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Chapter 2E. Guide Signs—Freeways and Expressways

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Section 2E.01 Scope of Freeway and Expressway Guide Sign Standards

Support:
These standards provide a uniform and effective system of highway signing for high-volume, high-speed motor vehicle traffic on freeways and expressways. The requirements and specifications for expressway signing exceed those for conventional roads (see Chapter 2D), but are less than those for freeway signing. Since there are many geometric design variables to be found in existing roads, a signing concept commensurate with prevailing conditions is the primary consideration. Section 2A.01 includes definitions of freeway and expressway.

Guide signs for freeways and expressways are primarily identified by the name of the sign rather than by an assigned sign code. Guidelines for the design of guide signs for freeways and expressways are provided in Chapter 8 (Design Guidelines) of the "Standard Highway Signs" book (see Section 1A.11).

Standard:
The standards prescribed herein for freeway or expressway guide signing shall apply to any highway that meets the definition of such facilities.

Section 2E.02 Freeway and Expressway Signing Principles

Support:
The development of a signing system for freeways and expressways is approached on the premise that the signing is primarily for the benefit and direction of road users who are not familiar with the route or area. The signing furnishes road users with clear instructions for orderly progress to their destinations. Sign installations are an integral part of the facility and, as such, are best planned concurrently with the development of highway location and geometric design. For optimal results, plans for signing are analyzed during the earliest stages of preliminary design, and details are correlated as final design is developed. The excessive signing found on many major highways usually is the result of using a multitude of signs that are too small and that are poorly designed and placed to accomplish the intended purpose.

Freeway and expressway signing is to be considered and developed as a planned system of installations. An engineering study is sometimes necessary for proper solution of the problems of many individual locations, but, in addition, consideration of an entire route is necessary.

Guidance:
Road users should be guided with consistent signing on the approaches to interchanges, when they drive from one State to another, and when driving through rural or urban areas. Because geographical, geometric, and operating factors regularly create significant differences between urban and rural conditions, the signing should take these conditions into account.

Guide signs on freeways and expressways should serve distinct functions as follows:

  1. Give directions to destinations, or to streets or highway routes, at intersections or interchanges;
  2. Furnish advance notice of the approach to intersections or interchanges;
  3. Direct road users into appropriate lanes in advance of diverging or merging movements;
  4. Identify routes and directions on those routes;
  5. Show distances to destinations;
  6. Indicate access to general motorist services, rest, scenic, and recreational areas; and
  7. Provide other information of value to the road user.

Section 2E.03 General

Support:
Signs are designed so that they are legible to road users approaching them and readable in time to permit proper responses. Desired design characteristics include: (a) long visibility distances, (b) large lettering and symbols, and (c) short legends for quick comprehension.

Standard:
Standard shapes and colors shall be used so that traffic signs can be promptly recognized by road users.

Section 2E.04 Color of Guide Signs

Standard:
Guide signs on freeways and expressways, except as noted herein, shall have white letters, symbols, and borders on a green background.

Support:
Color requirements for route signs and trailblazers, signs with blank-out or changeable messages, signs for services, rest areas, park and recreational areas, and for certain miscellaneous signs are specified in the individual sections dealing with the particular sign or sign group.

Section 2E.05 Retroreflection or Illumination

Standard:
Letters, numerals, symbols, and borders of all guide signs shall be retroreflectorized. The background of all guide signs that are not independently illuminated shall be retroreflective.

Support:
Where there is no serious interference from extraneous light sources, retroreflectorized ground-mounted signs usually provide adequate nighttime visibility.

On freeways and expressways where much driving at night is done with low-beam headlights, the amount of headlight illumination incident to an overhead sign display is relatively small.

Guidance:
Overhead sign installations should be illuminated unless an engineering study shows that retroreflectorization alone will perform effectively. The type of illumination chosen should provide effective and reasonably uniform illumination of the sign face and message.

Section 2E.06 Characteristics of Urban Signing

Support:
Urban conditions are characterized not so much by City limits or other arbitrary boundaries, as by the following features:

  1. Mainline roadways with more than two lanes in each direction;
  2. High traffic volumes on the through roadways;
  3. High volumes of traffic entering and leaving interchanges;
  4. Interchanges closely spaced;
  5. Roadway and interchange lighting;
  6. Three or more interchanges serving the major City;
  7. A loop, circumferential, or spur serving a sizable portion of the urban population; and
  8. Visual clutter from roadside development.

Operating conditions and road geometrics on urban freeways and expressways usually make special sign treatments desirable, including:

  1. Use of Interchange Sequence signs (see Section 2E.37);
  2. Use of sign spreading to the maximum extent possible (see Section 2E.10);
  3. Elimination of service signing (see Section 2E.51);
  4. Reduction to a minimum of post-interchange signs (see Section 2E.35);
  5. Display of advance signs at distances closer to the interchange, with appropriate adjustments in the legend (see Section 2E.30);
  6. Use of overhead signs on roadway structures and independent sign supports (see Section 2E.22);
  7. Use of diagrammatic signs in advance of intersections and interchanges (see Section 2E.19); and
  8. Frequent use of street names as the principal message in guide signs.

Lower speeds which are often characteristic of urban operations do not justify lower signing standards. Typical traffic patterns are more complex for the road user to negotiate, and large, easy-to-read legends are, therefore, just as necessary as on rural highways.

Section 2E.07 Characteristics of Rural Signing

Support:
Rural areas ordinarily have greater distances between interchanges, which permits adequate spacing for the sequences of signs on the approach to and departure from each interchange. However, the absence of traffic in adjoining lanes and on entering or exiting ramps often adds monotony or inattention to rural driving. This increases the importance of signs that call for decisions or actions.

Guidance:
Where there are long distances between interchanges and the alignment is relatively unchanging, signs should be positioned for their best effect on road users. The tendency to group all signing in the immediate vicinity of rural interchanges should be avoided by considering the entire route in the development of sign plans. Extra effort should be given to the placement of signs at natural target locations to command the attention of the road user, particularly when the message requires an action by the road user.

Section 2E.08 Memorial Highway Signing

Guidance:
Freeways and expressways should not be signed as memorial highways. If a route, bridge, or highway component is officially designated as a memorial, and if notification of the memorial is to be made on the highway right-of-way, such notification should consist of installing a memorial plaque in a rest area, scenic overlook, recreational area, or other appropriate location where parking is provided with the signing inconspicuously located relative to vehicle operations along the highway.

Option:
If the installation of a memorial plaque off the main roadway is not practical, a memorial sign may be installed on the mainline.

Standard:
Where such memorial signs are installed on the mainline, (1) memorial names shall not appear on directional guide signs, (2) memorial signs shall not interfere with the placement of any other necessary highway signing, and (3) memorial signs shall not compromise the safety or efficiency of traffic flow. The memorial signing shall be limited to one sign at an appropriate location in each route direction.

Section 2E.09 Amount of Legend on Guide Signs

Guidance:
No more than two destination names or street names should be shown on any Advance Guide sign or Exit Direction sign. A City name and street name on the same sign should be avoided. Where two or three signs are placed on the same supports, destinations or names should be limited to one per sign, or to a total of three in the display. Sign legends should not exceed three lines of copy.

Option:
Sign legends may include symbols, route numbers, arrows, cardinal directions, and exit instructions.

Section 2E.10 Number of Signs at an Overhead Installation and Sign Spreading

Guidance:
If overhead signs are warranted, as set forth in Section 2A.17, the number of signs at these locations should be limited to only those essential in communicating pertinent destination information to the road user. Exit Direction signs for a single exit and the Advance Guide signs should have only one panel with one or two destinations. Regulatory signs, such as speed limits, should not be used in conjunction with overhead guide sign installations. Because road users have limited time to read and comprehend sign messages, there should not be more than three guide signs displayed at any one location either on the overhead structure or its support.

Option:
At overhead locations, more than one sign may be installed to advise of a multiple exit condition at an interchange. If the roadway ramp or crossing roadway has complex or unusual geometrics, additional signs with confirming messages may be provided to properly guide the road user.

Support:
Sign spreading is a concept where major overhead signs are spaced so that road users are not overloaded with a group of signs at a single location. Figure 2E-1 illustrates an example of sign spreading.

Figure 2E-1 Example of Guide Sign Spreading

Thumbnail image of Figure 2E-1

Guidance:
Where overhead signing is used, sign spreading should be used at all single exit interchanges and to the extent possible at multi-exit interchanges. Sign spreading should be accomplished by use of the following:

  1. The Exit Direction sign should be the only sign used in the vicinity of the gore (other than the Gore sign). It should be located overhead near the theoretical gore and generally on an overhead sign support structure.
  2. The Advance Guide sign to indicate the next interchange exit should be placed near the crossroad location. If the crossroad goes over the mainline, the Advance Guide sign should be placed on the overcrossing structure.

Section 2E.11 Pull-Through Signs

Support:
Pull-Through signs (see Figure 2E-2) are overhead lane use signs intended for through traffic.

Figure 2E-2 Pull-Through Signs

Thumbnail image of Figure 2E-2

Guidance:
Pull-Through signs should be used where the geometrics of a given interchange are such that it is not clear to the road user as to which is the through roadway, or where additional route guidance is desired. Pull-Through signs with down arrows should be used where the alignment of the through lanes is curved and the exit direction is straight ahead, where the number of through lanes is not readily evident, and at multi-lane exits where there is a reduction in the number of through lanes.

Section 2E.12 Designation of Destinations

Standard:
The direction of a freeway and the major destinations or control cities (see Section 2D.34) along it shall be clearly identified through the use of appropriate destination legends. Successive freeway guide signs shall provide continuity in destination names and consistency with available map information. At any decision point, a given destination shall be indicated by way of only one route.

Guidance:
Control city legends should be used in the following situations along a freeway:

  1. At interchanges between freeways;
  2. At separation points of overlapping freeway routes;
  3. On directional signs on intersecting routes, to guide traffic entering the freeway;
  4. On Pull-Through signs; and
  5. On the bottom line of post-interchange distance signs.

Support:
Continuity of destination names is also useful on expressways serving long-distance or intrastate travel.

The determination of major destinations or control cities is important to the quality of service provided by the freeway. Control cities on freeway guide signs are selected by the States and are contained in the "List of Control Cities for Use in Guide Signs on Interstate Highways," published and available from American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (see Addresses for AASHTO's address).

Section 2E.13 Size and Style of Letters and Signs

Standard:
With all freeway and expressway signs, the message dimensions shall be determined first, and the outside sign dimensions secondarily. Word messages in the legend of expressway guide signs shall be in letters at least 200 mm (8 in) high. Larger lettering shall be used for major guide signs at or in advance of interchanges and for all overhead signs. Minimum numeral and letter sizes for expressway guide signs according to interchange classification, type of sign and component of sign legend are shown in Tables 2E-1 and 2E-2. Minimum numeral and letter sizes for freeway guide signs, according to interchange classification, type of sign, and component of sign legend, appear in Tables 2E-3 and 2E-4. All names of places, streets, and highways on freeway and expressway guide signs shall be composed of lower-case letters with initial upper-case letters. The letters and the numerals used shall be Series E(M) of the "Standard Highway Signs" book (see Section 1A.11). Other word legends shall be in capital letters. Interline and edge spacing shall be as specified in Section 2E.14.

Lettering size on freeway and expressway signs shall be the same for both rural and urban conditions.

Table 2E-1. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Expressway Guide Signs According to Interchange Classification
(sizes shown in millimeters)
Type of Sign Type of Interchange (see Section 2E.29) Overhead
Major Intermediate Minor
Category a Category b
A. Advance Guide, Exit Direction, and Overhead Guide Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
Exit Plaque empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 250 250 250 200 250
   Numeral & Letter 375 375 375 300 375
Interstate Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 450 450
   1 or 2 Digit Shield 900 x 900 900 x 900
   3 Digit Shield 1125 x 900 1125 x 900
U.S. or State Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 450 450 450 300 450
   1 or 2 Digit Shield 900 x 900 900 x 900 900 x 900 600 x 600 900 x 900
   3 Digit Shield 1125 x 900 1125 x 900 1125 x 900 750 x 600 1125 x 900
Alternate (Example: U.S. Alt. 56) empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Letters 375 300 300 250 300
   Numeral 450 375 375 300 375
Cardinal Direction empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   First Letter 450 375 300 250 375
   Rest of Word 375 300 250 200 300
Name of Destination empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Upper-Case Letters 500 400 330 265 400
   Lower-Case Letters 375 300 250 200 300
Distance Number 450 375 300 250 375
Distance Fraction 300 250 250 200 250
Distance Word 300 250 250 200 250
Action Message Word 250 250 250 200 250
B. Gore Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 250 250 250 200
   Numeral & Letter 300 300 300 250

 

Table 2E-1. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Expressway Guide Signs According to Interchange Classification
(sizes shown in inches)
Type of Sign Type of Interchange (see Section 2E.29) Overhead
Major Intermediate Minor
Category a Category b
A. Advance Guide, Exit Direction, and Overhead Guide Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
Exit Plaque empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 10 10 10 8 10
   Numeral & Letter 15 15 15 12 15
Interstate Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 18 18
   1 or 2 Digit Shield 36 x 36 36 x 36
   3 Digit Shield 45 x 36 45 x 36
U.S. or State Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 18 18 18 12 18
   1 or 2 Digit Shield 36 x 36 36 x 36 36 x 36 24 x 24 36 x 36
   3 Digit Shield 45 x 36 45 x 36 45 x 36 30 x 24 45 x 36
Alternate (Example: U.S. Alt. 56) empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Letters 15 12 12 10 12
   Numeral 18 15 15 12 15
Cardinal Direction empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   First Letter 18 15 12 10 15
   Rest of Word 15 12 10 8 12
Name of Destination empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Upper-Case Letters 20 16 13.3 10.6 16
   Lower-Case Letters 15 12 10 8 12
Distance Number 18 15 12 10 15
Distance Fraction 12 10 10 8 10
Distance Word 12 10 10 8 10
Action Message Word 10 10 10 8 10
B. Gore Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 10 10 10 8
   Numeral & Letter 12 12 12 10

 

Table 2E-2. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Expressway Guide Signs According to Sign Type
Type of Sign Minimum Size (mm) Minimum Size (inches)
A. Pull-Through Signs empty cell empty cell
   Destination — Upper-Case Letters 330 13.3
   Destination — Lower-Case Letters 250 10
   Route Sign as Message empty cell  
      Cardinal Direction 250 10
      1- or 2-Digit Shield 900 x 900 36 x 36
      3-Digit Shield 1125 x 900 45 x 36
B. Supplemental Guide Signs empty cell empty cell
   Exit Number Word 200 8
   Exit Number Numeral and Letter 300 12
   Place Name — Upper-Case Letters 265 10.6
   Place Name — Lower-Case Letters 200 8
   Action Message 200 8
C. Changeable Message Signs empty cell empty cell
   Characters 265* 10.6*
D. Interchange Sequence Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 265 10.6
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 200 8
   Numeral 250 10
   Fraction 200 8
E. Next X Exits Sign empty cell empty cell
   Place Name — Upper-Case Letters 265 10.6
   Place Name — Lower-Case Letters 200 8
   NEXT X EXITS 200 8
F. Distance Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 200 8
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 150 6
   Numeral 200 8
G. General Services Signs empty cell empty cell
   Exit Number Word 200 8
   Exit Number Numeral and Letter 300 12
   Services 200 8
H. Rest Area and Scenic Area Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word 250 10
   Distance Numeral 300 12
   Distance Fraction 200 8
   Distance Word 250 10
   Action Message Word 250 10
I. Reference Location Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word 100 4
   Numeral 250 10
J. Boundary and Orientation Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 200 8
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 150 6
K. Next Exit and Next Services Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word and Numeral 200 8
L. Exit Only Signs empty cell empty cell
   Word 300 12
*Changeable Message Signs may often require larger sizes than the minimum. A size of 450 mm (18 in) should be used where traffic speeds are greater than 90 km/h (55 mph), in areas of persistent inclement weather, or where complex driving tasks are involved.

Table 2E-3. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Freeway Guide Signs According to Interchange Classification
(sizes shown in millimeters)
Type of Sign Type of Interchange (see Section 2E.29) Overhead
Major Intermediate Minor
Category a Category b
A. Advance Guide, Exit Direction, and Overhead Guide Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
Exit Plaque empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 250 250 250 250 250
   Numeral & Letter 375 375 375 375 375
Interstate Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 600/450 450
   1- or 2-Digit Shield 1200 x 1200/
900 x 900
900 x 900
   3-Digit Shield 1500 x 1200/
1125 x 900
1125 x 900
U.S. or State Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 600/450 450 450 300 450
   1- or 2-Digit Shield 1200 x 1200/
900 x 900
900 x 900 900 x 900 600 x 600 900 x 900
   3-Digit Shield 1500 x 1200/
1125 x 900
1125 x 900 1125 x 900 750 x 600 1125 x 900
Alternate (Example: U.S. Alt. 56) empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Letters 375 375/300 300 250 300
   Numeral 450 450/375 375 300 375
Cardinal Direction empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   First Letter 450 375 375 250 300
   Rest of Word 375 300 300 200 300
Name of Destination empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Upper-Case Letters 500 500 400 330 400
   Lower-Case Letters 375 375 300 250 300
Distance Number 450 400/375 375 300 375
Distance Fraction 300 300/250 250 200 250
Distance Word 300 300/250 250 200 250
Action Message Word 300 300/250 250 200 250
B. Gore Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 300 300 300 200
   Numeral & Letter 375 375 375 250
Note: (/) Slanted bar signifies separation of desirable and minimum sizes.


Table 2E-3. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Freeway Guide Signs According to Interchange Classification
(sizes shown in inches)
Type of Sign Type of Interchange (see Section 2E.29) Overhead
Major Intermediate Minor
Category a Category b
A. Advance Guide, Exit Direction, and Overhead Guide Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
Exit Plaque empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 10 10 10 10 10
   Numeral & Letter 15 15 15 15 15
Interstate Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 24/18 18
   1- or 2-Digit Shield 48 x 48/
36 x 36
36 x 36
   3-Digit Shield 60 x 48/
45 x 36
45 x 36
U.S. or State Route Sign empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Numeral 24/18 18 18 12 18
   1- or 2 -Digit Shield 48 x 48/
36 x 36
36 x 36 36 x 36 24 x 24 36 x 36
   3-Digit Shield 60 x 48/
45 x 36
45 x 36 45 x 36 30 x 24 45 x 36
Alternate (Example: U.S. Alt. 56) empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Letters 15 15/12 12 10 12
   Numeral 18 18/15 15 12 15
Cardinal Direction empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   First Letter 18 15 15 10 15
   Rest of Word 15 12 12 8 12
Name of Destination empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Upper-Case Letters 20 20 16 13.3 16
   Lower-Case Letters 15 15 12 10 12
Distance Number 18 18/15 15 12 15
Distance Fraction 12 12/10 10 8 10
Distance Word 12 12/10 10 8 10
Action Message Word 12 12/10 10 8 10
B. Gore Signs empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell empty cell
   Word 12 12 12 8
   Numeral &Letter 15 15 15 10
Note: (/) Slanted bar signifies separation of desirable and minimum sizes.


Table 2E-4. Minimum Letter and Numeral Sizes for Freeway Guide Signs According to Sign Type
Type of Sign Minimum Size (mm) Minimum Size (inches)
A. Pull-Through Signs    
   Destination — Upper-Case Letters 400 16
   Destination — Lower-Case Letters 300 12
   Route Sign as Message empty cell empty cell
      Cardinal Direction 300 12
      1- or 2-Digit Shield 900 x 900 36 x 36
      3-Digit Shield 1125 x 900 45 x 36
B. Supplemental Guide Signs    
   Exit Number Word 250 10
   Exit Number Numeral and Letter 375 15
   Place Name — Upper-Case Letters 330 13.3
   Place Name — Lower-Case Letters 250 10
   Action Message 250 10
C. Changeable Message Signs    
   Characters 265* 10.6*
D. Interchange Sequence Signs    
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 330 13.3
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 250 10
   Numeral 330 13.3
   Fraction 250 10
E. Next X Exits Sign    
   Place Name — Upper-Case Letters 330 13.3
   Place Name — Lower-Case Letters 250 10
   NEXT X EXITS 250 10
F. Distance Signs    
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 200 8
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 150 6
   Numeral 200 8
G. General Services Signs    
   Exit Number Word 250 10
   Exit Number Numeral and Letter 375 15
   Services 250 10
H. Rest Area and Scenic Area Signs    
   Word 300 12
   Distance Numeral 375 15
   Distance Fraction 250 10
   Distance Word 300 12
   Action Message Word 300 12
I. Reference Location Signs    
   Word 100 4
   Numeral 250 10
J. Boundary and Orientation Signs    
   Word — Upper-Case Letters 200 8
   Word — Lower-Case Letters 150 6
K. Next Exit and Next Services Signs    
   Word and Numeral 200 8
L. Exit Only Signs    
   Word 300 12
M. Diagrammatic Signs    
   Lane Widths 125 5
   Lane Line Segments 25 x 150 1 x 6
   Gap Between Lane Lines 150 6
   Stem Height (up to upper point of departure) 750 30
   Arrowhead (standard “up” arrow) 200 8
   Space Between Arrowhead and Route Shield 300 12
*Changeable Message Signs may often require larger sizes than the minimum. A size of 450 mm (18 in) should be used where traffic speeds are greater than 90 km/h (55 mph), in areas of persistent inclement weather, or where complex driving tasks are involved.

Support:
Sign size is determined primarily in terms of the length of the message and the size of the lettering necessary for proper legibility. Letter style and height, and arrow design have been standardized for freeway and expressway signs to assure uniform and effective application.

Designs for upper-case, lower-case, and capital alphabets together with tables of recommended letter spacing, are shown in the "Standard Highway Signs" book.

Guidance:
Where upper- and lower-case lettering is used, the initial upper-case letters should be approximately 1.33 times the "loop" height of the lower-case letters. Freeway lettering sizes (see Tables 2E-3 and 2E-4) should be used when expressway geometric design is comparable to freeway standards.

Other sign letter size requirements not specifically identified elsewhere in this Manual should be guided by these specifications. Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum.

Support:
A sign mounted over a particular roadway lane to which it applies might have to be limited in horizontal dimension to the width of the lane, so that another sign can be placed over an adjacent lane. The necessity to maintain proper vertical clearance might also place a further limitation on the size of the overhead sign and the legend that can be accommodated.

Section 2E.14 lnterline and Edge Spacing

Guidance:
Interline spacing of upper-case letters should be approximately three-fourths the average of upper-case letter heights in adjacent lines of letters.

The spacings to the top and bottom borders should be equal to the average of the letter height of the adjacent line of letters. The lateral spacing to the vertical borders should be essentially the same as the height of the largest letter.

Section 2E.15 Sign Borders

Standard:
Signs shall have a border of the same color as the legend in order to outline their distinctive shape and thereby give them easy recognition and a finished appearance.

Guidance:
For guide signs larger than 3000 x 1800 mm (120 x 72 in), the border should have a width of 50 mm (2 in). For smaller guide signs, a border width of 31 mm (1.25 in) should be used, but the width should not exceed the stroke width of the major lettering on the sign.

Corner radii of sign borders should be one-eighth of the minimum sign dimension on guide signs, except that the radii should not exceed 300 mm (12 in) on any sign.

Option:
The sign material in the area outside of the corner radius may be trimmed.

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