I was able to return to Berrien County, Michigan (southwest corner of
the lower peninsula). Following are comments. (Anything notable not
listed is probably included in a prior report - see
http://www.roadfan.com/triprep.html . Not all contruction
encountered is listed.) To follow along, start at
http://tinyurl.com/84t7z or
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.639694,-
81.372299&spn=0.039853,0.087736
and scroll westward. :)

August 3, from I-90 at Ohio SR-306 (Exit 193, Mentor):

Route: I-90 WB (parts with SR-2) to SR-2 WB (near Elyria) to SR-53 SB
to I-80/90 WB to US-31 NB

Ohio:

- You may have heard about the planes at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront
Airport (next to the infamous Dead Man's Curve on I-90 at SR-2 Exit
174B) being tossed around in a severe storm last week
http://news.google.com/news?q=burke+lakefront+storms+swelter
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=38445
I had also heard on the radio at the time about a loose sign in the
road. Going through the interchange yesterday, I figured out what
they were talking about. The last advance BGS for SR-2 had its
topped ripped off. Similar to the sign in
http://www.roadfan.com/deadman2.jpg (but the next gantry after the
one pictured), everything above "Downtown" was gone except the
vertical supports. Looked weird, like a truck had clipped it, but
the "clipping" was on top....

- Meta-warning: In the construction zone on I-90 in Rocky River,
Ohio, there were construction diamond warning signs saying "RUMBLE
STRIPS". I have seen a permanent version of this (with the
word "AHEAD") on PA SR-285 approaching an intersection just inside
the Ohio border near the Pymatuning Reservoir.

- As I mentioned earlier, the SR-2 freeway at the east end has
ARTIMIS-style 2/10 milemarkers
( http://www.artimis.org/system.php ) with the zero point being the
Indiana line.
http://groups-
beta.google.com/group/misc.transport.road/browse_frm/thread/6c3984325d
4fb371
The SR-2 freeway in Lorain County has these with the Erie County line
as the zero point. This is in addition to Interstate-style (whole
number) milemarkers and exit numbers, all set to the county line (see
http://www.roadfan.com/lorain.html#oh2 ).

- Stopoff at the approaches to the demolished Sandusky Bay lift
bridge (former SR-2, later SR-269, see
http://www.roadfan.com/bayport.html#bay for a 2000 visit). The
approaches were being used for ODOT vehicle storage in conjunction
with bridge repair on the adjacent SR-2/269 crossing.

- On the Ohio Turnpike/80/90, saw a semi with "S.F. - N.J. Trucking"
or something similar, and thought how appropriate that was being on I-
80; however, the headquarters (wish I could remember the name) were
in St. Paul, Minnesota.

- I-280/SR-420 interchange: Just before the interchange WB, there
used to be a sign directing travellers "TO {75} NORTH / Detroit",
stemming from the fact that the I-75 interchange on the Turnpike is a
recent addition, plus, even with the I-75 interchange, I-280 is
usually a good cut-off. Now, for whatever reason, likely because of
the I-280 construction over the Maumee River in Toledo (construction
of a cable-stayed bridge to replace the existing drawbridge
http://www.lookuptoledo.org/ ), the legend has been changed to "TO
[420] SOUTH / Stony Ridge". Unfortunately, that's deceptive, as the
road south at the exit *is* SR-420. Also, traffic entering the
Turnpike WB had been routed onto the new exit ramps, just east of the
old ones, but WB exiting traffic still used the old ramps. The new
entrance ramp went behind the old ramps before merging with the
mainline, a configuration that looked like it could be permanent
(although I'm not sure it will be since I've never seen maps of the
final configuration).

Indiana:

- No backups at the booth at the west end of the Ohio Turnpike or the
one at the east end of the Indiana Toll Road (yes, both are
considering transponder systems), but a major backup on a Toll Road
resurfacing project west of I-69.

- Stopped at the Ernie Pyle Travel Plaza on the Toll Road (MM 126
westbound), and was happy to see that there is now a dedicated area
for tourist information in the old game room, rather than just the
old brochure rack by the main entrance. Still no transportation
maps, though, only tourist maps (the transportation map slathered
with tourist ads and no city insets). There were cards for
construction in NW Indiana and Chicago, one by the Gary-Chicago-
Milwaukee transportation entity
( http://www.gcmtravel.com/ ) and one specifically for the Borman
Expressway (I-80/94) by INDOT. The latter was a postcard. Yes, a
postcard. There was room on the back on the right side for an
address and a stamp. "Wish You Weren't Here!"

- The Indiana Toll Road has had its signage upgraded near South
Bend/Mishawaka/Elkhart. Approaching Exit 96 (Elkhart CR-17), just
past the "Elkhart East 1 MILE" sign, was a small supplemental sign
mentioning CR 17 and M-217. Finally. Unfortunately, between
thinking that that would be the only mention of the routes, and my
tourist-like distraction looking at the southeast corner of the
interchange where there was an animated sign posted and a field being
cleared for the, uh, Recreational Vehicle/Motor Home Hall of Fame and
Museum (really:
http://www.rv-mh-hall-of-fame.org/ ), I looked up just in time to see
that the BGS at the exit now included a CR-17 pentagon to the left
of "Elkhart East" (even though Elkhart County doesn't use pentagons)
and an M-217 marker, Michigan-style (no "M", numbers centered), so my
camera wasn't ready. Oops. The South Bend/Mishawaka exits sign just
before Exit 83 (read on) had also been replaced - before it simply
gave the mileage to the next three exits; now it shows their route
shields and gives the mileage from each exit to two destinations for
each (I did geta photo of that). As mentioned before, a SR-331 sign
has been added to the top of the left side of each BGS for Exit 83
(timeline of the 331 relocation:
http://www.roadfan.com/sbnelkrd.html#331 ). However, I let three
signs pass (1 mile, 1/2 mile, "NEXT RIGHT") before taking a picture
of the one right at the exit, so I could get the exit in the
background, but IT WASN'T THERE. 1-for-3 [jumping up and down in
frustration] Maybe I can get the two I missed on the way back....

Michigan:

I attempted a shot of the remnants of the left-turn pavement markings
immediately before the M-139 underpass (Exit 15) on US-31 NB near
Berrien Springs, from when 31 ended temporarily at a traffic light
there (1992-c.1998). I hope it comes out because there were orange
markings on the pavement in the area, meaning that they're likely
going to rebuild it soon (they already wrer further south around US-
12).

___

August 4, various roads in greater Berrien/Van Buren Counties in
Michigan

- As noted before, I-196/US-31 goes through a sandy area a few miles
north of I-196's southern terminus, due to the proximity to Lake
Michigan and its sand dunes. However, most of it is grown over with
vegetation, so you wouldn't know it's sand except in the few existing
bald spots, and a couple depressions ("blowouts"?) just across the
tree line, although the inside shoulders looked a bit sandy as well.

- Clearview sightings: "Lake Michigan College/South Haven" on I-
196/US-31 approaching Phoenix Road (the north end of South Haven's I-
196 BL, Exit 20). NB the "South Haven/Next 3 Exits" might also be,
but I couldn't tell for sure.

- Visited the MDOT Coloma Transportation Service Center near I-196/US-
31 Exit 1 (Red Arrow Highway, old US-12, ancient US-12/31). Asked
what I could get. Was told it was a business office. The nice but
bewildered employee appeased me with a couple MDOT '05's and a
couple "Paving the Way 2005" construction brochures. :)

- Tower Drive, a residential street just outside Benton Harbor, need
to change its name because the high-tension towers which ran along it
(the wires were directly above the road) have been moved, likely
because of an expansion of the nearby Southwest Michigan Regional
Airport. (No, it doesn't really need to change its name....)

The report for the rest of the trip (undoubtedly along with half a
dozen things I forgot above) will be in a reply to this message, and
might include a side trip.

Marc, posting from lovely Lincoln Township, Michigan, just east of
Stevensville

[See also m.t.r]