InterestingSigns in Boone, N.C.


Boone, N.C. is the only city in the country served by three branchesfrom the same "parent" US highway. In this case, US routes 221, 321and 421 &endash; offshoots of US 21 &endash; run through the city. Atone point, there was an intersection in the center of town where allthree routes came together, but a bypass has eliminated that oddity.However, there is a truck route for all three US routes signed alongNC 105 on the southwestern part of town. Following are photos ofthis signage oddity.


This sign, on northbound US421southbound US 221 as you approach downtown Boone from the west,shows how US 221 has been routed out of downtown.


South of downtown, NC 105crosses US 221/321. The intersection is marked by overhead signage,as shown below.

This sign is on northbound NC105 (which also serves as Truck North US 221 carrying traffic awayfrom Grandfather Mountain, as well as Truck South US 421 and TruckSouth 321).

This sign is on South US221/South NC 105. What it fails to say is that truck traffic forsouthbound US 221 should also go straight to avoid GrandfatherMountain and 221's crooked path along the side of themountain.

The gantry above shows allthree US x21 routes on one guide sign. Below is a closeup of thatindividual sign.


Finally, these two assembliesshow all three x21 routes. The first one is located just west of theintersection where all those green guide signs are located. Thesecond one is located further west, where the truck routes for US 321and 421 veer off NC 105. The US 221 sign appears newer because thetruck detour off Grandfather Mountain has only been posted in thepast few years.


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