Route 6 sign project hits possible roadblock

[bob7374]

Got a chance to take a quick roadtrip to the Cape before the Memorial Day weekend to check out progress on the replacement of the US 6 sign. Some more progress since I was out there in January. New signs are up to the last exit at the eastern end of the Mid-Cape Highway:


One curious thing I noted that on the Super 2 portion new reflector signs (sorry I don't know the the official title) have been placed at the gore in front of the gore sign. While I've noticed similar signs have gone up elsewhere, these are much bigger and often obscure the gore signs behind them, here's an example:


The only BGSs still not replaced are several at the MA 134 exits and the 1-mile advance for MA 132 westbound. The highway west of Dennis still lacks new reassurance markers and most of the entrance ramp guide signs have still not been replaced east of Sandwich. So perhaps 85% of the work is done, but may now not be completed until after the Cape vacation season. All the new signage can be found on the US 6 Photo Gallery:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/us6photos.html

[roadman]

Current MassDOT practice for controlled-access highways is to use 3' X 3' reflectors at exit ramp gores.  The fact the new reflector is obscuring the E5-1a sign tells me the E5-1a sign hasn't yet been replaced.  New E5-1a gore signs are to be mounted at a clearance of 9 feet from top of road to bottom of sign.  This allows the use of the larger reflector panel without obscuring the sign.

Update:  Had a conservation with the project resident engineer last week to discuss some issues on the Route 6 project.  He confirmed that none of the E5-1a gore signs within the project area have yet been replaced.  When the new signs and posts are installed sometime after Labor Day (the project is in "summer exclusion" period, which is common for most work on Cape Cod), the warning cluster panels will no longer block visibility of the gore signs.

[bob7374]

Here's an example of the gore reflector signs seen on interstates, in this case the Mass Pike in Weston. These signs are much smaller and do not block the existing gore signs:

[roadman]

Here's an example of the gore reflector signs seen on interstates, in this case the Mass Pike in Weston. These signs are much smaller and do not block the existing gore signs:

Although it is placed in an exit gore, that is actually a W12-1 double arrow sign, not a gore reflector sign.  MassDOT has been phasing in the use of larger (3'X3') gore reflector signs for Interstate and freeway exit gores over the past few years.  As I noted in my post above, the height of the E5-1 gore sign is supposed to be adjusted higher (typically 9 feet from top of road to bottom of sign) to account for the larger gore reflector signs.

[bob7374]

Took a trip down to the Cape on Sept. 22 and was able to take photos of most of the new signs put up since my last trip down about a year earlier. This mostly includes gore signs, reassurance markers, signs marking rivers and town boundaries, and most of the MA 134 signage in Dennis. While the project officially wrapped up last spring, I noticed one sign, the 1-mile advance for MA 132 westbound, had not been replaced. As with MassDOT's recent practice, all the new reassurance markers are smaller in size than their predecessors. Here's a couple signs for MA 134 eastbound (the left was there before, the right new to me):


Here's one of the new reassurance markers:


The entire set of photos taken during the length of the project can be found at my US 6 in Mass. Photo Gallery:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/us6photos.html

[DJ Particle]

I still remember when the exit 12 sign said "[6A] Shore Road", like many of the [6A]-featured BGSs in Truro.     That's why 6A in N Truro was called "Shore Rd" when E911 was brought to the area, and they had to name a lot of previously unnamed roads.