Winchester

[penguin007 27]

Awesome update there I like the look of the downtown so far.

On account of the UK you get:

M= motorway

A= main road single or dual carriageway

B= minor road

Hope that helps

Will

[kj3400 178]

Congratulations for 500 replies. Those are some nice signs, and a really complex interchange.

[remanh 1]

happy birthday winchester forum!

i cant wait to see more of I-79

[GreekMan 246]

wow congrads on everything!

looking very good!

looking forward to downtown

[PhilsCafe 8]

Hey Dan! It's been a while since my last post here, looks like I missed a lot of great updates. I like the worn-out look of some of your signs, that's a very nice detail.

Congrats for your CJ anniversary and 500 posts... big party time

- Phil

[Benedict 3,119]

That's one crazy interchange around hartford blvd!

[dfnva 34]

WOW! Thanks so much (again) for your support as Winchester has hit the ONE YEAR milestone!

Packersfan

Thanks! Hope to see an update from Sessquenna sometime soon.

Bruce (Schulmanator)

Thanks, not only for the congrats, but for the sign gantry as well! It looks great. 

Equilibria

Thanks. The speedway is a bit to the east of where the screenshot was. There's a pic of, I want to say on Page 10 or 11. 

Jacqulina

Thanks! 

Edmonton_Stinks

Thanks, glad you like how Winchester looks, I've changed some stuff since we last saw downtown.

Hawkeye9

Thanks, glad you like the road layout, that's one of my favorite things to do in SC4.

Will (Penguin007)

Thanks. The UK route numbering makes sense, it's a lot like the USA where you've got interstates (e.g. motorways), federal highways, state routes, and county/secondary routes.

KJ3400

Thanks! Glad you liked the update.

Remanh

Thanks! It's amazing that this has been going for one year.

GreekMan

Thanks! We'll see more of downtown in today's update.

Phil (PhilsCafe)

Thanks! I always liked the old-style button-copy signs with the dark-green non-reflective background. Gradually they are disappearing. It's been years since I've seen one here in Virginia and in neighboring states such as Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia they're steadily dissapearing.

Benedict

Thanks! Today's big interchange is even crazier!!

And on we go, continuing along I-79 southbound into downtown Winchester. At this point, I-79 is the dividing line between the Central Business District and the industrial areas. The Frankfort Ave. crossing is the only non-Nam crossing over an interstate in my region, yet the perceived oldness of the bridge looks good in this setting.

Further along...

Another old sign still up, hanging from a rusting bridge.

And thus, here is Exit 149 with MP-39/S. Jefferson Ave. Notice how this is pretty much a modified diamond interchange with the southbound exit putting you onto Cambria St. To the right is the CBD and to the left are fairly expensive apartments and condos with a view of the Wanata River.

Just past Exit 149, we see this sign for Exit 148 which, judging by the looks of the sign, is fairly complex. This absolutely is the best sign I've made if I may say so myself, though it took a long time to get everything exactly right.

Continuing along I-79/US-27, I want you to imagine we've got four lanes going southbound now.

And, thus, here's the gore point for Exit 148, which is where we shall diverge from I-79/US-27 as we are bound for a visit to Patrick Henry University and points south and west.

Signage at the gore point... and...

... Signage where Exit 148B and Exit 148A split... We're taking Exit 148B onto MP-501.

How about a zoomed out shot of Exit 148? (Click on the thumbnail)

And a zoomed out picture of downtown Winchester? (Click on the thumbnail)

Finally, here is where we end up at the end of Exit 148B (this used to be the terminus of I-134).

And thus we will continue next time toward Patrick Henry University.

Thanks for visiting,

-Dan

[Haljackey 17,303]

Geesh this CJ is now a year old? Congrats Dan!

Enjoyed the update too. The ave intersection at the end of Exit 148B on hwy 501 is neat. Great stuff!

Edit:  Excellent junction sign!  It looks so realistic!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

What a great anniversary present! You are right - that one sign is the best of the best... they are all good but that one leaps right up at you. Nice, nice work. I will hafta say...

[Hawkeye9 0]

That sign is definatly amazing!!!!

nice update and looking forward to more!!!!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

That is the best sign you have ever done. The interchange is pretty great too!

An excellent update. I also like the zoomed out shot of Downtown Winchester.

[PhilsCafe 8]

I can back that... that first sign looks great. I can't remember the last time I've seen non-reflective signs on Swiss highways... I guess they should all be gone by now (the government has a lot of money for things like that). It's probably a EU norm and despite of not being an EU-member we're quick at adapting them . I also like the views around Winchester, very nicely mixed development there.

- Phil

[SCDawg 0]

Hey Dan! It's been a while since I've dropped in, read all the updates I've missed, they all have been fantastic. I really like downtown Winchester. I also can't believe I missed both post #500 and the 1 year milestone. Congradulations on both.

Keep It Up!

Travis

[pagenotfound 53]

I like this a lot!

[kj3400 178]

That sign is very impressive! Great job!  
The interchange looks great too.
Are we going to have a birthday party for Winchester?

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Well how could I have missed the "Best Roadgeek CJ" for this long?

This is excellent, and I can relate to most of it living in Hampton, VA (moving to VA Beach soon). Your suburban areas remind me the most of the Richmond suburbs, particularly off of US-1 in Henrico Co.

And great signage too! I love the driving theme.

Lastly, do you still have plans to make a Tidewater CJ (like you mentioned a few pages back)? I'd love to see this area in SC4.

PS: That route 666 you showed a few pages back really exists. It's a spur off of US-258 to reach the Smithfield Ham Packing Plant. It IS evil!

[penguin007 27]

Wow that was one of the best updates Ive seen from you I love the signs there genius, cant wait for more

Will

[Tia-may 0]

Good work hoping to see more of your region!

[Mother of Invention 23]

More Winchester plz!

[Benedict 3,119]

Great set of new signs, and congratulations on hitting 500 replies - I think it took my CJ 2+ years to get there...

[anik 14]

LOVE this CJ. Especillay the signs, no duh lol

[dfnva 34]

Haljackey: Thanks, for the congrats, and glad you liked the update. It was fun making the big directional interchange sign. 

Bruce (Schulmanator): Thanks! I thought I'd better blow out the 1-year anniversary with something awesome. Glad you liked the update.

Hawkeye9: Thanks, glad you liked the sign and the update.

Edmonton_Stinks: Thanks, the downtown interchange is an improvement over the cloverleaf interchange that was its ancestor. Glad you liked the zoomed-out pic of Downtown as well.

Phil (PhilsCafe): Thanks. Non-reflective signs are very rare here in US as well, but they have a cool effect with button copy letters, so at night it looks like the letters are lit up. 

Travis (SCDawg): Thanks! And glad you liked the updates. 

Pagenotfound: Thanks!

KJ3400: Thanks... we should have a birthday party... or maybe a party of some sort as we're checking out the University today!

DeathtoPumpkins: Thanks for the comments, I always like hearing from a fellow Virginian. I must correct that Winchester did not win a trixie, but rather my previous CJ did (The Massopax River Valley).  I've been slacking off, as of late, on the Tidewater CJ, but I should get back to working on it, I'd be curious how someone from Hampton Roads, as yourself, would think of it. It's interesting how, with Virginia's secondary route system, every county has a Rte. 666. lol. I really enjoy lurking in Virgin Shores, sorry I've never commented, I need to read the beginning better to make sure I don't say something lame, but I assume the gist is like Blue Hope?

Penguin007: Thanks! Glad you liked the update and the signage!

Tia-May: Thanks, slowly but surely, we'll drive and see much more of the region. Glad you liked the update.

Mother of Invention: Definitely!! Thanks for visiting.

Benedict: Thanks! I appreciate it. 

Anik: Thanks, I've always enjoyed signage, so I thought a CJ would be a good place to make my own. 

It's been almost a year since we've passed through Patrick Henry University, and it just happens that classes have begun a couple weeks ago as we drive through here.

Today, we'll continue from where we left off last time, just exiting I-79 onto MP-501/W. Moore St. After passing Front St. in this screenshot, we start to pass through Patrick Henry University.

To the left we see some riverside residence halls that overlook the Wanata River.

To the right we see the newly refurbished football stadium (just in time for another crummy football season - the team stinks, but the marching band rocks).

Here, we cross a newly widened intersection with Patrick Henry Drive, completed as part of the stadium project. To the left we see the Convocation Center where basketball games are played as well a concerts and other big events. MP-501 ends here as MP-130 turns from Patrick Henry Drive onto W. Moore St. to continue westward. 

The new traffic signal here has green poles and green painted signals because the school colors of PHU are green and yellow.

Here's a look at what's down the road to the right on Patrick Henry Drive...

Continuing west on W. Moore St., now dubbed MP-130, we are on the outskirts of the campus area as we now pass by some off-campus apartments and residential areas as we cross Anderson Ln.

Lastly, here's a zoomed-out pic of the Patrick Henry University area.

Thanks for visiting,

Dan

[fabsies55 5]

nice city. you seem to use more maxis buildings than stex unlike most other people but it still looks good.

you have plenty of other material which i also like.

your first few pictures with the amusement park looks really good and even in this last update that stadium looks good in its surroundings

well done.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Oh, don't remind me of uni... it starts for me again in a week. But great refurbishment there, Dan! As for the green signals... I hope the red light isn't green either. I guess that would cause some major problems .

- Phil

[Schulmanator 5,787]

The university looks nice. It is good that they show school spirit by matching the school colors to fixtures. A nice touch. What's the mascot?

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Oh really? Sorry, I wasn't actually around here back then, so I was not aware.

I'd definately be interested in reading it, when you get it done, and I'll be sure to give you feedback.

Every county has one? Hmm... I don't travel on secondary roads much, usually stick to interstates and US routes if traveling long distances.

Actually, I don't think the beginning of VS would help much...  It wasn't interactive to begin with, and has severely changed. And yeah, it's a similar concept.

---

That's a pretty nice campus you've got there! You really have a knack for making Maxis buildings look good in their surroundings.

[phoenix7 3]

I have lurked in both your CJs for a while, but I will finally comment. Like everyone else, your roadgeekery amazes me, and your sign-making is incredibly realistic. I would love a tutorial. PHU looks a lot better than it used to, but you should really turn off your UDI icons. They are the one dark spot in your otherwise great updates.

[dedgren 830]

Dan- I've fallen behind a few updates, so just spent a very enjoyable 20 minutes catching up.  Excellent stuff here, and to hit 500 comments at the year point is pretty cool, too.  Winchester/MP always has something fresh and interesting to offer- your take on the PHU campus lines up exactly with my experience of what were beautiful east coast and midwestern universities that, once they outgrew the original buildings, look like the rest of the campus was designed based on the contents of an architect's dumpster.  No consistent style or plan, just build anything in whatever direction there's some empty space.

[rant off]  Oh well, great stuff as usual, my friend.

David

[suplado! 23]

wow -- cool university area, really like how it placed along the river

[penguin007 27]

Nice update there I like the waterfront and the football stadium looks awesome!!

Will