West Virginia Turnpike marker

Description

The West Virginia Turnpike opened in 1954. It was dubbed “88 miles of miracle” due to the difficulty in building a road in such difficult terrain. The original turnpike bore little resemblance to most modern turnpikes; it was only two lanes for its entire length. It would remain as such throughout the 1950s and 1960s as traffic steadily grew. By the 1970s, Interstate links at each end of the turnpike were dumping massive amounts of traffic onto the two-lane turnpike. High fatality rates soon followed. West Virginia officials finally began upgrading the turnpike to Interstate standards in 1976. It took until 1987 for the entire length of the turnpike to be four-laned. As the turnpike was upgraded, it was given the designations of Interstates 64 and 77. The turnpike is presently signed solely with these two Interstate designations.

Before getting its Interstate designations, there were signs pointing to the West Virginia Turnpike using a unique design. These signs were blue with a yellow border, and in the shape of a downward-pointing triangle with chamfered corners. The abbreviation “W. VA.” was across the top of the triangle, with an interlocking “TP” below it.

We’ve brought the classic West Virginia Turnpike marker back to life. Our recreation uses an accurate rendition of the official FHWA Series fonts and the “TP” monogram found on the original signs. Original turnpike markers of this design are hard to find; their rarity ensures they command a premium on the collectors’ market. With our replicas, you can avoid the hassle and high prices while still getting a sign just like the real thing.

Our sign is flat-printed on heavy 14-gauge steel, durable enough for both indoor and outdoor conditions. It is available in sizes measuring from 12 inches square all the way up to 36 inches square. Each size contains convenient holes for mounting. (Looking for a size not shown here, or a classic sign not in our library? We’re happy to help! Just contact Jake to get started on your custom order.)