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Previous: Shower squeegee | Main | Next: Barcelona sign
February 13, 2004 12:17 AM
Broken: Interstate sign
Scott Yates writes:
Here's a picture of a sign over eastbound US 36, the main highway that connects Boulder to Denver.The problem is the order of the panels. Any reasonable person would look at the sign and think that the exit for northbound I-25 is coming up on the left side. It turns out that it's a right-side exit [seen in the distance in the picture], so traffic is often terrible because drivers have to cross the through lanes in a real hurry to get to the right side to be able to exit. There have been a number of accidents.
Scott Yates also sent the "after" picture at right. He writes that "CDOT fixed the sign after MyTrafficNews made a big stink. All the problems with people zooming over two lanes of traffic in 100 yards stopped the first day they made the fix."
I think that the "Exit 0" part is the weird thing. Exit 0? The placement of the "Exit 0" on the right side of the Ft. Collins sign tells you that it is a right exit.
Don't you people drive much? Like dragonballyee said, the placement of the "Exit 0" on the right side of the sign tells you it's a right exit. The larger signs to the right tell you those things are coming up before Exit 0. I think the thing that is broken is the driver who found this confusing!
In Colorado, exit numbers are by the mile numbers. Because the exit is closest to Mile 0, the exit name is Exit 0. I don't see anyting wrong with the 'Exit 0' part.
Also, notice in the first pic how there are are only three arrows pointing down, but 4 lanes of traffic. Ouch.
I live in the Denver/Boulder area, and what Scott didn't mention (and maybe didn't know if he's new here) is that the signs in the first picture USED TO BE completely correct (until late 2003 or early 2004, I think?).
You used to have to go towards south-bound I25 to get to east-bound I270. The very left lane forked -- it went to north-bound I25 AND to south-bound I25 and I270 (which meant there was one lane going north and three going south). The left-most south-bound lane ran right along the short wall (it's now a pointless shoulder). Look closely and you can see the old lanes in black.
Then they connected I270 and US36, and stole a south-bound lane to go east. In my opinion, that is what is broken! MUCH more traffic goes south from this point, so I wish they'd left the lanes alone.
I remember being at this intersection sometime after they realigned the lanes, but before they fixed the signage. That was definitely broken!! I was in the habit of using the left lane to go south (because that was the easiest way to avoid the I-270 traffic), but that day, I ended up stuck heading east (and feeling stupid although it wasn't my fault!). How could they change years-old lane alignments and not get around to doing the signs until later? Inexcusable! Maybe this was just CDOT's way of getting us to go check out the new construction.
And for all of you talking about Exit sign placements -- well, this really isn't an exit. It's the end of US36, so you have to get on one of the interstates. But I will say, I don't understand why there's an Exit sign when it's really just a merge.
I'm from NC and tho only times that there is a right hand exit is when under the interstate sign, it says "Exit Right".
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Previous: Shower squeegee | Main | Next: Barcelona sign
The second image link doesn't work...
Posted by: codeman38 at February 13, 2004 02:28 AM