Colorado US Route 550 (Million Dollar Highway) sign

$89.00$369.00

Description

US Route 550 is a famous highway in southwest Colorado. It enters the state from New Mexico, passing through Durango and Ouray, before ending at US 50 on the north side of Montrose. The most well-known portion of the highway is that through Uncompahgre Gorge south of Ouray. Here, the highway is carved into the sides of the mountains, high above the valley floor. Mere feet from the edge of the southbound lane is a steep dropoff, with no guardrails. This section of highway is called the “Million Dollar Highway”. Reasons given for how it got that name differ. Some say that it’s because the ground beneath the highway is likely to contain millions of dollars of gold deposits. Others say it’s because each mile of highway through the gorge cost a million dollars to build. It could just be from the million-dollar views the highway provides to car passengers (though the drivers should really be more focused on not falling off the side of the mountain than anything else).

Our US Route 550 shield is a precise replica of the signs that stood along the Million Dollar Highway in its early days. It is made according to the exact 1926 federal standards for US highway signage, which was used for all new signs up until about 1948. Every detail is just like the original–the layout, the curves of the shield, even the classic block fonts used for highway signage of the era! Original signs in this style go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the collector’s market. Get an excellent display piece, without breaking the bank, with our faithful replica.

Our US Route 550 Million Dollar Highway shield is flat printed on heavy 14-gauge steel. It has a glossy, non-reflective finish, with a similar appearance to porcelain signage used throughout the West in the early days of the US highway system. It is just as durable as the classic signs, too, allowing you to install it outdoors if so desired. Mounting holes are included to make installation easy. It is available in the following sizes:

  • 12⅜ in. × 12 in. (scaled down to make an economical display piece)
  • 16½ in. × 16 in. (the most common size in use prior to 1948)
  • 24¾ in. × 24 in. (the “oversize” marker used when additional visibility was needed; also the modern-day marker size)
  • 37⅛ in. × 36 in. (a size used in the modern day in high-speed contexts, such as freeways)

We can make this sign with any combination of state and route number you like! We can also make pretty much any other route marker too, including those for Interstate and state routes from all 50 states. Plus, we make state welcome signs, summit markers, directional signs, warning signs…the possibilities are endless! If there’s a sign you want and you don’t see it on our site, just place a custom order! It’s easy; contact us today to get started!

Additional information

Weight N/A
Dimensions N/A
Spec year

1926

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Colorado US Route 550 (Million Dollar Highway) sign”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *