Highway Signs

Triangle-Area Highway Signs

In my many travels all over the Triangle in search of odd and unusual road signs, I've noticed that even the highway signs around here can dare to be unique in their own special way. To that end, I decided to go ahead and dedicate a special page to all the highway shields, route markers, green signs, and what not that stick out like a sore thumb that got slammed on accidentally with a car door. Enjoy the ride, assuming you can find your way around here.

Interstate Routes -- U.S. Routes -- NC Routes

Interstate Routes

I-85 & NC 86 Truck Route shields, Hillsborough [Orange] - One of only two numbered routes listed as a "Truck Route" designation in the Triangle. This was done to keep the big rigs from tearing through the narrow streets of downtown Hillsborough.

I-95 North overhead sign @ US 421/NC 55, Dunn [Harnett] - Looks like somebody took a big 'ol 95 shield and decided to attach it to a rather small sign. Crude, yet somehow effective.

I-440 North & South overhead signs @ New Bern Ave., Raleigh [Wake] - These signs are erroneous in nature, since I-440 runs in an INNER/OUTER configuration. In case anyone's wondering, the US 64 shield on top would be running on the INNER directional heading towards Raleigh.

U.S. Routes

US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.

Orange and Black US 1A shield, Wake Forest [Wake] - This sign was put up in spring 2006 to divert truck traffic away from construction of a traffic circle near the SEBTS campus. Notice the dash missing in this pic, which is prominently found on other shields along this stretch of highway.
US 1-A shields @ NC 98, Wake Forest [Wake] - Signifies Wake Forest/Youngsville stretch of 1-A.
Large US 1-A shield, Franklinton [Franklin] - Signifies only other stretch of 1-A in the area.

US 15-501 Detour signage @ NC 86/I-40, Chapel Hill [Orange] - Temporary sign put up in October 2003 when westbound exit of 15-501 @ I-40 was closed due to road widening in the area. Interesting how two route numbers managed to fit neatly on one shield.
US 15-501 Business End shields, Durham [Durham] - This is quite a rare END sighting for a Business route in the area.
US 15-501 Business overhead exit sign @ South Square, Durham [Durham] - This overhead dates back to the late 1990s, when the area still had a major shopping mall which shared the area's namesake. Today, a Super Target and Sam's Club reside in the old mall location.
US 15-501 Business overhead signs @ I-85/US 15/US 70, Durham [Durham] - Located along a collector lane that connects Roxboro Street and Avondale Drive (NC Hwy. 55) alongside I-85's northern edge.
To 15-501 text-only sign, Durham [Durham] - Located in Old Five Points sections north of Downtown, adjacent to Durham Central Park.

US 15 only:

US 15 shield with green Jefferson Davis Highway sign, Oxford [Granville] - This is the active stretch of highway in North Carolina still named after the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War. This particular sign is an anamoly in itself, since the others have black text on white background.
[More information]

US 64 overpass BGS, Apex [Wake] - Interestingly enough, this sign actually leads motorists away from the highway. Turns out, in order to get to the movie theater located nearby, you have to get off 64 onto Green Level Road, then turn left onto another road and cross 64 again in order to get there.
NC 55/US 64 overhead signs, Apex [Wake] - These signs are good at helping shoppers exit the sprawling Beaver Creek retail complex. Notice NC 55 is listed as "North" instead of "West".
Old US 64 green sign, Siler City [Chatham] - This rather old sign dates back to when US 421used to run through town. The motorist is led to an access road that runs parallel to Second Street, which goes underneath US 64.
Junction US 64 & 264 shields @ NC 96, Zebulon [Wake] - This setup seems somewhat out of place because of the two-directional junction for US 64 and the TO US 264 signage. 264 West used to end about a mile from here on 64 East which is adjacent to Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats. Today, 264 runs along 64 West past Zebulon all the way to the I-440 Beltline in Raleigh.

US 70 Business/NC 98/NC 55 shields, Durham [Durham]- This sign arrangement seems quite confusing, since all three routes don't run together. Business 70 & 98 run along Holloway Street in an true east-west fashion, while 55 goes along Alston Avenue in a much different angle.
US 70 Business & NC 147 overhead sign @ US 15-501, Durham [Durham] - Because of the close proximity between the two routes, they both share the same sign because of a common collector lane that links Hillsbourough Road (Business 70) and the Durham Freeway (147) to 15-501.
US 70 Business Detour route sign, Smithfield [Johnston] - These signs show motorists where to go in the event that the section of highway located at the railroad overpass experiences a flash flood event.

US 70-A shield @ US 70 & I-95, Selma [Johnston] - This particular route used to begin at US 70 just east of Clayton and ran through the towns of Wilsons Mills, Selma, and Pine Level before meeting up with 70 again near the town of Princeton at the eastern end of the county. In the early 90s, mainline US 70 was rerouted over the former portion of 70-A west of I-95, before dipping to the east of Smithfield. This is the only stub of 70-A still remaining.

US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.

Junction US 64 & 264 shields @ NC 96, Zebulon [Wake] - This setup seems somewhat out of place because of the two-directional junction for US 64 and the TO US 264 signage. 264 West used to end about a mile from here on 64 East which is adjacent to Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats. Today, 264 runs along 64 West past Zebulon all the way to the I-440 Beltline in Raleigh.

US 70 & 301 shields, Smithfield [Johnston] - Only known reminder that Mainline 70 ran through town, before being rerouted north towards Selma in the early 1990s. That road today is now known as US 70 Business. The electronic sign located to the left only goes off when a flood occurs at the railroad underpass just past this intersection.

US 401/421, NC 27/210 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat.
Old US 401/NC 42 shields, Fuquay-Varina [Wake]
US 401 Truck Route shield, Fuquay-Varina [Wake] - This sort of route does not exist within town. Notice that the routes for Mainline 401 and NC 42 are in the background.
US 401/NC 210 text-only sign, Lillington [Harnett] - These signs are fairly common here because four numbered routes go through this little burg. On a two-mile stretch of road east of town, you will find all four routes (US 401 & 421, NC Hwys. 27 & 210) multiplexed together.
Large US 401/NC 39/NC 56 shields, Louisburg [Franklin]
US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.

US 421 overhead text sign, Sanford [Lee] - sign put up at only traffic light intersection between NC 87 and the Lee-Harnett county line. Also only section of highway there to be named as such.
US 401/421, NC 27/210 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat.

NC Routes

	NC 27/210, US 401/421 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat.
	Large US 401/NC 39/NC 56 shields, Louisburg [Franklin]
	NC 42 Exit sign, Clayton [Johnston] - Sometimes it's much easier to use the route marker as a reference for this often-used exit ramp off US 70, the town's main thoroughfare. Old US 401/NC 42 shields, Fuquay-Varina [Wake]
	NC 55/US 64 overhead signs, Apex [Wake] - These signs are good at helping shoppers exit the sprawling Beaver Creek retail complex. Notice NC 55 is listed as "North" instead of "West". US 70 Business/NC 98/NC 55 shields, Durham [Durham] - This sign arrangement seems quite confusing, since all three routes don't run together. Business 70 & 98 run along Holloway Street in an true east-west fashion, while 55 goes along Alston Avenue in a much different angle. NC 55 Bypass shield, Holly Springs [Wake] - The Holly Springs Bypass opened in December 2002 as a way for traffic to get through the area easily. Strangely enough, it was originally signed as a north-south route, which is incorrect. The signs were later changed to their intended east-west configuration.
	Large US 401/NC 39/NC 56 shields, Louisburg [Franklin]
	I-85 & NC 86 Truck Route shields, Hillsborough [Orange] - One of only two numbered routes listed as a "Truck Route" designation in the Triangle. This was done to keep the big rigs from tearing through the narrow streets of downtown Hillsborough.
	Orange and Black US 1A shield, Wake Forest [Wake] - This sign was put up in spring 2006 to divert truck traffic away from construction of a traffic circle near the SEBTS campus. US 70 Business/NC 98/NC 55 shields, Durham [Durham] - This sign arrangement seems quite confusing, since all three routes don't run together. Business 70 & 98 run along Holloway Street in an true east-west fashion, while 55 goes along Alston Avenue in a much different angle.
	NC 147 & US 70 Business overhead sign @ US 15-501, Durham [Durham] - Because of the close proximity between the two routes, they both share the same sign because of a common collector lane that links Hillsbourough Road (Business 70) and the Durham Freeway (147) to 15-501.
	NC 27/210, US 401/421 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat. US 401/NC 210 text-only sign, Lillington [Harnett] - Simple, yet somehow effective.
	NC 751 text-only sign @ I-85 North, between Hillsborough and Durham [Orange] - This exit actually leads to US 70 East (not shown), which you will need to access to get to 751 from here.

All shield images courtesy of Shields Up! by David Kendrick. URL: http://www.kendrick.org/shields-up/

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	I-85 & NC 86 Truck Route shields, Hillsborough [Orange] - One of only two numbered routes listed as a "Truck Route" designation in the Triangle. This was done to keep the big rigs from tearing through the narrow streets of downtown Hillsborough.
	I-95 North overhead sign @ US 421/NC 55, Dunn [Harnett] - Looks like somebody took a big 'ol 95 shield and decided to attach it to a rather small sign. Crude, yet somehow effective.
	I-440 North & South overhead signs @ New Bern Ave., Raleigh [Wake] - These signs are erroneous in nature, since I-440 runs in an INNER/OUTER configuration. In case anyone's wondering, the US 64 shield on top would be running on the INNER directional heading towards Raleigh.

	US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.
	Orange and Black US 1A shield, Wake Forest [Wake] - This sign was put up in spring 2006 to divert truck traffic away from construction of a traffic circle near the SEBTS campus. Notice the dash missing in this pic, which is prominently found on other shields along this stretch of highway. US 1-A shields @ NC 98, Wake Forest [Wake] - Signifies Wake Forest/Youngsville stretch of 1-A. Large US 1-A shield, Franklinton [Franklin] - Signifies only other stretch of 1-A in the area.
	US 15-501 Detour signage @ NC 86/I-40, Chapel Hill [Orange] - Temporary sign put up in October 2003 when westbound exit of 15-501 @ I-40 was closed due to road widening in the area. Interesting how two route numbers managed to fit neatly on one shield. US 15-501 Business End shields, Durham [Durham] - This is quite a rare END sighting for a Business route in the area. US 15-501 Business overhead exit sign @ South Square, Durham [Durham] - This overhead dates back to the late 1990s, when the area still had a major shopping mall which shared the area's namesake. Today, a Super Target and Sam's Club reside in the old mall location. US 15-501 Business overhead signs @ I-85/US 15/US 70, Durham [Durham] - Located along a collector lane that connects Roxboro Street and Avondale Drive (NC Hwy. 55) alongside I-85's northern edge. To 15-501 text-only sign, Durham [Durham] - Located in Old Five Points sections north of Downtown, adjacent to Durham Central Park. US 15 only: US 15 shield with green Jefferson Davis Highway sign, Oxford [Granville] - This is the active stretch of highway in North Carolina still named after the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War. This particular sign is an anamoly in itself, since the others have black text on white background. [More information]
	US 64 overpass BGS, Apex [Wake] - Interestingly enough, this sign actually leads motorists away from the highway. Turns out, in order to get to the movie theater located nearby, you have to get off 64 onto Green Level Road, then turn left onto another road and cross 64 again in order to get there. NC 55/US 64 overhead signs, Apex [Wake] - These signs are good at helping shoppers exit the sprawling Beaver Creek retail complex. Notice NC 55 is listed as "North" instead of "West". Old US 64 green sign, Siler City [Chatham] - This rather old sign dates back to when US 421used to run through town. The motorist is led to an access road that runs parallel to Second Street, which goes underneath US 64. Junction US 64 & 264 shields @ NC 96, Zebulon [Wake] - This setup seems somewhat out of place because of the two-directional junction for US 64 and the TO US 264 signage. 264 West used to end about a mile from here on 64 East which is adjacent to Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats. Today, 264 runs along 64 West past Zebulon all the way to the I-440 Beltline in Raleigh.
	US 70 Business/NC 98/NC 55 shields, Durham [Durham]- This sign arrangement seems quite confusing, since all three routes don't run together. Business 70 & 98 run along Holloway Street in an true east-west fashion, while 55 goes along Alston Avenue in a much different angle. US 70 Business & NC 147 overhead sign @ US 15-501, Durham [Durham] - Because of the close proximity between the two routes, they both share the same sign because of a common collector lane that links Hillsbourough Road (Business 70) and the Durham Freeway (147) to 15-501. US 70 Business Detour route sign, Smithfield [Johnston] - These signs show motorists where to go in the event that the section of highway located at the railroad overpass experiences a flash flood event.
	US 70-A shield @ US 70 & I-95, Selma [Johnston] - This particular route used to begin at US 70 just east of Clayton and ran through the towns of Wilsons Mills, Selma, and Pine Level before meeting up with 70 again near the town of Princeton at the eastern end of the county. In the early 90s, mainline US 70 was rerouted over the former portion of 70-A west of I-95, before dipping to the east of Smithfield. This is the only stub of 70-A still remaining.
	US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.
	Junction US 64 & 264 shields @ NC 96, Zebulon [Wake] - This setup seems somewhat out of place because of the two-directional junction for US 64 and the TO US 264 signage. 264 West used to end about a mile from here on 64 East which is adjacent to Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats. Today, 264 runs along 64 West past Zebulon all the way to the I-440 Beltline in Raleigh.
	US 70 & 301 shields, Smithfield [Johnston] - Only known reminder that Mainline 70 ran through town, before being rerouted north towards Selma in the early 1990s. That road today is now known as US 70 Business. The electronic sign located to the left only goes off when a flood occurs at the railroad underpass just past this intersection.
	US 401/421, NC 27/210 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat. Old US 401/NC 42 shields, Fuquay-Varina [Wake] US 401 Truck Route shield, Fuquay-Varina [Wake] - This sort of route does not exist within town. Notice that the routes for Mainline 401 and NC 42 are in the background. US 401/NC 210 text-only sign, Lillington [Harnett] - These signs are fairly common here because four numbered routes go through this little burg. On a two-mile stretch of road east of town, you will find all four routes (US 401 & 421, NC Hwys. 27 & 210) multiplexed together. Large US 401/NC 39/NC 56 shields, Louisburg [Franklin] US 1/158/401 directional shields, Norlina [Warren] - Former endpoint for US 401, was extended along US 1 to I-85 near NC/VA border in late 2002. Change in directional sign reflects the route extension beyond this point.
	US 421 overhead text sign, Sanford [Lee] - sign put up at only traffic light intersection between NC 87 and the Lee-Harnett county line. Also only section of highway there to be named as such. US 401/421, NC 27/210 shield combo, Lillington [Harnett] - beginning of a two-mile-long quadriplex through the county seat.