The rogue G28-1 California State Highway Spades

In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard-of rogue G28-1 California State Highway Spades.

Part 1; what is the G28-1 California State Highway Spade?

The Caltrans Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Sign Chart from 2014 ("Caltrans MUTCD") dictates the types of signs and highway shields permitted for traffic control use in California. California is known for it's more ornate cut-out shields which are used for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes. The common shields which are typically found through California are:

US Route: G26-2

Interstate: G27-2

State Highway: G28-2

The Caltrans MUTCD provides alternative shields for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes. These alternative shields are intended for guide sign usage but aren't explicitly limited to said function. These alternative shields are:

US Route: G26-1

Interstate: G27-1

State Highway: G28-1

The primary reassurance shields for; US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Highways can be seen depicted below.

Part 2; the rogue G28-1 California State Highway Spades

While in theory the G26-1 US Route Shield and G27-1 Interstate Shield could possible see a non-guide sign reassurance shield use I personally haven't encountered any on the road Conversely I have encountered numerous G28-1 State Highway Spades in use as reassurance shields. I have also acquired several G28-1 California State Highway Spades in my signage collection.

The cover to this blog is an unused G28-1 California State Route 14 ("CA 14") shield I have in my sign collection. This CA 14 is tiny as it measures only 18x18 inches.

I also have a G28-1 style CA 135 shield which can be identified as intended for assurance use given it has two mounting holes. This shield is an older variant which is comprised from reflective paint with vinyl numerals.

In terms of field signage this G28-1 CA 227 shield can be found near Arroyo Grande.

This G28-1 CA 180 shield was found on Whites Bridge Avenue (former CA 180) west of downtown Fresno.

This G28-1 CA 270 shield once served as the first westbound reassurance shield as Bodie Road transitions from State Park maintenance to Caltrans maintenance. Unfortunately this shield was missing upon my last visit to Bodie State Historic Park.

G28-1 shields can be found in use in Yosemite National Park on El Portal Road and the Big Oak Flat Road. CA 140 is marked on El Portal Road whereas CA 120 is marked on the Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Pass Road.

Know of any other G28-1 State Highway Shields in use around California for reassurance purposes? Know of any G26-1 US Route Shields or G27-1 Interstate Highway Shields in use for reassurance purposes? If so, please feel free to share in the comments, we would love to hear from you.

I-40 rockslide uncovers old debates on highway

The Asheville Citizen-Times continues to do a great job covering all the angles of the Interstate 40 Haywood County rock slide. An article in Sunday's edition provides a strong historical perspective on how the Pigeon River routing of Interstate 40 came about. And perhaps most strikingly, in an article that ran just prior to the highway's opening in the fall of 1968, how engineers from both Tennessee and North Carolina warned "...that slides would probably be a major problem along the route for many years." On February 12, 1969, not long after the Interstate opened, the first rock slide that would close I-40 occurred. Like many other Interstates within North Carolina, Interstate 40 through the mountains has a history prior to formation of the Interstate Highway System and was also a heated political battle between local communities. The discussion for a road that would eventually become Interstate 40 dates back to the 1940's as the idea for interregional high

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When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced from Bates Station owner/operator George Ba

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