Unusual Freeway Signs

[Rob K]

On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?

[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)

[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)

(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)



Just curious! Thanks.

[Rich Piehl]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)
[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)
[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)
(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)
Just curious! Thanks.

The don't drive into smoke one has always puzzled me. I've driven
that route probably 25-30 times in my life at various times of
year...and have never seen smoke.

Safety corridor - can't speak for New Mexico but around here that
refers to an area where there have been numerous accidents that
would have been prevented or the severity reduced by a reduction in
speed. They're trying to show that they're serious about speed
eforcement in that area.

Closed when flashing - very common in the western states where snow
will make the highway too dangerous to keep open. They don't want
to risk people getting stranded in the snow and having to do rescues
so they'll close the highway.

Take care,
Rich

God bless the USA

[Richard]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

Ranching area. Some ranchers will burn a field for various reasons and the
smoke will be heavy at times.
Although I've never seen this done myself and I've been through there a few
dozen times.

Post by Rob K
[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)

If that's the area I'm thinking of, highly dangerous area which has seen
numerous accidents.

Post by Rob K
[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)

Yep. Many interstates in the west will be closed during heavy snow periods.
Mainly where the roads are in the mountains.
Until they can get the snow plows out and clear it.

Post by Rob K
(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)
Just curious! Thanks.

[Mike Tantillo]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

should be fairly obvious ;)

Post by Rob K
[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)

a corridor with a high accident rate, extra enforcement, and double
fines as an incentive to drive safely and avoid accidents.

Post by Rob K
[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)
(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)

snow perhaps? They have these signs in many places along I-80 in
Wyoming as well.

Post by Rob K
Just curious! Thanks.

[Dave]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)
[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)
[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)
(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)

I'll admit, number 1 is new to me. But you haven't driven in California
if you think 2 and 3 are wierd. 3 flakes of snow hit I-80 and they've 50
signs like number 3 turned on.

David

[Raymond C Martin Jr]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

Mostly likely, it has to do with grass fires in the praries... But
having never actually driven it, I don't know for sure...

====
Raymond C Martin Jr
http://www.njfreeways.com/

[Kurt Berge]

Kansas has those signs also along the Kansas Turnpike (I-35) in the Flint
Hills area around Emporia and El Dorado. What they do there is a controlled
burn of the shortgrass ranges. I had seen those signs on my many trips
through there but only in April 2003 did I see the little fires burning
right beside the highway. The smoke never got so thick that visibility was
really impaired and it may have helped that it was a bright sunny day when I
was passing through. I think I knew that it was a controlled burn from the
Kansas Turnpike Authority pre-recorded information broadcasts over some AM
frequency (frequencies posted on signs along the route). It was pretty neat
actually, vauguely apocalyptic (though there was the normal amount of
traffic on the turnpike).

Post by Raymond C Martin Jr

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

Mostly likely, it has to do with grass fires in the praries... But
having never actually driven it, I don't know for sure...
====
Raymond C Martin Jr
http://www.njfreeways.com/

[Mateo]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[2] "Safety Corridor Fines Double" (I-40 near Santa Rosa, NM)

NJ is doing safety corridors, there are some signs up on US-1 in
Lawrence already; there are a few more.

[Alan Hamilton]

Post by Rob K
[3] "When Flashing I-40 Closed Exit 1/2 Mile" (near I-40 MP 277, NM)
(They close the 40 enough to warrant a permanent sign?)

Snowstorms can be nasty through this area.

Here's a similar sign on US 70, albeit for a different reason:
Loading Image...
(East of Las Cruces, outside White Sands Missile Range)

[Jason P]

Post by Rob K
On my recent drive (Phoenix to Cleveland and back) I couldn't help but
notice some of the more unusual signs I've seen on the freeways. Could
someone explain what these three are all about?
[1] "Do Not Drive Into Smoke" (various points along I-44 through OK)

I wonder if this has something to do with controlled burns?

I was up on US 180 near Flagstaff once when they were doing controlled
burns, and they had signs as such, but they were more to the point
(i.e. "Controlled Burn Ahead"). It does get quite smokey, and just
like a bad fog, can impair visibility.

Jason

[PAD]

These two recollections are10+ years old and they weren't on a Freeway...

Traffic on WY22 WB, a two lane lane road, on the eastern side of the
Teton Pass is on the hill side of the canyon. As you travel towards the
summit there is a sign stating, "Beware of oncoming runaway trucks cross
your lane of traffic". Because the runaway truck ramp is on the hill
side of the canyon that is to say your side of the canyon, out of
control trucks must cross oncoming traffic to enter the ramp. I don't
recall how much warning this sign gave you before you passed the
entrance to the ramp, but I don't think it could possibly be enough.

On US 50 EB, just east of Delta, UT, after the split of US 6 and US 50
(both EB) takes place, there is a very large sign stating "This is not
US 6". It seems odd that the 'reassurance sign' is in the negative
rather than reassuring me that I AM on US 50. There might have been a
similar sign on US 6 at roughly the same spot stating you're not on US
50... I don't know.

PAD

[Dave]

In article

Post by PAD
On US 50 EB, just east of Delta, UT, after the split of US 6 and US 50
(both EB) takes place, there is a very large sign stating "This is not
US 6". It seems odd that the 'reassurance sign' is in the negative
rather than reassuring me that I AM on US 50. There might have been a
similar sign on US 6 at roughly the same spot stating you're not on US
50... I don't know.

Utah seems to like these "negative" reassurance signs. I've not seen
this one. I have seen 2 others, also a long time ago. 1 on UT-46 (This
is NOT US 191) and near Panguitch (This is NOT US-89).

The one by Delta would make sence in the late 70's early 80's in light
of the fact that US50's routing was changed through the area during this
time, I have no clue why the other 2 existed. I didn't think either of
the intersections with their "This is NOT" highway was that confusing or
anything...

[PAD]

Just imagine if UT did the 'negative' reassurance on Interstates. Fr
I-15 it would say something like "This is not Interstate 4, 5, 8, 10,
12, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25 etc" I think it would make for a rather large
assembly.

PAD

Post by Dave
In article

Post by PAD
On US 50 EB, just east of Delta, UT, after the split of US 6 and US 50
(both EB) takes place, there is a very large sign stating "This is not
US 6". It seems odd that the 'reassurance sign' is in the negative
rather than reassuring me that I AM on US 50. There might have been a
similar sign on US 6 at roughly the same spot stating you're not on US
50... I don't know.

Utah seems to like these "negative" reassurance signs. I've not seen
this one. I have seen 2 others, also a long time ago. 1 on UT-46 (This
is NOT US 191) and near Panguitch (This is NOT US-89).
The one by Delta would make sence in the late 70's early 80's in light
of the fact that US50's routing was changed through the area during this
time, I have no clue why the other 2 existed. I didn't think either of
the intersections with their "This is NOT" highway was that confusing or
anything...

[Jason P]

Post by PAD
These two recollections are10+ years old and they weren't on a Freeway...
Traffic on WY22 WB, a two lane lane road, on the eastern side of the
Teton Pass is on the hill side of the canyon. As you travel towards the
summit there is a sign stating, "Beware of oncoming runaway trucks cross
your lane of traffic". Because the runaway truck ramp is on the hill
side of the canyon that is to say your side of the canyon, out of
control trucks must cross oncoming traffic to enter the ramp. I don't
recall how much warning this sign gave you before you passed the
entrance to the ramp, but I don't think it could possibly be enough.
On US 50 EB, just east of Delta, UT, after the split of US 6 and US 50
(both EB) takes place, there is a very large sign stating "This is not
US 6". It seems odd that the 'reassurance sign' is in the negative
rather than reassuring me that I AM on US 50. There might have been a
similar sign on US 6 at roughly the same spot stating you're not on US
50... I don't know.
PAD

Here is another one:

Loading Image...

There was a thread (by Mr. Mojave if I'm not mistaken) recently
discussing it. Several more of these "This is not xx-yy" exist.