Historic Highways: Old Alignment Routes and Why They're Needed

The popularity of Old Route 66 highlights that public interest exists in memorializing and identifying old alignments of major highways.  While U.S. 66 itself has been decommissioned for over 30 years, various state agencies, local agencies, and historic preservation committees have come together to post signs identifying the old alignments and marking the routing so that tourists can not only find the route, but even older alignments that were used at different points.  Unfortunately, this recognition of old routes with special route signage is unusual in much of the country, and it is not consistent in design making it more of a curiosity than an actual useful means of marking these former routes.  U.S. 66 gets special attention over other U.S. routes, but many other just as significant old highway alignments remain left behind.  In fact, a portion of Old U.S. 66 in California was recently signed as San Bernandino County Route 66, but shouldn't this have been signed as something that actually referenced its former function?  Why not actually signing it as OLD U.S. 66 with an "OLD" banner and U.S. route sign?  In some cases, the local government responsible might even act like the highway was never moved and still refer to the road as "HWY XX" on street name signs, adding to the confusion.  Quite a few old alignments still serve as highways, and they should be signed with appropriate highway signs that can be followed in a similar fashion.  Those driving these old routes would likely prefer to see them signed closer to how they remember it than one of the many styles like the one shown below.

Non-traditional signage for Old U.S. 66 in Kansas (Image from Google Street View)

As to most old alignments, it is often difficult to follow them.  This is because in most cases the state government has abandoned them, and signage is inconsistent or non-existent for these routes.  It does not matter that they are no longer the route: these roads had a long history carrying a particular highway number attracting businesses and even culture with it.  They still serve as an alternate route, and their recognition is beneficial to the communities that are located along these roads.  Shouldn't they be recognized in some way that not only helps preserve their history, but also helps in navigational purposes? 

It is interesting to note how many former highways are referred to by locals as "Old Highway/Route (number)" across the country.  Most of these roads identified as "OLD" routes are typically roads that were previously major highways that were by-passed years ago by wider roads, straighter roads, or faster roads (interstates, Appalachian Developmental Corridors, etc.).  Many of these "OLD" routes are very scenic compared to their modern equivalent.  Even if it has been 50 years since they were last a highway, the novelty of these old routes remains enshrined on street name signs along with a few reminders of its past such as an older style of guardrail, historic bridges in some areas, and in many cases older structures such as 1940's filling stations, early 20th century housing stock, old motels, old billboards, abandoned schools, quaint downtowns over 100 years old, and many other odd points of interest.  Relic road signage may also be left behind as well such as obsolete mileage signs.

The need for "OLD" route signage is on display here with this vulgar attempt by Roscommon County, Michigan.  (Image from Google Street View)

Another instance in Randolph County, AL, where an old route of US 431 is signed with a county route pentagon as "OLD 431".  (Image from Google Street View)

Unfortunately, it is also often these roads received a name that hides the former designation, but locals still refer to these roads as such creating confusion.  Picture roads called "Dayton Pike" or "Hilltop Road", which in both cases are actually Old U.S. 27.  The common thread, however, is that these old state and U.S. highways were often major arterial highways that were replaced by another route at some point.  While many old alignments are too short, too local, or too primitive to sign for navigational purposes, many more are not.  Usually, these are longer stretches ranging from 5-30 miles that parallel the newer highway by a longer distance.

Old alignments do not always refer to directly parallel routes.  It could also be a highway that was decommissioned with no nearby replacement, or it is a piece of older highway running through a community built up to the point that it was by-passed.  Often, other state highways that have to use part of the old alignment to connect to the current route use portions of the old alignments, but they do not always affect the connectivity of the old route since these are often lower volume farm-to-market routes that do not get any intersection adjustments.

The important thing to remember about an old alignment is that most of these roads are maintained by local governments and are either completely unsigned as a route or carry a wide variety of ambiguous local route numbers.  While parts are at times signed with a different state route number, a "BUSINESS" banner, or more rarely "ALT", the usual destiny for a highway left behind is a changeover to an unnumbered road with lower levels of maintenance than when it was previously a highly traveled road maintained by the state.  Signing "OLD" routes refers to these sections of old U.S. or major state route that are not numbered or in some cases signed as a county or secondary state route often with a generic number unrelated to the former highway usage such as KY 3001 for a part of Old U.S. 421 or CR 30A for Old U.S. 98 in Florida.  These numbers, if posted, are useless for those seeking to explore an old alignment of a highway, and they may not be recognized unless the motorist studied the maps beforehand or are able to identify some clue exists of its former usage such as abandoned pavement where a piece of road was closed when the old alignment was moved to connect to the new route.

OLD ALIGNMENTS AS STATE ROUTES

Old alignment signs can be used for either U.S. or state routes.  It is important to consider that U.S. routes do not exactly line up with arterials.  In fact, many National Highway System routes are assigned only as state routes, and some are even local roads.  Since many state routes are also major highways, posting old alignments with OLD route assemblies is perfectly sensible.  Often, these routes are still regularly known as "OLD HWY/RT. XX".  Examples include Old NC 49 near Asheboro, NC and Old GA 5 near Ellijay, GA.

Old GA 5 (the local name for the road) near Ellijay, GA has these plaques installed.  It was replaced with the road visible on the left in the 1980's.  Wouldn't it be more beneficial to actually identify the route with a proper route sign?  The meaning is the same, but the signage is better.  The re-design below shows a one-piece assembly on a 24" x 54" blank, but that is not required.

OLD ALIGNMENTS WITH NO REPLACEMENT

Some old alignment routes are not relocations, but simply the revocation of a former route.  While many of these are forgotten to time, this is not always the case.  Some former routes that are not major highways still get referred to by their old number: possibly due to the fact that the original route was very long.  It may be good in some rare cases to at least partially reference one of these old state routes that are unrelated to the current route if the public still recognizes the highway by its former route designation.  Examples of this include Old NC 105 and Old GA 108: both mountainous routes that were revoked with no nearby replacement although they both connect to or fall near to the current routing.  In most cases, this reference is only needed if there is no other county route signing program.  In the states that do, these former routes often tend to preserve the former route designation such as is the case in Florida or New York or they reassign the route to fit in with a special system of county highways (such as Wisconsin or New Jersey).  Since maps often still recognize these routes by their former number, a visual reference to the former routing would be very beneficial even if the road has not been owned by a state government in 30-40 years.  Unlike other former routes, though, signage may be limited to a text reference under the road name on W16-8 signs at junctions followed by a reassurance assembly with an actual "OLD" assembly with a special plaque underneath like "LOCAL MAINTENANCE" to indicate that it is no longer an active route, but this was its former route number.  Obviously, in most of these cases assigning an appropriate county route number might be beneficial over posting an "OLD" route, but in the many states county route signs are not used a visual reminder of its former life as a state route would be useful information: especially when many maps and directions still reference the former route number.

The image above shows how a reference marker works for low-importance "OLD" routes.  The former route sign with an "OLD" banner and a reference to the fact that it is owned by a county or municipality is posted where it junctions with an active state-owned (or primary state) route.  No other route signage is posted except these reference markers.

Along with the reference markers, intersection warning signage along the active routes should include a W16-8 sign that includes both the name of the road and the former state route designation listed below it.  Note that this signage is only used if the road is not otherwise signed as a county or secondary state route.

NEW SIGNAGE FOR OLD ROUTES

The problem with moving highways away from old alignments is that it leaves cities, towns, and communities behind.  While the change in traffic patterns is purposeful and unavoidable, creating a properly signed alternative when a highway is moved is preferable to dividing it up into different numbered and unnumbered routes.  It establishes a clear "scenic" or slower alternative where local businesses may still flourish: especially if the newer route is limited access.  A standard approach to signing old alignments should be adopted that involves using an "OLD" banner with the original route number sign posted in inverted colors.  The "OLD" banner and any other directional signage used should also be reversed so that the interstate banner designs are used except that black is used as the primary background color instead of blue.  The purpose of using black is not only to give the signs an "antique" appearance but also to make the signs readable, yet less noticeable or important than other routes at night.  If an "OLD" route is displayed with other route signs, it will stand out in the way that it provides the information while not getting confused with other active routes on display.

Note here how the contrasting colors are designed to alleviate confusion between the old route and the active route.  At night, the sign on the right will stand out more than the sign on the left.  In the day, the information displayed indicates two classes of roads even though both roads were historically the same route.  This road once had a state route number unrelated to its former history, and this designation would be far more beneficial for people looking to explore history and find local businesses along the old route since it is readily recognizable as such. (Image from Google Street View)

In states that use colored shields for state routes, state route signs in this case would be changed to black and white and/or an older state route design used.  The purpose of this is to sign the route without confusing the public into thinking it is a current route.  The design described gives an "antique" appearance, differentiates it from other routes, other signs, and it provides lower visibility at night so as to allow any other signs posted in conjunction with the "OLD" assembly to stand out.  Reversing the colors also allows the original route symbol (U.S./state) to be used while differentiating it from other U.S. and state routes.

In Tennessee, prior to 1986, all state routes were indicated with an inverted triangle.  Most old alignments were relocated prior to this changeover where major routes were given a different sign, so old alignment routes in Tennessee would be best suited to use inverted colors on what is now the state secondary route sign.  TN 42 was changed to TN 111 in the past 20 years, but the route includes lengthy old alignments that are still classified as collectors and still identified as "OLD HWY 42".  Using this sign would make the most sense, especially since functional classification is used to divided primary and secondary, and these roads would be secondary if still state controlled.

SIGNAGE IS AN IDENTIFIER, NOT AN OFFICIAL ROUTE

It is important to note that "OLD" routes are not actually routes at all.  They neither indicate maintenance nor ownership, and they are used to indicate a former alignment of an existing route, not an entirely separate route.  Instead, they identify with signage where a route USED to go.  In fact, "OLD" routes may follow part of existing routes for other highways meaning that fully signing them may cause confusion.  In addition, an "OLD" route fully signed may be problematic when coupled with existing "BUSINESS" routes.  For this reason, signage should be used sparingly in locations where signage along existing routes may cause confusion.  This is where trailblazer ("TO") signage would be best at the point where a business route overtakes the old route.  Signage for "OLD" routes would follow the following rules:

1. It would not be signed along functionally local old alignments unless the old alignment passes through an incorporated town or clearly established unincorporated community (includes structures like post offices, schools, churches, businesses, etc.)
2. It would be signed at junctions with state routes, former state routes, and federal-aid eligible roadways if the roadway is otherwise unsigned
• If the roadway is signed or otherwise part of a state route, signs should generally not be posted at junctions
• If the roadway is otherwise signed as a county or state number for a section of the old route, the "OLD" route signage should superimpose it and replace it so that, say, County Route 742 used for Old U.S. 46 would be signed instead as "OLD U.S. 46".
3. Signage at junctions would not include a "JCT" (M2-1) sign (since it is not an actual route), but directional arrows should be used liberally to indicate approaching "OLD" routes or changes in alignment at intersections.
• Remember that this signage is a substitution for textual guide signs where "JCT" signs are not typically used
4. Directional banners (M3-1 through M3-4) should not be used unless the road is actually established as an official route or it is already known locally as "OLD HWY/ROUTE XX".
5. All old alignment routes must include an "OLD" banner on top with white legend on black background.  It should be a separate banner and NOT part of the route shield itself.
6. All route signs used should be white on black giving the appearance of inverted colors.
• The inversion of colors makes the "OLD" sign contrast from other route signs
• It also gives the appearance of antiquity appropriate for an old alignment
7. When overlapped with other routes, it should include "TO" signs past the junction either to the next independent section of old alignment or to the current alignment of the route.
• In one instance, Old U.S. 43 is broken by a section of State Route 12 where signs would be posted at each junction as "TO OLD U.S. 43".
• In another instance, the old alignment of Old U.S. 31 is completely covered on the north end by a section of State Route 54 where signs would be posted from the junction as "TO U.S. 31" and a trailblazer for "TO OLD U.S. 31" would be posted where State Route 54 meets U.S. 31 from southbound U.S. 31.
8. Signage would not be random for these routes.  They would be assigned based on eligibility and posted only after a review process through the state government although signage may be posted at key locations without a decree.

Despite these conditions above, there are cases where signing an "OLD" route as a route may be perfectly acceptable with junction signs and directional signs.  Inversely, there are cases where an OLD alignment may be technically eligible, but posting it would cause far too much confusion and should not be posted at all such as through a dense urban area or downtown area: especially if the original roadway is carved up in such a way that it does not properly connect.  It really should be handled on a case-by-case basis with an agreement made by all stakeholders involve: the state, local government, and any private stakeholders that privately finance signage.  The important thing is that signing an old route is supposed to AID motorists to or from a well-located and well-traveled older route.  If it causes too much confusion or is not suitable for through traffic, it probably should not be signed.  

WHERE "OLD" ROUTES MAY NOT BE SIGNED WHERE THEY ARE OTHERWISE ARE POSTED

Since OLD routes would not usually be official routes, two places where it should not appear are on official state highway maps and freeway guide signs.  In the latter case, the old route signage would be best appearing as text on a separate sign, and on state maps it should not be shown as a route shield.  If used on freeway guide signs, the state or US shape will need an additional white outline so as to prevent the sign from appearing washed out.

ELIGIBILITY FOR "OLD" ROUTES

If every state and U.S. highway that ever existed in a state were signed, things could get very confusing in a hurry.  This means that a selection process must be limited based on a set of reasonable criteria:

1. The old alignment route usually should be signed only if it was previously designated an arterial and/or federal-aid primary route before the route was moved to another route.
• Note that this refers to continuous signage with directional arrows, not reference markers indicating the beginning of a lower importance old alignment.
• Exceptions should be granted if the former state route designation on a less important road is still recognized as such (e.g. the road is named OLD HWY XX)
2. An old alignment of an old alignment cannot be posted with route signs (e.g. OLD, OLD), but text-based signs may be used with dates.  
3. The roadway must currently be eligible for federal-aid (rural major collector/arterial) OR serve as a local business loop through a town or defined unincorporated community (see previous rule #1 for signage)
4. Priority is given to former U.S. routes, although some major state routes should certainly be considered if they functioned in the same manner as U.S. routes.
5. The old alignment was not substantially relocated after it was transferred to a local jurisdiction.

The last point is a pretty special case, and it doesn't happen often.  This is where the old alignment remains an important enough road that local authorities manage to substantially relocate the road away from its original course.  At this point, it is no longer an "OLD" route, but it is an entirely different road with no historical connection.  It is most likely to happen in urban areas where development requires moving the road and changing connections to the point that the authentic former route is over 50% lost.  A case-by-case basis will be needed to determine if using "OLD" signage on such a road would still be applicable.

WHO INSTALLS/MAINTAINS "OLD" ROUTES

The signage of "OLD" routes is bound to be a very low priority for local governments unless they already have an established route signing program.  While it is something that local governments COULD do, it is not a standardized practice at present.  In fact, some instances of old alignment signage do exist on a local level, but these tend to be more aimed at a historic aesthetic that is neither accurate nor does it actually function in any way to guide traffic.  In most cases, it involves posting a county route sign with the same route number such as County 61 in Minnesota along portions of Old U.S. 61 or the previous example of "Old U.S. 27" placed garishly in a county route pentagon in Michigan.  Instances like this prove that signing old alignment highways like they're still a highway is desirable even if they are not official bannered routes.

In Carlton County, MN, the former route of U.S. 61 (fully decommissioned) is signed as County Route 61.  Seeing that this is misleading for what was once a major highway, it is obvious how much better the signage below is when identifying the road as OLD U.S. 61.  Even better is that the Minnesota sign manual actually does have a standard plaque for OLD routes, and this is designed according to that manual.  It could still be labeled on the state map as County Road 61.  Obviously, this example also displays the typical deficiencies in locally-installed signage.

The best approach is to first develop a statewide or national standard for the signage.  Currently, the MUTCD does not disallow, but also does not allow official signage to carry any colors other than the standard black legend on white background.  States have found out the hard way, who attempted color-coded U.S. route signage in decades past, that at the very least it is a sure way to lose federal-aid money for signs and that they will have to replace each sign at their own expense if it does not meet those requirements.  If it is not encoded as a federal standard, then it should be adopted as a state standard with the prescribed design.  In some cases, states may also wish to use an older style that incorporates cutout shields, sometimes with the state name, that was used up until the early 70's.  If that style is used, it should still match modern dimensions (24" x 24" for 1-2 digits/30" x 24" for three digits) with a design based on the current California U.S. route design.  However, it should also have inverted colors so that the legend is white and the background is black.  Note that brown is sometimes used for BUSINESS, "SCENIC", and ALTERNATE routes, but brown is not recommended for OLD routes.  The brown color could be mistaken as any one of those or as an official route.

Funding for old route signage should be either public or private.  Interested groups that might want to finance old route signage should be allowed to do so as long as it meets state standards.  Otherwise, the states should finance the installation of these signs regardless of jurisdiction with maintenance by the local governments only if they can sign an affidavit indicating that they will maintain signage to those standards or lose funding/be required to remove signage.  Generally, the state should furnish these signs for the local governments, but if the local governments are responsible, they should either be required to purchase from suitable vendors or have the state provide a plottable file layout if the local agency makes its own sign.  Sign should also be on at least a 10-15 year replacement schedule.  It is not an all-inclusive program.  It should be incrementally installed during intersection improvements, guide sign projects, federal-aid safety projects, and on a case-by-case basis.  Preferably, the creation of a state-managed or federal guide sign program should be created that includes these as part of that program, and this would work much better if the installation and maintenance of these is centralized as much as possible.

"OLD" signage may also be applied to active state routes, if desired.  It can be used when an old alignment of a highway might otherwise be an unsigned route or secondary route.  It may also be used in place of the existing state route number, but it should NOT be superimposed onto an existing highway that is not designated just for that old alignment.  In other words, if SR 556 is assigned exclusively to part of Old US 40, then it can be signed as OLD U.S. 40, but if it turns off and only follows part of the route, then it would need to have both routes signed.  In this case, the "OLD" route would be both signed and maintained by the state.  In fact, "OLD" routes are designated regardless of jurisdiction as long as they do not affect the connectivity of any other routes that follow portions of that old alignment or cause confusion.

COLORS IN U.S. ROUTE SIGNS: HOW OLD ALIGNMENT SIGNS RELATE

This plan also presents a need to relax the rules of color-coding U.S. routes, but with some specific criteria.  Obviously, orange and yellow U.S. route signs like Florida once used are probably a bad idea, but that does not mean that color-coding is a bad idea.  At one point, several states used color-coding for U.S. highways before it was forbidden when Florida was forced to revert to standard colors in the 1980's.  Color-coding could also be found in D.C, Mississippi, Arizona, and possibly other states up until the 1970's.  While a rainbow of colors is not exactly a good idea, the requirements for white on green with street name signs were relaxed themselves meaning that this strict policy of black-on-white signage is neither realistically enforceable nor necessary.  This should also be the case with U.S. routes with the following color variants permitted with a recommended use for each:

1. Black on white (Regular U.S. route)
2. White on black (Former U.S. route)
• Used for old alignments of U.S. routes only
3. Blue on white/white on blue
• Special U.S. route corridor such as Appalachian Developmental
• Should generally only be used on expressway-grade highways in consideration for eventual development into an interstate highway
4. Brown on white/white on brown (Historic Route)
• May only be used for an official BUSINESS or ALTERNATE route
• May be used in lieu of white on black for old routes ONLY if color variation is used for old alignment routes and not BUSINESS or ALTERNATE routes
5. Green on white/white on green (Scenic Route, BUSINESS or ALTERNATE route
• May be an unofficial route, but must be a state maintained road
• Already used in Maryland and some parts of Georgia for BUSINESS routes
6. Purple on white/white on purple (Toll Road)
• Toll road signage tends to be purple, so this would add to the conspicuousness of the signage as a toll road
• Few U.S. routes contain tolled portions

JUSTIFICATION FOR SIGNING OLD ROUTES

This blog has made quite clear that the drilling down of road responsibility of roadway signage to so many small local entities has been disastrous for roadway standards, and it has made thousands of miles of roads inaccessible to qualified traffic engineers who could help set policy, plan routes, streamline costs, and introduce concepts to improve navigation such as signing "OLD" routes.  This means that a program like this really should not be done randomly.  It should be introduced as a state or regional program with dedicated funding, clearly written standards, and routes planned accordingly.  States who follow these guidelines should also make sure that signs are both maintained and maintained correctly meaning that a traditional home rule approach to signage must be suspended for this to work.  While they are not officially routes, in many cases the "OLD" routes would be used as signage in place of generic county or state route designations.  

While this concept provides a means of preserving history, it also creates an economic benefit by properly identifying by-passed sections of major highways not otherwise eligible for "BUSINESS" or "ALT" designations in hopes of attracting tourism and supporting local businesses along the old highway alignments.  Additionally, it creates the added benefit of clearing up confusion about where old alignments are: especially when the road name or route number is different from "OLD HIGHWAY XX".  It is not a particular costly strategy considering that these signs can be added to existing assemblies at state junctions, and the signage is often more limited (no "JCT" (M2-1) or directional banners (EAST, etc.) posted along most of these routes.  There are also not many roads that would need this vs. a county farm-to-market route program meaning that it does not involve the assigning of far more routes on unnumbered roads: perfect for states that do not post route signs on local roads and streets. 

While other priorities do need to be considered to improve signage on state and local roads across the country, incorporating this plan will be widely beneficial to the public.  In addition, perhaps a successful strategy of cooperation in installing and maintaining "OLD" route signs along with any needed guide or other signs might demonstrate to state and local agencies that an overall cooperative strategy might be best.  Assigning old alignments is likely to be met with broad public approval: both for the historic novelty and the assistance in navigation.