New Hampshire Roads - I-93

I-93



Two old SB BGS's on I-93, and one old NB BGS in the same place, where until recently there were many old ones on both sides. With the recent decision to widen I-93 to six lanes, which it has been for quite some time on the MA side of the border, these are all gone. Notice that the Exit 2 signs are old enough to be lacking the Old Man in the Mountain outline on them.


Entering the state from Mass. in 1977, courtesy Michael Summa.


Diagram indicating that I-93 NB curves between the off and on ramps for Exit 3, in a way I've never seen before.


Cool overpass in southern NH.


Not sure if the MUTCD has these slippy-cycle grooved shoulder signs in it, but NH and VT both use this style. Note the little green BRIDGE sign - usually these have numbers too for NHDOT reference.


Just as on Bypass US 1 and I-95, a liquor store near the border for I-93, and quite well-signed. The REST AREA signage is newer - guess it just occurred to them not everyone is just looking for a place to booze up.


Sunrise and... Tequila sunrise? Open Sundays.


Semi-old BGS SB (lacks the Old Man), which takes you to the route for the following signs:


Two SB exits on the south side of Manchester, showing off NH's unusual way of signing lettered routes, older white shields, and cool old diagrammatics. NH 101 WB goes from being multiplexed with I-93 SB to being with I-293 NB - but the roadways are actually pretty much E-W along the multiplexes.


NB at the same spot.


The shield distinguishes I-93 mileposts from those of NH 101 along the plex, though all I-93 mileposts have shields.

On I-93 NB - the merge is with I-293 NB. Unusual sign.


NB and SB on the three-lane stretch of I-93 between I-89 and I-293. Perfect place to put a toll, since I-293/US 3 and I-89 are the other two N-S freeways in New Hampshire, so all freeway traffic is together right here. As you can see, the NB signage is older (note the "3-A" versus "3A").


The southern beginning of I-89, a little north of Manchester and just after a toll (which is avoided by a few clever back roads). Actually, I-89 begins just to the east at NH 3A, served by other I-93 exits. The configuration of the 89/93 interchange is a half-cloverleaf, allowing all movements to and from I-89 but none to or from NH 3A. There is a fairly long C-D road on the NB side to handle the half-clo conflict, which is where the second photo is.


The (NB) beginning looked even better in 1980, especially when taken by Michael Summa. State-name shields were all the rage then.


North to another old BGS in Concord. Note E-series font and white shield background.


Very rounded and very old YIELD sign, plus another mile marker.


Three photos, three problems. Photo 1: Sign on right would be okay if the bottom row is fixed to look like the sign on left (and add a decimal to 04 km); sign on left would be okay if the fonts and shields were borrowed from the sign on the right (note to NHDOT: US 3 needs a regular shield). Photo 2: I-393 should have the 3-digit shield, and US 4 should have a 2-digit... and all the route numbers should have the same font (none of them have Series C, when all of them should); also, the arrow looks too much like an afterthought. Photo 3: If only West were WEST, it would have been perfect; the other two photos' signs should have exit tabs looking more like this.


Cool cantilever design, needed to hold the weight of four routes.


Northward courtesy Lou Corsaro, past the unique shields-in-distance-sign, to the Franconia Notch Parkway, which at two lanes was US 3 and TO I-93 for many years, until recently the FHWA caved in and allowed I-93 to be signed over the stretch. It's still two lanes, making this one of the only mainline two-lane Interstates (I-81 in the Thousand Islands being the other).


Still nonstandard, but at least with an exit tab, and at least the roadway has four lanes again. The letters need some breathing room, but they should shrink to get it.


Somewhat old sign on NH 112 EB, which is pronounced Kancamangus or Kancamaugus, again courtesy Lou Corsaro. Don't you dare pronounce it like it's spelled, or you'll be marked a clueless tourist.

Into MA on I-93
Exit 1 or 5 to NH 28
Exit 7 to NH 101
Onto I-293
Exit 11 to NH 3A
Onto I-89
Exit 14 to NH 9
Exit 15 to US 202
Exit 15 to I-393
Exit 15E to US 4
Exit 15W, 20, or 35 to US 3
Exit 20 to NH 11
Exit 20 to NH 132
Onto NH 18
Through Franconia Notch
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