April I-93 Signage Project Update

I took a quick trip along I-93 this afternoon in the Quincy, Braintree and Randolph areas to check up on progress on the sign replacement project going on along the interstate from Exit 4 to Exit 20. This project started in the fall of 2011 but, until recently, little significant progress had been made in updating route or exit signage. I noticed, however, last week that the Mass. Guide (or Green) Signs (MGSs) at a couple on-ramps to I-93/US 1/MA 3 Southeast Expressway in Milton, that had been up since the 1980s and had I-93 and MA 3 shields, had been replaced by newer versions sporting I-93 and US 1 shields. I decide to take a look today at the roads leading to the interchange to the south, Furnace Brook Parkway, Exit 8, to see if those signs has been changed as well. The MGS at the on-ramp to I-93 North already had been updated in 2011. As this photo shows, the signage at the road leading to the north on-ramp has the new 2 route designation:

Quarry Hills, listed below Boston on the top sign, is a golf course built in the old Quincy granite quarries.

Signs at the southbound on-ramp had been changed as well:

Despite the dropping of MA 3 from these signs, the southbound control 'cities' have stayed the same. Needless to say, neither I-93 nor US 1 goes to Cape Cod, at least as of right now. With the installation of these new on-ramp signs, only Exits 11, 12 and 14 (SB only) now have the now out-dated I-93/MA 3 signage.

There are no new exit or route signs south of Exit 8, for now. There are signs (sorry), however, that this will change soon. The contractors have completed placing foundations for new cantilever overhead signs along I-93/US 1 South for the first two MA 28 exit signs:

If you look behind the guardrail you can see one of the new sign foundations under an orange traffic cone, which is behind the orange tag with the project's sign number on it. This is apparently going on at the same time they have been closing lanes in the area at times to replace sections of guardrail.

There is also a completed foundation just behind this 1/2 mile sign for MA 28 North, I took the photo in case this sign is replaced soon:

I took a photo of the next overhead assembly for MA 28 as well for historic documentation (am a practicing archivist now, someone should have a photo before the current signs disappear).

This assembly had no new foundations with it, nor the overhead 1/4 mile before for MA 24. The auxiliary sign for MA 24 in the photo is to be replaced as well. Taking the ramp for Exit 5A (already with a new sign put up in 2010) and turning around heading north, I also noticed a new sign foundation completed for the 1 Mile Exit sign for MA 37 and a foundation still under construction for the 1/2 mile MA 37 sign.

Lastly, two of the intersecting routes between Randolph and Braintree have overhead signage that, while not inaccurate, are outdated and will be replaced as part of the I-93 project. This includes these signs on MA 37 North by the South Shore Plaza:

The button copy Interstate shields are no longer MA sign practice and Canton has replaced Dedham as a control city for South I-93/US 1. The US 1 and arrow assembly on the light pole to the right predate the overhead signage and were put up when the overheads just referred to I-93. I am assuming, given its condition, that this will be removed too.

It is unknown whether the contractor plans to put up new sign support foundations for the entire stretch of I-93 from Randolph to Boston before placement of new sign supports and signs, or whether they plan to complete all the work along the '128' segment of I-93 first (Exits 4-7) and then move on to the Southeast Expressway portion (Exits 7-20) at a later date. I'll be monitoring the situation over the coming months, so stay tuned.

New River Gorge National River Area To Become A National Park

Great news for those that enjoy National Parks, West Virginia's New River Gorge Region, or West Virginia tourism. Included within the Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill signed by President Trump last night (December 27th) is the New River Gorge Park and Preserve Designation Act. The act will designate the existing New River National River and over 72,000 acres of land within it as a National Park and Preserve. The New River Gorge Bridge will continue to be the centerpiece of the new New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. (Adam Prince, 2007) The river and surrounding land, which was added to the National Park System in 1978, will be our 63rd National Park. The designation preserves over 7,000 acres as a National Park. This area will not allow any hunting. The remaining 65,000 acres of the existing park will be designated as a preserve allowing hunting and fishing. The main attractions to the New River Gorge - whitewater rafting, camping, hiking, mountain bikin

Douglas Memorial Bridge; the ruins of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway over the Klamath River

Near the village of Klamath in southern Del Norte County, California sits the ruins of Douglas Memorial Bridge which once carried US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway over the Klamath River. The Douglas Memorial Bridge was a arch concrete span which once crossed the Klamath River. The Douglas Memorial Bridge was noted for it's unique grizzly bear statues which still adorn the remains of the structure. Completed in 1926 the Douglas Memorial Bridge was the original alignment of US Route 101 ("US 101") and stood until it was destroyed by the Christmas Floods of 1964. The Douglas Memorial Bridge is named in honor of G.H. Douglas who was a Assemblyman of the First District of California. Below the Douglas Memorial Bridge can be seen during it's prime (courtesy bridgehunter ). Part 1; the history of the Douglas Memorial Bridge The history of what would become US 101/Redwood Highway begins with the approval of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act . The First Stat

The Great PA 48 Clearance Sale

It's not often that any department of transportation sells land it purchased. They are usually in the business of acquiring land for right-of-way. But in 1982, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation did exactly that. Offering to buyers land it purchased just 15 years earlier for the never-built Route 48 Expressway. Background: The sale was a result of the 1970s cash crunch the PennDOT experienced. Many projects were cut back, shelved, or eliminated. The 'New 48', or the North-South Parkway, which was touted for nearly 20 years as a connection from the industrial Mon Valley to the Turnpike and Monroeville was one of the casualties. In the mid-late 1960s, movement to construct the new highway began with targeting a two-mile stretch of highway from the Route 48 intersection at Lincoln Way in White Oak to US 30 in North Versailles. The plan was then to continue the highway northwards to Monroeville. Extension south across the Youghiogheny River and to PA 51 would

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