Street signs on an Interstate? No way!

There's a little known secret to Interstate 40 in North Carolina. In the western part of the state within the mountainous Haywood County, there are a few 'at-grade' intersections with I-40. These 'T' intersections are with a handful of dirt National Forest roads within Pisgah National Forest.

Now, for years these roads were not marked. All you would see is a stop sign on the shoulder of the highway and a few do not enter signs as you saw a dirt road head into the forest. Well now at most of these 'crossings' there are now street sign blades. A few weeks prior to my trip to Nashville there was a comment in one of the transportation forums I frequent that said street signs existed for the at-grade Pisgah Forest roads on I-40. Well, knowing that I had my camera ready. And although they are a bit blurry, I did fetch me an example of these street signs on I-40.

The sign is for Hurricane Creek Road. (click image to enlarge) This one sneaks up on you.

Another for Walters Dam Road - like Hurricane Creek it doesn't have any advance warning - but it does have a few 'One Way' and 'Do Not Enter' signs. On the way back from Nashville, I did catch someone turning off I-40 East onto one of the Forest Roads...so they do have some traffic.

Anyone know more about these roads? I've heard they are for access to help fight any possible forest fires, etc. They are certainly worth exploring sometime.

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 ...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog