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On Route 1 in the Baltimore area, this sign instructs the right lane that it must turn onto the I-695W on-ramp. This is the northwest interchange in the Overlea area.

RIGHT LANE MUST TURN RIGHT AT INTERSTATE 695 WEST ERA

I've driven past it numerous times over the years, but only today did I notice the "ERA" below the symbol for I-695. I'm trying to figure out what it means but I can't find anything. My guess is it's some kind of initialism but my guesses as to what it stands for aren't turning up anything.

  • E: Eisenhower, as in the Eisenhower Interstate System? Expressway?
  • R: Road?
  • A: Administration? Association? Authority?

I can't say I've ever noticed it on any other sign but now I'm going to start looking for it!

Zach Thacker
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    Could it be just a sticker someone has stuck to the sign (ie not related to the sign at all)? – Midavalo Jul 28 '23 at 13:33
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    A reddit post seems to say that it's an individual graffiti artist. Not answering becase I can't verify that – Nicolas Formichella Jul 28 '23 at 13:46
  • I hadn't even considered that possibility but that seems likely. The font of the text just seemed so... "government" that it seemed like it was actually part of the sign! I'll leave the post open for a bit but I think this might be the answer. – Zach Thacker Jul 28 '23 at 14:23
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    @ZachThacker In New Zealand many highways between cities are two-lane roads, so to pass slower vehicles you have to wait for a "passing lane" which is signposted "PASSING LANE" (on separate lines). Someone took the time to carefully print lots of P and T letters that looked perfect when placed on these signs, and suddenly we had many "PASSING PLANET" signs pop up all over the region! My uncle, who was a manager at the roading company, was sufficiently fooled that he made a call to head office to find out if some idiot had officially renamed them! – Midavalo Jul 28 '23 at 14:41
  • @Midavalo Getting OT, but my favorite was a sign in rural Australia that warned of "Aerial police patrols", that was tagged as "Pigs in Spaaaace" – Peter M Jul 28 '23 at 15:11
  • A google search on this returnes this question :-D Anyway, other than a graffiti artist, could it be a misplaced name of a company that manufactures these road signs? – Johnnyjanko Jul 31 '23 at 08:08

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