Mile Markers

MT RON · Apr 9, 2017

What on earth is the reason for a mile marker every 2 tenths of a mile in Missouri? Big waste of money as far as I can tell.I think there is a State or two on the east coast that have them every tenth of a mile.Not only a waste of money but most of all it is distracting.Then on the other hand the state of California don't have any markers.Just had to vent a little.Ron

Adrian Billheimer · Apr 9, 2017

Yup, several areas here in NE Pa. we have them every tenth of a mile, only good for reporting where an accident is.

FBH44 · Apr 10, 2017

I only see them on Interstates in MO, not on any other Mo highways, but I've used them to report potholes.

rrc300 u · Apr 10, 2017

I86 through New York has them every tenth mile from the PA line onwards heading east. It's a pretty desolate stretch. Not sure of the reasons.

Dick L · Apr 10, 2017

To report accidents, vehicle break down, objects on the road or smoky taking pictures.

When I worked on the Ohio Turn Pike it was how we were told where to report to work.

By radio (take truck 24 empty, 2 man, truck 26 loaded with #9, grader 3, and loader 6 to mile marker 18.4) Our barn was at 13 mile marker. It was how our crew talked about any road work done or to be done. It was where equipment would be setting for the night if necessary which was recorded. That was in 1956 and I am sure it has not changed all that much.

Jeff M NY · Apr 10, 2017

I work road construction and I will tell you what we use them for. When there is any kind of maintenance done on the roads, they are used to tell a start and stop point for that work. Very rare the whole road is fixed at once, so this tells us where to go. Look at the bottom number. Usually a new county will line will start with the number 1000. Then the number will increase by a tenth each time. The middle number is the county code, and the top number is the road number you are on. On two lane roads the even numbers are on one side and the odd numbers are on the other side. On four lane roads,such as interstates, the numbers are all on the right. Your state DOT uses them as well.

Also, if you happen to have an emergency, or need a wrecker for a broken down vehicle you can get pretty close on telling emergency people where you are. In my opinion, mile markers are not a hinder, but a very big help.

Hope this helps you understand their function.

rrlund · Apr 10, 2017

I thought you were talking about dead deer in Michigan.

sms · Apr 10, 2017

Others have pointed out reasons for mile markers. The NY state Northway used to have telephones at intervals because if you broke down in the great white North you could die. This was before cellphones. The state was sued a few years ago because a man ran off the road and was stranded for a long period without cell service.

Steve@Advance · Apr 10, 2017

I would think they are meant to be able to be seen by someone stranded or in an accident, call in and report their exact location.

More important in colder climates where someone would need immediate attention.

Steve A W · Apr 10, 2017

So they can tell if anyone stole any road !

LOL

JF in MI · Apr 10, 2017

Good one.

P I Pete · Apr 10, 2017

In Mn. there is a measured mile on some roads with markers every 1/10 so you can check your odometer and speedometer.

Pete

The Dukester · Apr 10, 2017

Mentioning California in any discussion concerning money wasting?......pretty funny..........Mile markers distracting? Well, maybe, but nothing like a cell phone or an accident or some passenger in the car distracting a driver. Think of all the druggies and drunks behind the wheel, many of them previously convicted of violations. In the big picture I think the cost of mile markers is very trivial....sorry........

David from Kansas · Apr 10, 2017

In Kansas, the only place I have seen them every .2 mile is near Wichita, but I stay as far away from the K.C. area as possible. Also agree that they are a waste of money. Also, too many farmers inching out into the highway right-of-ways so now the tax payers are buying thousands of highway markers so the farmers can tell how far they can go. One farmer near me has utility poles about 40 feet into the field and he was constantly spraying around the poles out onto the pavement, killing all the vegetation on the right-of-way. Took about 10 years of this for the DOT to react with signs about every 200 ft or so. I just think it is a shame that the tax payers are having to pay for the ignorance of some farmers. This same farmer has removed every old fence along the property line along the state highways so he csn gain a few more inches of farm ground. Some people are pretty greedy. END OF RANT.

Stroby · Apr 10, 2017

...or a dog sitting on the drivers lap! Good grief....

Goose · Apr 10, 2017

Nebraska has them by tenths on I-80, but mostly near cities and larger towns. They don't seem to be all over.

NY 986 · Apr 10, 2017

They are intended to give rescue vehicles an easy reference to find broken down vehicles or injured motorists. People would not feel that they are a waste if they were sitting broken down and with injuries such as my wife was just a weeks ago on the NYS Thruway in poor weather after a semi ran into her knocking her off the road. Further, it no doubt helps maintenance efforts as workers do not need to make efforts on parts of the highway that do not need it. Probably a fair amount of people could work off of instructions that said "work to that tree into the distance" but if there are dozens of trees then what?

HenryO · Apr 10, 2017

My loved one totaled my car on interstate 71 midway between Cincinnati and Columbus. We were not sure of where we were but the Markers were a big help to 911. No injuries bur a guardrail and the car.

paul · Apr 10, 2017

I like and understand the use of mile markers. They start at the southern or western side of every state, first mile of the road you are on. Can help you pass time and know how far you are from a border, if the highway goes to the state line.

Never seen them closer then every mile tho, seems excessive to have 5 or ten per mile of endless highway!

Paul

Trkr · Apr 10, 2017

I remember years go when Alabama spent millions converting all their mile markers to metric measurements back in the days when the govt. was trying to convert the US to the metric system.A short time later they spent millions changing them all back.

Bob M · Apr 10, 2017

The NY State Thruway (1-90) across the state has markers every 1/10 mile over its 496 miles. So also do the 3 digit interstates - at least in my area. Their presence helps emergency responders get more quickly to the right location to deal with breakdowns, wrecks, etc.

Further, on I-90 between each 1/10 mile marker there are 3 equally-spaced, unmarked reflector posts. Ie. there's a reflective marker every 132 FEET of highway.

Sounds excessive......until you're driving at night in a snowstorm or in heavy rain. The markers now help maintain your lane, anticipate curves, etc. after painted lane markers are no longer visible.

Steven-Id · Apr 10, 2017

Had some farmers planting right up next to the road and then wanting to put sprinkler pipe close enough to water it. The road was always wet because of the pipe so the county sprayed back to the edge of the right of way and killed everything. Farmers didn't get to harvest the public land that year.

Steven

RBoots · Apr 10, 2017

Sms, that should have never been allowed to happen (lawsuit)

Ross

RBoots · Apr 10, 2017

Lots of irrigation units here in Cntl MI spray all over the roads. Gravel and Paved. Annoying, but no one thinks twice about it. The farmers using it don't want to have lower yields along the road! Makes a section of potholes in the gravel where they run. Had to ask a farmer on a paved road last year to turn his off after it sprayed a long part of a road we were chip sealing. Also saw a guy get a bucket and brush out of his car and wash it with swim shorts on the side of the road under the end gun on a pivot.

Mike(NEOhio) · Apr 10, 2017

The sign supplier has a friend in the capital.

Mile Markers

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