Missouri

St Louis City

Type	Description	Date
	Diagrammatic overhead for 11th Street/Busch Stadium exit, I-64/US 40 East, downtown. I always find it amusing that the eastbound signs generalize the destination to "Illinois," although it is understandable; "East St Louis" could be confusing, and "Mount Vernon" probably is too distant. Locals refer to the I-64/US 40 multiplex as "Highway 40", probably because of I-64's relatively recent commissioning.	2004-10-18
	Overheads for Exits 39C and 40B, installed over the eastbound lanes of Highway 40, which are stacked underneath the westbound lanes.	2004-10-18
	I-64 Exits 37A-B, Market and Bernard Streets and Grand Boulevard. This is just a stone's throw from my office at SLU.	2005-09-16
	Overhead for I-64 Exit 40B, which pretty much tells its own story.	2004-10-18
	Button-copy overheads at the onramp to Highway 40 from Kingshighway Blvd (in St Louis). Pretty much all of the button copy remaining along Highway 40 is at the onramps. The shields are printed on modern reflective sheeting; presumably, these replaced old US 40 shields in or around 1988 when I-64 was commissioned through St Louis. Also of note is the fact that there obviously used to be another sign panel to the left of these two; notice the remaining mountings and lighting.	2006-01-21
	Overheads on I-55 for Carondelet Blvd (pronounce the "t") and Bayless Ave in south St Louis.	2006-02-18
	The next exit on I-55 heading north is Loughborough ("lof" as in loft) Avenue.	2006-02-18
	With four interstates converging in downtown St Louis, MoDOT has put more than one interstate number per shield in many places. This is an example, signing both I-44 and 55. It's probably not evident from this photo, but if you get close to the real sign, you can tell that a "70" has been covered with blue sheeting below the other two numbers. I'm not sure why, as it is possible to eventually reach 70 by entering the freeway at this entrance.	2005-09-09
	More of the same. These shields are located on Chestnut Street, just a couple of blocks from where the four-interstate madness begins. The top multi-shield shows the "70" that is covered up in the last photo.	2006-11-09
	Button-copy distance sign on 64/40 downtown.	2005-09-16
	Variable message sign alerting drivers to construction-related lane closings on 64/40.	2005-09-16
	Trailblazer for "Historic Route 66." These are found all along the route that 66 once took through the city, and apparently in other places too: this sign is one of several like it that appears along Lindell Blvd near Forest Park; I don't think 66 was ever routed that way.	2005-08-28
	One of the best road photos I've ever taken: the "St Louis City Limit" and "Missouri State Line" signs along 64/40, with the Arch in the background. This was taken while stuck in eastbound traffic on the Poplar Street Bridge. I was lucky to get the shot.	2006-04-07
	The northern terminus of MO 267 is just past the crossing of the River des Peres by Lemay Ferry Rd. in St Louis.	2007-10-09
	Another type of St Louis City Limit sign, this one showing the city seal. Sorry it isn't more detailed. I believe this sign is located on NB I-55.	2006-02-18
	Relatively new I-64 Missouri shield paired with a significantly older US 40 shield at the onramp from Berthold Ave. Link to Google map. The ramp is mostly used by traffic entering the highway from McCausland Ave.	2007-10-09
	It's not every day you can walk right up to a full-size overhead BGS setup. Memorial Drive, in front of the Arch grounds, follows I-70 for a few blocks while 70 is below street level. Old button BGSes were used here until they were replaced with these new ones sometime during 2007.	2007-11-17
	Signage over the newly reworked Busch Stadium exit ramp from westbound 64/40. The ramp ends essentially at 9th and Clark.	2007-11-17
	Hastily posted Detour I-64 West shield on Clark between 9th and 10th Streets.	2007-11-17
	A view of the intersection of Hampton and Oakland, footsteps south of the Hampton interchange with 40. The overheads are pretty old and I expect them to come down during the rebuilding of the highway. Note the layout: traffic entering 40 eastbound takes the ramp crammed between Oakland and the offramp from 40 for southbound Hampton. The extremely tight curve of the offramp means it's probably bound for a makeover during 2009.	2007-11-17
	Close-up of a button BGS over Hampton as it passes over 40 and enters Forest Park.	2007-11-17
	Overhead for the 40 onramp from Grand Blvd. just south of Reinert Hall (SLU) and the Mothership Del Taco.	2007-12-18
	Where many major surface streets cross into the city limits, a granite pillar such as this one marks the line. Unfortunately this one, in the Delmar Loop, has been the victim of graffiti.	2007-12-19
	This sign, listing St Louis's sister cities around the globe, often accompanies other signage at the city limit. Here a bolt has fallen out and the sign has responded accordingly.	2007-12-19
	Through central St Louis County, Limit Avenue follows the city boundary, just a few yards to its west. Though the street is by no means continuous, the name is reused in several neighborhoods, suggesting it once was.	2007-12-19
	Entering the county, leaving city jurisdiction. A matching sign is mounted on the opposite side of the pole.	2007-12-19
	Button overhead at the onramp to 40 from Brentwood Blvd. The buttons have held up well, it appears.	2007-12-22
	Now-familiar "CLOSED" banner posted over old 40 onramp signage. This photo was deliberately overexposed for effect. In Brentwood.	2007-12-22
	Signage diagramming the eastern terminus of I-44 and southern terminus of Truman Parkway in downtown St Louis, where these roads split from northbound I-55.	2007-12-22
	Westbound on 40 at Clayton/Skinker/McCausland, looking up the ramp toward Clayton Rd.	2007-12-26
	Entering the big curve westbound on 40 between the Clayton/Skinker ramp and the McCausland ramp. Coming the other way, eastbound, it's kind of fun (but dumb) to speed through this sweeping downhill curve.	2007-12-26
	Another shot from 40 looking up toward the McCausland exit. Get used to the sight of traffic, too.	2007-12-26
	Ancient signage at an I-70 onramp in St Charles. Possibly 1950s vintage. Buttons still working.	2007-12-26
	Shields for all four St Louis interstates along Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd., below the floodwall, in the shadow of the railroad bridge.	2007-12-29
	The only MO Supplemental Route actually entering St Louis City is Route D, Page Blvd. It is unusual to see any of these routes with a directional banner.	2008-01-03
	Shields at the intersection of Tesson Ferry (MO 21) and Lindbergh (US 50/61/67) in Concord Village, south St Louis County. The US 50 shield should have the double arrow beneath.	2007-04-08
	New backlit street blades, laid out in Clearview, at Chippewa and Kingshighway.	2008-07-04

St Louis County

Type	Description	Date
	I-44 eastbound exit 266, Lewis Rd. Several interchanges in this area of southwest St Louis County still had what was apparently the original signage, when this photo was taken. Because the signs were weathered and the road was being resurfaced anyway, I assume that by now they've been replaced. Note the exit tab on this one was added fairly recently.	2006-07-16
	Looking south from the Chain of Rocks Bridge north of St Louis. Once upon a time, this carried Route 66 across the Mississippi. Read more. Now, the bridge only carries bike and foot traffic. Several times while I lived in St Louis, I rode my bike along the Riverfront Trail, across the bridge into Illinois, and back. This shot was taken at the bridge's famous bend. The tower in the middle of the river was once an intake for the St Louis water system. That's my bike, too.	2007-10-07
	Miniature BGS posted on the back of traffic light beams on Eager Rd. where it meets Brentwood Blvd. Presumably, with the Hwy 40 project, the interchange will change enough that these will obsolesce.	2006-06-04
	Old overhead above Delmar Blvd. at its interchange with I-170 and McKnight Rd.	2006-04-01
	Traffic heading east on I-44 is given the option of using 270/255 to avoid going through the city. Also note the Missouri-style interstate mile marker.	2006-06-04
	A nice shot of the buttons on these overheads that once hung over Hanley Rd. at 40.	2007-02-14
	I-44 exit 272, MO 141. Note the U-turn lane marked on the previous offramp.	2006-07-16
	Overheads for I-270 and the Earth City Expressway on I-70 westbound.	2005-09-15
	I-70 exit 234, Missouri Hwy 180 (St Charles Rock Rd). This road is so named because it was the first paved road to St Charles and was a "rock road", instead of dirt.	2005-09-15
	I-70 exits 235A-C, US 67 (Lindbergh Blvd) and MO Supplemental Route B (Natural Bridge Rd). This photo was taken heading westbound.	2005-09-15
	Exits 235A-B, where they actually begin. Traffic heading to Lindbergh splits from I-70 immediately, onto a pair of side lanes; northbound traffic exits first, then southbound. The side lanes then rejoin westbound I-70. This is a photo of the northbound exit.	2005-09-15
	BGSes on I-44 for exits 279, 278, and 277B.	2006-01-21
	Directional sign for the onramp to I-44, entirely in button copy. A classic. This sign hangs over southbound Lindbergh Blvd, exit 277A-B.	2006-01-21
	Button copy signage at I-255 exit 1C (Lemay Ferry Rd) in South St Louis County. (I-255 and I-270 form a loop around St Louis; the eastern half is 255 and the western 270.) This has since been replaced.	2005-09-09
	Directional sign at the end of the exit ramp for US 50/61/67 (Lindbergh Blvd) from I-44 in Kirkwood. Westbound US 50 follows I-44, hence the lack of direction on the sign. Sign has since been replaced.	2006-01-21
	Directional signage over the ramp from I-255 to Telegraph Rd (MO 231).	2005-09-09
	Button-copy guide sign at the Kinswood Lane intersection, following the sign above.	2005-09-09
	Most of Watson Rd is now signed as MO 366 because it was once the fabled US Route 66. This sign directs drivers on Lindbergh Blvd onto eastbound Watson.	2006-01-21
	Overhead distance sign and directional sign for MO 100 (Manchester Rd) exit on I-270. The small shield to the right of the MO 100 shield is a trailblazer for the Lewis and Clark Trail, which heads west from St Louis on a variety of routes. Fun fact: Manchester Rd is the only major route leaving St Louis that does not cross a river.	2006-02-18
	Just before entering the city limits on I-55 northbound is the exit for Reavis Barracks Rd. Bayless, the next exit, is in the city. I kept this photo in its panoramic state. If you look closely to the right of the gore sign, you can see the downtown skyline.	2006-02-18
	Button-copy diagrammatical sign at the Hanley Rd exit from 64/40. The sign shows Eager Rd, which acts as a frontage road in this area, splitting from the offramp.	2006-02-05
	The western terminus of Forest Park Parkway is at I-170. Here is the associated signage.	2006-08-20
	Shields for I-170 at the Olive Blvd interchange.	2005-09-15
	This MO 366 shield has seen better days. Many state route shields in the St Louis area are peeling as this one is, particularly along 366. I believe this should also have a "JCT" banner instead of "West."	2005-08-28
	Olive Blvd west of Ferguson Ave in University City is signed as MO 340; the eastern terminus is signed as shown here.	2005-09-15
	Odd placement of an I-44 shield at the offramp where it meets Big Bend Rd in Kirkwood.	2006-07-16
	The County places very helpful signs like this one on important routes to give drivers a heads-up so they don't miss their turn. I really appreciated this practice when I first moved to St Louis. This one is on Laclede Station Rd just south of the Heege Rd/Watson Rd junction.	2005-08-28
	Grant's Farm was once the homestead of President Ulysses S. Grant. Today it's a landmark and recreational facility run by Anheuser-Busch. This sign directs traffic off Gravois Road to the site.	2005-08-28
	On Watson Road, eastbound drivers have the option of doing a "U" to access westbound MO 366. I think this sign may remain from the days of Route 66, due to the button copy and the odd placement of the MO 366 shield.	2006-01-21
	Believe it or not, duck crossing. I spotted this on Lackland Rd in an area mainly zoned for industry and office complexes.	2006-02-18
	This sign, just before Exit 7 on I-270 southbound, is odd because e the characters are the distinctive shape of button-copy characters (look at the descenders of the "g" and "y"), but the sign is not button copy. I've noticed a few other signs like this in and around St Louis, on both sides of the river.	2006-02-18
	Shields for MO 21 and 30 on Gravois at the intersection with Tesson Ferry and Rock Hill Roads, Affton. Tesson Ferry, which is the name for the road leading south from here, is MO 21, making this the northern terminus.	2007-05-29
	End of Spur MO 180 at Page Ave. (MO Supplemental D) in Pagedale. The spur acts as a connector between heavily traveled St Charles Rock Rd (MO 180) and Page.	2008-07-04
	During the first half of 2008, I-270 in West County was upgraded with digital speed limit signs that can presumably be adjusted to match traffic flow and/or time of day.	2008-07-04

Elsewhere

Type	Description	Date
	The first Missouri exit on I-155 westbound, MO 84 and Supplemental Y. Caruthersville is known mostly for two things: it is the home of the Casino Aztar, and was also devastated by a tornado in 2006.	2007-07-18
	Vintage button BGS at the onramp to I-55 North from Missouri K in Cape Girardeau. A nice find. Note that Perryville is used instead of St Louis as the control city.	2007-07-18
	BGS at I-70 exit 183, Jonesburg. This shows three State Supplementary Route shields. The letter designations are unique only within each county, and the state does not use directional banners with the shields. Also, note the large size of the exit tab; this is common on rural interstates in Missouri.	2006-04-02
	I-70 Exit 227, Zumbehl Rd., St Charles. If you put all the roads I've ever driven on in alphabetical order, I'm pretty sure this one would come last.	2005-09-15
	An assortment of signs for St Charles destinations, I-70 exits 228 and 229A-B.	2005-09-15
	Approaching exits 229A-B, the Business Loop of I-70 (Fifth St), St Charles.	2005-09-15
	A few places on and around I-70 in St Charles and St Peters have remnants of very old signage, perhaps original from the highway's opening in 1956. This sign is falling into disrepair, but appears to be considered valuable, as it has been kept standing on a wooden frame through construction around it.	2006-08-20
	New-style BGS for an on-ramp to I-70 in St Charles.	2006-04-01
	I-44 exit 257 (Business Loop 44) at Pacific in Franklin County. Business 44 can be used as an alternate route to Eureka from the west.	2006-07-16
	An old button-copy BGS for exit 251 (MO 100 West) on I-44.	2006-07-16
	Old button guide sign on First Capitol Drive in St Charles, for the intersection of Zumbehl and Friedens Roads.	2006-08-20
	Missouri is one of three states claiming to have had the first interstate highway. (See this site for details.) This sign, on I-70 near St Charles, commemorates that.	2006-04-01
	BGS, I-55 exit 191, MO 141. The first southbound exit in Jefferson County.	2007-06-02

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