy still remains in many parts of Baltimore including this one approaching US 40 truck and MD 151 (missing shield). Notice the distance of 1/3 mile.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Old buttoncopy!
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. More old buttoncopy!
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore, passing underneath a decorative railroad bridge carrying CSX lines.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Older signals delight at Linwood Ave.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Common 8" install in the city.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. More old signals at Milton Ave.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore (forgot the cross street on this one). Common 4-way signal install that might have replaced an old Eagle 4-way.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. New city install (using all yellow signals) at the entrance to a futue John's Hopkins Health Center.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Common city "Z span" installation.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Older 1960's city install shields still are about Baltimore.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. Funky light rail warning assembly approaching Howard St. What the sign is saying, is that the light rail is running along Howard.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. More old 1960s era city install shields.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore approaching MD 295. Is that HELVETICA? No, no no no no no.
On US 40 westbound in downtown Baltimore. This starts with stop #2. First off, yes, US 40 is signed in both directions here. Originally, US 40 went along as a frontage road to the short 1 mile depressed freeway and the depressed freeway was I-170. I-170 was decommissioned in 1983 when the city realized that extending I-170 to I-70 was impossible. Why isn't it possible? Because I-70 between Colonial Park (where it has a stub end at a park & ride!) and I-95 never was construced. I'll tell you more about I-70 later on because the east end of I-70 is stop #3. Now, there is no doubt in my mind that the US 40 shield on the left sign replaced an I-170 shield! That is why it doesn't have buttoncopy like the shield on the right sign. It doesn't have control cities either because I-170 never went anywhere (it was supposed hence the extra space).
On old I-170 approaching its west end at US 40. Original 1970s button copy signs are still crawling around the depressed freeway.
On old I-170 westbound approaching US 40 west.
On old I-170 at US 40 west. This is the west end of the old I-170.
A view of what I-170's path would have been if ever continued westward. There is an empty sign gantry in the background that actually once held signs.
On old I-170 at the US 40 exit at its west end. Notice the buttoncopy gore sign. Me likee.
Here at stop #2, is a drop off "evil kenevil" ramp that was supposed to carry I-170 eastbound traffic to US 40 east/Mulberry St.
Here at stop #2, great orignal 1970s guide signs at the end of the never finished ramp from the never constructed I-170 east to US 40 east. Yes, these signs never at one point in their lives, served a purpose! I am suprised, I-170 was killed in 1983, so why did they keep these?
Closeup of one of the buttoncopy outlined US 1 shields. For some reason, only the outline is buttoncopy, and not the numeral, which usually it is the opposite.
A view of the evil kenevil ramp that would have carried I-170 east to US 40 east. Where the cement ends ahead is where it drops off down a hill.
This remaining sign gantry is mounted on the abandonned I-170 westbound stub just after the US 40 west exit. The signs were removed when I-170 was decomissioned that they realized there never was going to be any traffic to really use them.
The original US 1 gantry with the old I-170 to the left. The cars are on the ramp from US 40 east to the depressed freeway.
A view of old I-170 looking east.
A view of the evil kenevil ramp that would have carried I-170 east to US 40 east. Where the cement ends in the foreground is where it drops off down a hill.
Had I-170 contunied on, I would be standing here on a ramp that would have passed over the street down there (Pulaski St).
The end of the evil kenevil ramp that would have gone from I-170 east. Notice the traffic signal ahead sign that serves absolutely no use.
HERE is the extreme west end of the old I-170. The opening above both sides of the wall is where cement from the abandonned stub ends. Interesting to what they did to the cement wall that now faces traffic for US 40 east.
A view from Pulaski St of the end of the old I-170 east entrance ramp and the old evil kenevil ramp that would have connected from I-170 east to US 40 east. If it had continued, I would be now underneath that ramp.
Old Marbelite (left) and an Eagle flatback (right) where US 40 and Pulaski St meet.
Me sitting on the grass at the end of the evil kenevil ramp that would have gone from I-170 east to US 40 east.
One last view of the ramp.
Or, may be one more.
Here at stop #2, great orignal 1970s guide signs at the end of the never finished ramp from the never constructed I-170 east to US 40 east, with me posing in front. Yes, these signs never at one point in their lives, served a purpose! I am suprised, I-170 was killed in 1983, so why did they keep these?
Here is a view of the stub west end of old I-170.
A view of the old I-170 freeway.
These signs are technically over the abandonned I-170 but serve the entrance ramp from US 40.
OLD buttoncopy on US 40 at Monroe St.
OLD button copy on US 40 east at US 1.
US 40 east BUTTON COPY approaching Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Old state named (and original!) I-395 shield on the mainline just after it began with an intersection at Washington Blvd.
Here is the east end of the 2,153 mile I-70, at a park & ride in Colonial Park, MD, which is stop #3. Why does it end at a park & ride? Because I-70 was supposed to continue southwest here and connect to I-95 in Baltimore. To see a map of what I-70 might have looked like, see here: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=39.29193,-76.666718&spn=0.064567,0.153637&t=h&z=13&msid=117420357445456089708.0004847a578360e8f837a
A view of the east end of I-70, stop #3.
My dad in front of the stub east end of I-70, stop #3.
A view of I-70 looking west from its east end. Cove Fort, Utah, 2,153 miles thataway!
On the back of a parking sign at a park & ride at the east end of I-70. This is the typical MdSHA dating sticker.
Stop #3, I-70's east end.
Gwynns Falls Trail basically runs along the corridor which I-70 was supposed to take.
Here is a view of the empty ROW (right of way) that was reserved for I-70, but I guess no use in keeping this place clear.
On a park sign at the east end of I-70. This shows kinda what I-70 would have looked like if it continued.
On a park sign at the east end of I-70.
Me in front of a set of I-70/I-695 trailblazers at the I-70 park & ride.
Closer view of those same trailblazers.
More of the same.
and more...
...more.
Looking on I-70 west from its east end.
A view of the I-70 ROW from the park & ride.
Here on US 40 eastbound at Nottingham Rd, traffic cannot turn left, only U-turns are permitted. So, the turn lenses in the doghouse signal are actually U-Turn lenses!
This is a disappointment. This is a sign replacement of what used to be the ONLY remnant of the suffixed interstate routes across the nation (not counting the two I-35E-Ws in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN). The I-I-70 shield used to be an I-I-70N shield (there was I-70N in the I- shield hence the two "I-'s"). I-70N used to run on modern I-70 from Frederick to its east end in Colonial Park and I-70S used to run along modern Maryland I-270, but then suffixed interstates were killed in the 70s-80s, killing those routes. Thanks city of Baltimore for killing the sign...
Original gantry, not so original signs. I-95 northbound just inside the Baltimore beltway.
I-95 northbound at the entrance to the Fort McHenry Tunnel.
I-95 northbound at the entrance to the Fort McHenry tunnel. Someone is going to have to explain to me what a bore is, because I am clueless.
I-95 northbound through the Fort McHenry Tunnel.
I-95 northbound in the midst of the ETL project.
I-95 northbound in the midst of the ETL project. This is the old I-95 northbound lanes.
I-95 northbound in the midst of the ETL project. Those are the old I-95 southbound lanes.
I-95 northbound in the midst of the ETL project. Those are the I-95 southbound.
