Midland Trail, US 60 in West Virginia
Oct. 5, 2006

These photos are from a trip along the Midland Trail, US 60 in West Virginia, on Oct. 5, 2006, with a few extraneous Kentucky photos thrown in for good measure. To view the full-sized photos, click on one of the thumbnails on this page. You will then be presented with navigation controls to view the images on individual Web pages as a slide show.

PICT0018
The new parkway signs continue to proliferate in Kentucky. This is on KY 15 in Jackson. The Hal Rogers Parkway intersects KY 15 in Hazard, 30 miles to the south.
PICT0019
Another new Hal Rogers Parkway sign in Jackson.
PICT0020
New Mountain Parkway sign on KY 15 north of Jackson.
PICT0021
Closeup of new Mountain Parkway and Hal Rogers Parkway signs at the intersection of KY 15 and KY 30 in Jackson.
PICT0022
Before it's replaced, an old-style Mountain Parkway sign (although the original markers had the circle cut out instead of in a white background square blank) in my hometown, Beattyville.
PICT0023
Another shot of the two new markers at KY 15 and KY 30 in Jackson.
PICT0024
Old font on this KY 15 sign at Pine Ridge in Wolfe County.
PICT0025
Another of the legacy Mountain Parkway signs -- this one at the entrance ramp at Exit 40.
PICT0026
New Mountain Parkway sign just past Exit 40.
PICT0027
This sign on US 23 announces the upcoming KY 645 intersection.
PICT0028
This section of US 23 originally had a guardrail center barrier. During a recent pavement rehab, a concrete barrier wall was installed. This section is in Lawrence County, north of KY 645 and south of Louisa. In this area US 23 is wedged tightly between the mountainside and the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River.
PICT0029
Coming out of the section in the previous photo is a curve with warnings for tipping trucks.
PICT0030
Closeup of the "tipping trucks" curve.
PICT0031
Intersection of US 23 and KY 32 in Lawrence County, outside Louisa. Two different fonts are in use.
PICT0032
What's this about? A turn lane was added to the northbound lane of US 23 in Boyd County at an entrance to a terminal on the Big Sandy River, where coal from southeastern Kentucky is brought to be loaded on barges. In order to keep turning trucks from backing up onto the traveled portion of the roadway, a mile-long "truck storage" lane was built to accommodate the trucks.
PICT0033
The first mention of I-64 occurs a few miles south of the interstate.
PICT0034
We jump to West Virginia -- and the signage at the interchange of I-64 and I-77. The signs in the foreground were mounted on the old brown gantries that also had a "mesh" background for many years.
PICT0036
I-64 and I-77 markers after the two routes join.
PICT0037
Exit signage for WV 114 and WV 61 in Charleston.
PICT0038
Overhead signage at the end of WV 114, near the state capitol.
PICT0039
US 60 briefly joins I-64 and I-77 on the south side of Charleston.
PICT0040
Immediately, the upcoming split of US 60 from the interstates is signed.
PICT0041
Overheads for the departure of US 60.
PICT0042
Here, US 60 leaves the interstates. The interstates circle around the mountain in the background and then cross the Kanawha River on the Chuck Yeager Bridge and the West Virginia Turnpike begins.
PICT0043
Button copy overhead for US 60 with the Yeager Bridge overpass in the background.
PICT0044
Button copy overheads as US 60 crosses under the Yeager Bridge.
PICT0045
Button copy sign along US 60 with a Midland Trail logo sign.
PICT0046
Another button copy Midland Trail exit sign.
PICT0047
The first mileage sign past I-64/I-77 shows distances to Belle, Montgomery and Gauley Bridge. The drive to Gauley Bridge does not seem as far or as long as the mileage indicates.
PICT0048
Overhead button copy sign for the Belle exit.
PICT0049
Past Belle, Lewisburg shows up on this mileage sign. Lewisburg, of course, is the control city for I-64 heading east out of Beckley.
PICT0050
Button copy sign for Midland Avenue, which is an old routing of US 60. In Lexington, Ky., US 60 is also carried for a short distance on a street called Midland Avenue.
PICT0051
Oversized "side road with railroad crossing" sign. It appears that a flasher is either going to be installed here, or is has been removed, due to the presence of the empty utility pole behind the sign.
PICT0052
Advance signage for the Admiral T.J. Lopez Bridge, which connects US 60 on the east side of the Kanawha to I-64, I-77 and WV 61 on the west side.
PICT0053
Overheads for the ramp to the bridge, which can be seen in the background.
PICT0054
The bridge is accessed by exiting left, then making a hard right turn onto the bridge.
PICT0057
This is the beginning of unsigned WV 6, which is a bridge linking Smithers to Montgomery.
PICT0058
The Midland Trail is signed as a West Virginia Byway, with a small US 60 shield included in the byway signage.
PICT0059
Just past the WV 6 bridge, US 60 enters Smithers. Mileages posted are for Gauley Bridge and Rainelle.
PICT0061
At Gauley Bridge, US 60 intersects WV 16 and WV 39. These oversized route markers announce the upcoming junction.
PICT0062
Overheads as US 60 approaches WV 39 and WV 16. WV 39 ends here; it goes east to Summersville. WV 16 joins US 60 and continues; going north on WV 16 takes you to Clay. WV 39 could logically be terminated at its intersection with WV 16 a few miles east of here.
PICT0063
This is the bridge for which Gauley Bridge is named. It crossed the Gauley River at the spot where it joins the New River to form the Kanawha.
PICT0064
US 60 and WV 16 signs. From this point south to Beckley, WV 16 takes the route of the decommissioned US 21.
PICT0065
Mileage sign for Ansted, Fayetteville and Rainelle.
PICT0066
Shortly after passing Gauley Bridge, US 60 begins a hill climb.
PICT0067
Advance signage of the split of US 60 and WV 16.
PICT0068
This is the split of US 60 and WV 16. This split, at Chimney Corner, used to be the split of US 60 and US 21.
PICT0069
Past Chimney Corner, US 60 is the Coal Heritage Trail as well as the Midland Trail.
PICT0070
Signage for recreation areas as US 60 approaches US 19.
PICT0071
Advance signage for the US 19 interchange.
PICT0072
Guide sign for US 19 south.
PICT0073
US 19 signage at the southbound ramp.
PICT0074
Overheads for US 19 and US 60.
PICT0075
Guide sign for US 19 north.
PICT0076
The mileage sign past US 19 is for Rainelle and Rupert.
PICT0077
Typical view of US 60 east beyond US 19.
PICT0078
WV 41 is the old routing of US 19. The routes join for a few miles.
PICT0079
Split of US 60 and WV 41.
PICT0080
The first mention of Sam Black Church, where US 60 intersects I-64 and where I-64 ended for years before being completed, is just past the WV 41 split.
PICT0081
The relatively straight section of US 60 past Ansted comes to an end around milepoint 66 of the Midland Trail.
PICT0082
Typical view as US 60 descends toward Rainelle.
PICT0083
US 60 and WV 20 in Rainelle.
PICT0084
US 60 and WV 20 join for a few miles in the western portion of Greenbrier County.
PICT0085
Although Richwood is a destination on this sign, WV 20 does not go to Richwood. WV 20 intersects WV 39/55 at Fenwick and those two routes take traffic on to Richwood.
PICT0086
Advance signage of split of US 60 and WV 20.
PICT0087
Split of WV 20 and US 60.
PICT0088
The corners are bent on this mileage sign as we get closer to Lewisburg.
PICT0089
Intersection of US 60 and I-64 at Sam Black Church.
PICT0090
Past Sam Black Church, the old-style cable-and-wooden-post guardrails are in use.
PICT0091
Autumn colors in evidence on this portion of US 60.
PICT0092
Very serpentine section of US 60 descending a hill between Sam Black Church and Lewisburg.
PICT0093
More fall colors just beyond the WV 12 intersection.
PICT0094
The Midland Trail has its own mile markers. This is mile 100, a few miles outside Lewisburg.
PICT0095
Getting ready to pass under I-64 west of Lewisburg.
PICT0096
Rolling countryside approaching Lewisburg. This is reminiscent of another stretch of US 60 in Bath County, Ky.
PICT0097
US 60 intersects US 219 in downtown Lewisburg.
PICT0098
On I-64 heading west, the mileage to Charleston is displayed.
PICT0099
Of course, West Virginia has to promote Tamarack.
PICT0100
View of I-64 west within the limits of the WV 12 interchange.
PICT0101
Interesting bridge approaching the Sam Black Church exit.
PICT0102
Another shot of the bridge.
PICT0103
This portion of I-64 has some mile markers with half-miles marked, a small I-64 logo, and the direction.
PICT0104
Signage at the Sam Black Church exit. For years, all westbound traffic had to exit here and take US 60 to Charleston.
PICT0105
Truck escape ramp as I-64 approaches the New River.
PICT0106
Another view of the truck escape ramp that curves up the hillside.
PICT0107
Descending into the New River valley.
PICT0108
Approaching the first of two consecutive exits for WV 20.
PICT0109
Closeup of exit signage for WV 20's first exit heading west.
PICT0110
Four miles later is another exit for WV 20.
PICT0111
At the second WV 20 exit -- getting ready to cross the New River.
PICT0112
Heading up Sandstone Mountain on I-64 west toward Beckley. Lots of slow-moving trucks make the third lane very handy.
PICT0113
Approaching the two Beckley area exits on I-64.
PICT0114
At the WV 307 exit.
PICT0115
A big reminder that once you pass the US 19 exit, I-64 runs into the West Virginia Turnpike.
PICT0116
Exit only overhead for US 19, with a "toll road" reminder for I-64.
PICT0117
Overhead at the US 19 exit.
PICT0118
Past US 19, there is a "To I-77" marker on I-64.
PICT0119
Ground-mounted directional for the intersection of I-64 and I-77.
PICT0120
Overhead directional one mile from the intersection.
PICT0121
This sign welcomes drivers to the turnpike. It's on I-64 just before you get to the I-77 interchange.
PICT0122
Alternate destinations for I-77.
PICT0123
Overhead at the I-77 interchange.
PICT0124
The interchange is visible behind this lane designation overhead.
PICT0125
The first markers with both I-64 and I-77 signed.
PICT0126
Just beyond those markers are these signs with the unusual WV Turnpike font.
PICT0127
The WV 16 marker has fallen off this button copy sign, leaving only WV 97.
PICT0128
Button copy sign at the WV 16/97 exit.
PICT0129
Button copy sign for WV 3.
PICT0130
This sign features an unusual font for the WV 3 marker and also for the text. It's not quite Clearview...
PICT0131
Overheads for Tamarack and a truck lane with button copy Us 19 exit sign.
PICT0132
Backlit sign for the US 19 exit, where Appalachian Corridor L heads off toward I-79 and northern West Virginia.
PICT0133
Overheads at the US 19 exit.
PICT0134
A new Exit 54 sign being installed.
PICT0135
This sign is due for replacement, with the empty posts behind it a dead giveaway.
PICT0136
EZ Pass warning for the Mossy toll booth.
PICT0137
Don't get in one of those lanes if you don't have an EZ Pass.
PICT0138
Overhead flasher for the upcoming toll booth at Mossy.
PICT0139
The Mossy toll plaza.
PICT0140
This sign with the unusual fonts willl soon go by the wayside, with a new one being installed on the new posts behind it.
PICT0141
This one is going to be history, too.
PICT0142
More of the unusual fonts that are rapidly fading from this portion of the WV Turnpike.
PICT0143
Beyond the Mossy interchange, the turnpike enters a curvy section with a 60 mph limit and many 55 mph curves.
PICT0144
Warning sign for a sharp curve.
PICT0145
Typical section of the WV Turnpike between Mossy and Chelyan.
PICT0146
This is a new exit sign.
PICT0147
The turnpike has these half-mile markers in place.
PICT0148
Another new exit sign.
PICT0149
Yet another new sign.
PICT0150
This sign warns of the descent after you pass the cut where the Memorial Tunnel used to be on the old two-lane turnpike.
PICT0151
Another sharp curve warning.
PICT0152
Another new exit sign. This is a twist on the "exit number same as the route" because the route is one of the WV "fractional" county roads.
PICT0153
The Cabin Creek toll plaza.
PICT0154
Overcast skies resulted in some motion blur on this photo, but you can see unusual fonts for the US 60 and especially WV 61 signs. This exit leads to the Admiral T.J. Lopez bridge seen earlier from the US 60 perspective.
PICT0155
More normal numbers on the route markers on this sign.
PICT0156
Approaching the Marmet exit. WV 94 used to be US 119.
PICT0157
At the Marmet exit.
PICT0158
The last exit on the turnpike is for WV 61 at Kanawha City.
PICT0159
Overhead for US 60 with the northbound span of the Chuck Yeager Bridge in view.
PICT0160
Leaving the WV Turnpike.
PICT0161
Overheads for I-64, I-77 and US 60.
PICT0162
As with the eastbound side, westbound US 60 briefly joins the interstate only to depart shortly.
PICT0163
As soon as US 60 merges into the interstate, its lane becomes an "exit only" lane.
PICT0164
At US 60's departure from the interstate.
PICT0165
Overhead for Exit 99, mounted on one of the old brown supports.
PICT0166
The golden dome of West Virginia's capitol is visible from the interstate.
PICT0167
A mass of overheads at the WV 114 exit.
PICT0168
Exit 100, with the I-64 and I-77 split coming up.
PICT0169
Lane designations for I-64 and I-77.
PICT0170
A sharp curve greets drivers before they get to the split of I-64 and I-77.
PICT0171
The split of I-64 and I-77.
PICT0172
Exit gore sign for the interchange split.
PICT0173
The Kanawha River crossing on westbound I-64.
PICT0174
Upon entering Kentucky from West Virginia at Fort Gay, WV 37 runs into an intersection with KY 3 in the middle of a bridge that spans both the Tug and Levisa forks of the Big Sandy River just south of their confluence. South KY 3 heads off between the rivers.

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