The rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades

In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard-of rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades affixed to guide signs.

Part 1; what is the G28-2 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. These shields are intended to be applied as standalone reassurance signs but aren't explicitly limited to said function and occasionally appear in error on guide signs. 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. 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 G28-2 California State Highway Spades

Below a G28-2 Route 178 shield can be seen applied to a guide sign on California State Route 184 northbound on Kern Canyon Road in Bakersfield.

Below a G28-2 Route 16 shield can be seen on a guide sign for Interstate 5 Exit 541.

Below G28-2 Route 66 and Route 83 shields along with a G27-1 Interstate 10 shield can be seen affixed to a locally produced uni-sign on Foothill Boulevard approaching Euclid Avenue in Upland. Uni-signs are not standard for Caltrans maintained roadways but can on occasion be found in cities which maintained relinquished State Highway segments.

Know of any other G28-2 State Highway Shields in use on guide signs? Know of any G26-2 US Route Shields or G27-2 Interstate Highway Shields in use guide signs? If so, please feel free to share in the comments, we would love to hear from you.

Comments

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

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...

The William Flinn (not Flynn) Highway - Pittsburgh's Misspelled Street

For decades if you traveled along PA Route 8 in Pittsburgh's North Hills suburbs, you would have noticed signs that read "William Flynn Highway" at every intersection. Even today, many businesses and residences have their addresses listed as XXXX William Flynn Highway. However, it's not William Flynn Highway, it is William FLINN Highway - and the gentleman who it is named for has a long and storied past in Pittsburgh's infrastructure history. William Flinn was born in England in 1851; however later that year, his family emigrated to the United States and would settle in Pittsburgh. A 10-year-old school dropout, Flinn grew interested in politics and would join the Allegheny County Republican Party in 1877 as a ward commissioner and a seat on the Board of Fire Commissioners. Flinn would serve in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Senate from 1877 to 1902. (1) Flinn along with James J. Booth would found the Booth and Flinn construction firm ...