Mile 69 Problem

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The "Mile 69 Problem" describes the issue of the theft of highway signs with numbers that are considered salacious or controversial. These numbers include 420 for its reference to marijuana, 666 for its supposed evil nature according to Christianity, and the aforementioned 69 for its sexual connotations. While any sign with these numbers may be targeted, mile markers are especially vulnerable due to their small size and proximity to the ground.

Avoiding the Problem

Mileposts

While some "Mile 69" markers may exist in the wild (such as US-26 East near Cedar Hills before it was removed or stolen in late 2020), ODOT has gone to some creative lengths to avoid the Mile 69 Problem.

  • On I-5, ODOT made the Mile 69 marker part of a sign that announces reaching the apex of Sexton Summit. The actual summit is crossed at milepoint 69.08 according to ODOT straightline charts, so the approximation isn't far off from reality[1].
  • On US-26 near Mount Hood, ODOT avoided the problem by not posting the milepost in the 2000s. By 2012, a "Mile 68.5" marker appeared near milepoint 68.9 just north of the Clear Creek bridge. By 2017, it was replaced by milepost 68.9 more or less in the same location; it was still present as of 2021.
  • Other highways, like US-97, simply remove milepost 69 from the road.

  • "Mile 68.5", ODOT's first attempt to avoid the Mile 69 Problem on US-26 near Mount Hood, 2016

  • The previous milepost has since been replaced with a D10-2a standard "Mile 68.9" marker, 2021

Route Designations

When ODOT took over maintenance of Lane County's Belt Line Highway on March 28, 1978 as part of a road jurisdiction swap, it was given the internal designation of the Belt Line Highway #69 but was not assigned a route number[2]. This changed on September 18, 2002, when it was given the designation OR-69 by the OTC[3]. However, due to concerns about sign theft, this number was never posted on any signs. In January 2007, the commission decided that it needed to be renumbered to something that can be placed on signs due to the 2008 US Olympic Trials that were to be held in Eugene[4]. They originally planned to renumber it OR-14[5], but instead decided on OR-569 when it came time to vote on the redesignation[6].

ODOT also has a highway numbered 420, the Midland Highway #420. However this highway has never been given a state route number.

Attempts by Other States

Colorado

Milepost 420 on I-70 was getting stolen so much that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) ended up creating a "MILE 419.99" marker in 2013, placing it accordingly[7]. After the milepost briefly went viral in 2014, Amy Ford, CDOT's communications director, said that she expected the new milepost to also be stolen[7]. Sure enough, the "MILE 419.99" marker has been stolen so many times that it will no longer be replaced at all[8]. CDOT also moved a "MILE 69" marker a half-mile away, relabeling it "MILE 68.5", for similar reasons[7].

Massachusetts

It was reported in 2021 that US-1 in Topsfield skipped milepost 66.6 along a section where mileage is routinely posted every 0.2 miles[9].

Montana

Similar to Colorado, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) also has removed milepost 420 along their highways, replacing them with a "MILE 419.99" sign[10]. Additionally, because 406 is Montana's area code, MDT also removed milepost 406, using "MILE 405.99" instead[10]. In both instances, "420" and "406" respectively are painted on the shoulder at the correct milepoint[10].

US-2 near the Montana/North Dakota border used to have a "MILE 666" marker, but it has either been removed or stolen and has not been replaced[11].

References

  1. ↑ Oregon Department of Transportation. "Pacific Highway No. 1 Straightline Chart", September 2018, p. 5
  2. ↑ Oregon Department of Transportation. History of State Highways in Oregon, March 2020, p. 69-2
  3. ↑ Oregon Transportation Commission minutes, 18 September 2002
  4. ↑ Castano, Carla. "Bye Bye Beltline... Hello Route 569," KVAL CBS 13 (archived from original), 28 August 2007, last accessed 19 December 2020
  5. ↑ Oregon Transportation Commission agenda, 14 January 2007
  6. ↑ Oregon Transportation Commission minutes, 14 January 2007
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 NBC News. "Colorado Changes 420 Mile Marker Sign to Ward Off Heists," 12 January 2014, last accessed 11 June 2021
  8. ↑ Roadside Attraction. "Stratton, Colorado: Milepost 419.99 (Gone)," last accessed 11 June 2021
  9. ↑ [1]. Re: Urban interstates that end abruptly, AARoads, 5 January 2021, last accessed 11 June 2021
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 [rarnold]. Re: Unusual sign assemblies made due to signs stolen so frequently, AARoads, 26 August 2016, last accessed 11 June 2021
  11. ↑ [FrCorySticha]. Re: Unusual sign assemblies made due to signs stolen so frequently, AARoads, 26 August 2016, last accessed 11 June 2021
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