Come with us now to, a time when
“Men were men, roads were roads, and signs were signs!”
All photographs by Michael Summa; Commentary by Comrade Mr Yamamoto and Michael Summa.

Interstate Highway 84 1975-1977


Numbers on the map show approximate location of the photos.

Interstate 84 westbound at the CT-NY state line-1975.
The Welcome Signs are both button copy:
Look in the lower right for the second sign on US 6-202.
Note the SPEED LIMIT sign: There’s no “STATE” there.
There's something else missing here: The on-slip from CT JN 1!
That should come in about where the SPEED LIMIT sign is now.
JN 21 in 1976.
The first junction in NY west of the CT State Line.
Classic all-text sine here.
Westbound at IH 84 JN 20 in 1975.
The foreground bridge is Starr Ridge Road.
1969 at j 20 on the IH 84: from the Starr Ridge Rd overpass before completion west of here.
The ALL TRAFFIC sign was button copy on red reflective background.
(If the barricades didn't get your attention, maybe the low hanging flashing signals did the job.)
Northbound at the northern end of the IH 684-1977.
The bridge is the semi-directional slip from IH 84 west to IH 684 south.
Eastbound on IH 84 approaching JN 20.
Note the “U” on “US 6”. There’s NYSDOT quality!
Eastbound on IH 84 at JN 20-1975.
The original sine for the Pawling exit.
Eastbound on IH 84 approaching JN 20.
1977-One of the very few instances of usage of US & NY route shields on a guide sign.
Even here, the widest numeral font was Series “E”, rather than today's series “F”.
Replaced by a sign with a non-button copy IH 684 shield;
and now, a fully retroreflective sign.
Westbound at JN 19-1977; on a ridge north of the freeway.
The original sine for the NY 312 jumction.
On the ridge on the opposite side of the freeway,
There now is a huge Kohl’s and Home Depot.
The Southeast Metro North railway station is also south of the freeway.
Westbound on IH 84 at JN 16-1975.
The original signs for the Taconic Parkway. This makes yr wig go back: Shields vs Text!
For the second snap, Michael Summa sez:
“ Personally one of my all-time favorites.
However, by 1977, a button copy text message was placed under the cardinal directions
and the Taconic Parkway shields were removed( It was a dark day for NY State).
Needless to say I was quite upset when I first saw that,
and I was ready to vent my frustration(but instead blew a 50 amp fuse).”
That unfortunate condition continues: 2k4 replacement signs are text, too.
Various shots at the Interstate 84/Taconic State Parkway junction 1975-77.
Commentary by Michael Summa.
“ Since the section of Interstate 84 west of the parkway was completed first,
the shields facing eastbound traffic as well as those on the pkwy itself are older.
They have the much smaller font and "parkway" spelled out.
There is a clearer photo on Mark O'Neil's site.
As much as I liked them, they seemed quite hard to read at high speeds
for drivers unfamiliar with the region.
So there ended up being 3 styles of pkwy shields used before they were eliminated.
I guess that's why I liked NY's original way of signing their interstates,
multiple text route messages and these pkwy shields that were harder to read at high speeds.”
JN 12 in 1975.
Westbound IH 84 where NY 52 joins the freeway in Fishkill.
Substitute shields for the “ NY 52” text, and it’s much the same.
Note the (small) services signs on the off-slip-text with no adverts.
Eastbound coming off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in 1975.
Remember this was before the dualization of the bridge(1980).
Note the telephone pole lights,
and the Interstate state name shield tacked on the THRU TRAFFIC sign.
The Thanksgiving 2k3 page shows a modern view of the area.
This is the current sign.
JN 8 in 1975-westbound Interstate 84.
Michael Summa sez:
“ I thought an Interstate to Interstate junction,
even though there was not a direct connection, would get more attention than this.
There was not even a 2 mile advance sign for the Thruway,
yet there was for the Taconic Parkway.”
Now the gantry has been replaced by a modern box gantry,
and there's more development on the north(right) side of the junction.
The slip road terminals are also now signalized.
The NY 17 junction-westbound in 1975.
The left sign almost reads like an old postal code: “NY 17 New York”.
JN 3 westbound in 1975.
1975-The westbound parking area on IH 84 west at mile 3; between J1 and J2.
If you look just past the second vehicle in line here,
you can just see IH 84 continuing in Pennsylvania.
JN 1 westbound in 1972. This view also gives you a good look at US 6.
This sign has been replaced by a sign that is the base of an index page logo.
1972-Westbound on US 6 at the junction with Orange County Road 15.
About ¼ mile from the freeway off-slip.
A NYSDOT assembly featuring a supplemental “NJ” in the circle sheild.
Contemporary signs feature a cut-out circle.
1975-Eastbound on US 6 heading out of Port Jervis.
This is the junction of Orange County 16-leading to Sussex County 521.
Here is a modern snap of the area.
I think it’s the same “Montague” sign in both snaps.
The historical marker is gone.
1972-A button-copy welcome sign shortly after the bridge from Matamoras, PA
on US 6 east/US 209 north.
1972-Facing northeast at the junction of US 6-US 209 and NY 42/97 in Port Jervis
(Pike, Main and Orange Streets).
The signal assemblies you see are still in use. Note the odd US 209 shieild.
1972-3 miles northwest of the above junction, NY 42 and NY 97 part company.
BUT, unlike today-There's a nice gantry;
and apparently a short stretch of dual carriageway.
1972-Not related to the above,
since this is NY 17A eastbound approaching NY 17/NY 207 at Goshen.
A bit fuzzy, but you can see that this is off, even for NY.
That vegetation is long gone....

OI! Dig on the Whole Series!!
It’s not just Top Ho and Spiffing! It's Summariffic!