Here's a rarity. A Sohio sign! Actually, British Petrolium, in an effort to keep the copyright on the Sohio signage, uses Sohio brand gas at marinas, within Ohio. Otherwise, Sohio would fall back into the public domain if it wasn't being used. This Sohio sign is at either the Lakeside or Forest City Yacht club between Burke Lakefront Airport and Gordon Park along I-90. (Photo taken in June, 2004)

This footbridge, between East 72nd Street (unsigned Ohio 283) and Martin Luther King Junior Drive, connects the two sections of Gordon Park. This bridge was to be raised in a 2004 project.

While Ohio 283 is not signed west of here (there is even an "END 283" assembly just to the right), it officially follows I-90/Ohio 2/Shoreway WB to East 72nd Street SB to St. Clair Street WB to East 55th Street SB to its official west end at US 6/Superior Street.

These are used in the area on freeways, notably Interstate 90, when one of their roadways has a sharp curve within an interchange. This one is found along I-90 Westbound at Ohio 2 in Euclid; others are located at I-90 Westbound at the I-71/I-90/I-490 interchange and on I-90 Eastbound at I-271. The lights flash simultaneously.

Interstate 90 and the north end of Interstate 271

Go here for a map (the Express Lanes are not shown - they run in the wide median, merging into I-90 just to the northeast, past Ohio 91)

In the 1990s ODOT constructed Express Lanes in the median of I-271 from the I-480/US 422 interchange to I-271's northern terminus at I-90. (They were started in 1992, and completed south to Chagrin Blvd. (US 422/SR 87) by 1995 and to the I-480/US 422 interchange in 1998. See also this page.) Because of the I-271 and Ohio 91 interchanges on I-90 being so close to each other, and because the highway carrying I-271 continues as I-90, ODOT decided to continue the Express Lanes in the median of I-90 for about 1½ miles. As you can see, ODOT considers all of I-271 to end at I-90, meaning the Express Lanes past here carry no route number, and it considers the Express Lanes to be the mainline of I-271 (they are called "IR 271X" in official plans). The upper bridge is the ramp from I-271 Northbound to I-90 Westbound, and the lower one carries I-90 Eastbound.

Note the "No Hazardous Cargo" sign and the express lanes in the median (they started just before Ohio 91 which is just to the behind).

On I-271 Northbound. Because of the way the Express Lanes work, anyone going from I-271 Express Northbound to Ohio 91 must follow the slip ramp to the Local Lanes, signposted for I-90 West, then follow signs for I-90 East. Also, to get to I-90 Westbound at the I-90/I-271 interchange, one goes northeast to west; for I-90 eastbound, one goes straight north to northeast. (See map linked above.) Contributed by Matt Walcoff

This is one of only five diagrammatic overhead signs that we know of in Ohio not along the Ohio Turnpike (Six if you want to count signs in Kentucky leading up to the I-71/75/US 50 interchange in Cincinnati); the others are the corresponding sign to this one at the other end of the I-271 Express Lanes (photo, part of this page), one on Ohio 283 Northbound at Ohio 2 and Ohio 535 near Fairport, and two on I-76/US 224 Eastbound approaching I-277 near the Akron/Barberton city line (see the I-76 page on The Akron Virtual Roadtrip). This split does have an exit number, Exit 190.

Also see the I-271 collection by AARoadtrips.

Overpass identifiers

At one time Ohio did what many states have always done: placed signs on overpasses identifying the crossing route. Almost all of these original black on white signs have been removed (see the "Overpass road identifier" entry on Morrow-Richland County road photos page for example of the old style). However, a newer style of these signs have started showing up again in places, including the Local/Express section of I-271. This time around, ODOT is following the style of the Ohio Turnpike (which itself had no identifiers for quite some time) and posting route markers when the overpassing road carries a state-level route (Interstate, U.S., state) as well. Another new style may be found on I-90 in Lake County east of I-271; in this style, overcrossing state routes are actually identified by a shield with no black background on a green sign, almost like a miniature elongated guide sign.

You can see the rusty area where there formerly was an old-style sign for Rockefeller Road. Note: This bridge was redecked in Summer 2002 and repainted in Fall 2002; the remnant still remains but is difficult to see due to the new paint coat.
On I-90 Westbound just west of I-271

New-style sign -- road name only

New-style sign -- route number only - On I-271 Northbound south of I-90 (and for the picture above as well)

Page created on December 26, 2002/Revised May 16, 2005

Questions and comments can be sent to Sandor Gulyas or Marc Fannin

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