or overhead sign indicating the appropriate route and destination served, with an arrow pointing upward at an appropriate angle. The size of the lettering on this sign shall be equal to that of the first exit ramp sign.

The same general principles apply to any other interchange design that provides two or more exits for either direction of travel.

Other Guide Signs (See Figures 17, 18, 19 and 20)

It is sometimes necessary or desirable to provide more information regarding destinations accessible from an interchange than can be given on the standard interchange approach signs. For this purpose a supplemental guide sign installation listing up to two destinations followed by the legend "Next Right" or "Second Right," or both, as appropriate, may be erected approximately midway between the advance guide signs if two are used. If only one advance guide sign is used, the supplemental guide sign shall follow it by at least 800 feet.

If such a sign is used, the place names shall be in lower-case letters with a loop height of 10", with capital letters 13.3" high. It shall be of the same background color and reflectorization as other guide signs.

Where space between interchanges permits, a fixed sequence of signs shall be displayed beginning 500 feet beyond the end of the acceleration lane. At this starting point there shall be erected an Interstate route marker, to be followed 1,000 feet farther on by a speed limit indication, and 1,000 feet still farther along by a mileage sign. The last named sign shall carry no more than two lines of legend together with the corresponding mileage information. The legend should include either the next community or the next intersected highway name or route number on the top line, and the next point of general interest on the bottom line even though the place so selected might be in another State. Clear identification of each interchange is desirable, and a name may be used for the first line of this sign even when there is no community present. Under normal conditions, mileages to the same destinations should not be shown more frequently than at five-mile intervals on mileage signs. The legend on the mileage sign shall be in lower-case letters of 10" loop height, with initial capitals and numerals 13.3" high.

Where space between interchanges does not permit placement of these three post-interchange signs without encroaching on or

overlapping the advance guide signs necessary for the next interchange, one or more of the post-interchange signs should be omitted. Usually the mileage sign will be of less importance than the other two and therefore can be omitted with little or no disadvantage.

Where exits are very closely spaced for some distance particularly through large urban areas, interchange sequence signs displaying a maximum of three destinations and mileages or fractions thereof to the appropriate interchange serving such destinations may be used at suitable locations midway between interchanges. The legend on interchange sequence signs shall be in 10-inch lower case and 13.3-inch capitals or upper case, and fully consistent with the advance guide sign and exit sign legends. See Figure 19.

Some parts of the Interstate Highway System will pass through "historical" or "recreational" regions, or urban areas served by a succession of several interchanges. Such areas may be indicated by a special sign several miles, if possible, in advance of the Advance Guide sign or signs for the first interchange carrying a suitable legend to identify the region, followed by the words "Next (3) Exits," or "Next (3) Interchanges" where appropriate. The legend shall be in lower-case letters of 10" loop height with 13.3" capitals or upper case, except the bottom line, which shall be in 12′′ capitals. See Figure 20.

The commonly used name or trailblazer symbol for a toll facility may be displayed on free sections of the Interstate System at:

1. the point of last exit before entering a toll section of the Interstate System;

2. the interchange or connection with a toll facility, whether or not the toll facility is a part of the Interstate System; and

3. at other locations within a reasonable approach distance of toll facilities, when the name or trailblazer symbol for the toll facility would provide better guidance to drivers unfamiliar with the area than would place names and route numbers.

As greater mileages of the entire Interstate System are opened to traffic, the need for identifying toll facilities for the purpose mentioned in (3) above is expected to diminish. In the interim, care should be exercised to avoid any use of toll road

trailblazers and names that might interfere with an adequate public understanding that Interstate highways comprise a continuous, integrated system of national significance.

i eidt ni The toll facility name or marker may be included as a part of the guide sign installations on intersecting highways and and ap proach roads to indicate the interchange with a toll section of an Interstate highway. Where needed for the proper direction of traffic, a trailblazer for a toll facility that is part of the Interstate System may be displayed with the Interstate trailblazer assembly described under "Route Markers".

Other miscellaneous guide signs that may be used include State, county, or township lines, international time zone boundaries, important stream names, etc. Place names as well as stream names shall be 8-inch upper-case and 6-inch loop height lower-case letters. Generic words such as "township line" and "city limits" shall be 6-inch capital letters. On all such signs, the design should be simple and dignified, devoid of flamboyant advertising style, and in general conformance with other Interstate signing. T

Application

ROUTE MARKERS

Route markers, as such, will have a less general application on the Interstate Highway System than on highways of older design. Large directional signs will incorporate the Interstate route marker symbol when appropriate. Route markers in conjunction with auxiliary markers to show junctions and turns will not ordinarily be used on the Interstate Highway System, though they will be used as required on approach highways. "Confirmatory" route markers, however, will be used at the prescribed location just beyond the entrances to Interstate highways, and at relatively long intervals along a route. Except for those specific uses and locations listed below, no Interstate Route Marker shall appear on any road or street that is not a part of the designated official Interstate System. Its use off the system to indicate business routes, alternate routes, etc., shall not be permitted. The official Route Marker will indicate to the motorist that he is using a controlled access facility and a section nl to sel of the official Interstate Highway System.

General Design Provisions (See Figures 21 and 22)

The official Interstate Route Marker is the red, white, and blue reflectorized distinctive shield adopted by AASHO on Au

gust 14, 1957, and subsequently approved by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Public Roads. The colors shall match the Standard Interstate Red and Blue Colors as contained in this manual when compared in natural daylight. The Route Marker shall comply with the dimensional drawings and specifications as contained in this manual. Two general proportions are prescribed; one to accommodate route numbers with one or two digits, and another for markers with three digits or with al two digits and suffix letter. Nominal sizes for independent mounting are 18 inches for trail blazers, 24" for intersecting routes and 36 inches for confirmatory markers on the Interstate System itself. Where the Interstate marker is displayed in an assembly or on the face of a guide sign with US or State route markers, it should be at least equal in legibility to these other route markers. The standard designs for route markers used independently, and on guide signs are shown in Figures 21 and 22, respectively.

3

Trail Blazer Installations

The 18" Interstate shield shall be used with an appropriately positioned directional arrow and the word "TO" to make up a "Trail Blazer Assembly" to direct traffic to the Interstate facility. The use will be primarily in the urban centers and at strategic locations along major urban throughfares feeding traffic to the Interstate facility. The use of the word "TO" indicates that the road or street, where the marker is posted, is not a part of the official Interstate System, but that the motorist is merely being directed progressively to the Interstate route.

me

The word "TO" (in 6′′ black upper-case letters on a white background), a cardinal direction marker if needed, the 18" Interstate shield and the directional arrow may all be separate units and connected to the same support and positioned from top to bottom in the above order, with the directional arrow complying with Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or all component parts of the "Trail Blazer Assembly" may be included on a single panel. The directional arrow should be appropriately positioned to indicate the direction to the route and should be black against a white background.

120

Use on Intersecting Routes and the Interstate System

The 24" Interstate Route Marker shall be used on intersecting highways and approach roads to indicate the interchange with an Interstate route.

The 36" marker shall be the official size to mark the Interstate System roadways.

The Interstate Route Marker will be used independently or in a route marker assembly for confirming the route, and shall be displayed on Advance Guide and Exit Signs to indicate an interchange with another Interstate route. When the route marker is used on the face of a guide sign, the State name shall be omitted, but otherwise it shall be reflectorized and in its approved colors.

The 36" Interstate marker shall be used on Guide Signs using 12" lower-case letters for place names. Where the sign message employs larger copy, appropriate increase should be made in the size of the Interstate Route Marker.

Cardinal Direction Marker

Cardinal Direction Markers shall be used with route markers where needed to direct the motorist properly. They shall be mounted directly above the Route Marker, except where an Interstate marker is displayed as part of a guide or exit sign. In the latter case, the cardinal direction will be a part of the sign message, but preferably will appear above or to the right of the route marker to which it applies.

The Cardinal Direction Marker shall have a reflectorized white legend and border on a blue reflectorized background which conforms to the Standard Interstate Blue of the Interstate Route Marker.

The Cardinal Direction Marker shall be used in two sizes, 21 by 9 inch with the 24-inch route marker and 30 by 15 inch with the 36-inch route marker.

The 18 by 9-inch size should have a 3-inch white border extending to the outer edge and 4-inch Series "D" Letters. The 30 by 15-inch size shall have a 1/2-inch border and 7-inch Series "C" Letters.

Cardinal Direction Markers will carry the direction only, i.e., NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST, as the case may be in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Junction and Directional Markers, as provided for in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, shall be used with Interstate Route Markers on the approaches to Interstate routes. Off Interstate Route Marker (See Figure 23)

This marker is designed to be used on a major highway that is not a part of the Interstate System, but one that is wholly