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I-90 / Mass Pike Signing Work

Started by bob7374, August 14, 2015, 06:53:07 PM

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abqtraveler

Quote from: Beeper1 on September 19, 2018, 10:35:03 PM
 

One thing I've noticed:  the exit gore signs have been replaced so far at exits 2 -5.  The gore signs do NOT look wide enough to accommodate double-digit numbers should mile-based numbers come about.


Looks like Massachusetts is going to tell the FHWA to "Piss off" with their mandate to convert to mile-based exit numbering. 
2-d Interstates traveled:  4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 49, 55, 57, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76(E), 77, 78, 81, 83, 84(W), 85, 87(N), 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95

2-d Interstates Clinched:  12, 22, 30, 37, 44, 59, 80, 84(E), 86(E), 238, H1, H2, H3, H201


Jim

Quote from: cl94 on September 19, 2018, 11:01:28 PM
Have they installed new town line signs west of Springfield yet? The old ones were removed a year ago and hadn't been replaced when I was last through there.

I don't know if they're all up, but as of this past Saturday on my westbound trip I recall seeing the new style signs for Montgomery, Otis, and Becket, at least.  I figure the others were there but didn't grab my attention.

I also saw for the first time in person the new highest elevation sign but my efforts to grab a picture were thwarted by a bright setting sun in the background causing every little splattered bug and other flaw on my windshield to make a decent picture impossible.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

roadman

Quote from: DrSmith on September 19, 2018, 10:20:46 PM
Noticed that the regulatory, warning, etc signing on the Pike uses i-beams for supports; however, similar signage on the ramps is now being installed using square sign posts.  It's interesting the difference in what they are using for posts between the highway and ramps.

MassDOT is transitioning from single I-beam posts to square tube posts for the newer MA-D1-XX LGS signs, also larger regulatory, warning, and route signs as well.  This was the result of an evaluation of some single I-beam post failures that happened on Cape Cod during some storms last February and March.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

Beeper1

and a quick correction to my post from yesterday.  One new 2-sign overhead assembly has been installed at Exit 4 eastbound in the last couple days.

DrSmith

The eastbound signs for Route 290 are all replaced now too, including the one at the exit itself. And gone is the old green hat logo there as well

bob7374

The contractor for the western sign replacement project (finally) put up new overhead signs for the I-84/Sturbridge exit last week. The large diagrammatic signs drop US 20 from the previous signs and has control cites of Hartford and NY City. here's the 1-Mile Advance:


Photos of the other new signs, and other new exit and regulatory signage spotted on the Pike can be found on my I-90/Mass Pike Photo Gallery:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/i90photos.html

DrSmith

You can see the lack of communication between the sign project and the AET project at Exit 10. Eastbound was originally a 2 lane exit and then has been made a one lane exit during the toll plaza project. The new sign just installed at the exit itself shows 2 down arrows in the exit only tab.

AMLNet49

Quote from: DrSmith on November 01, 2018, 02:32:02 PM
You can see the lack of communication between the sign project and the AET project at Exit 10. Eastbound was originally a 2 lane exit and then has been made a one lane exit during the toll plaza project. The new sign just installed at the exit itself shows 2 down arrows in the exit only tab.

Yup and the sad part is that exit already had one of those super ugly out of proportion signs with one of the down arrows covered, and now even after replacement it will look like that for years to come. The only difference is that the patch is now yellow instead of green.

There's another one of these on I-93 south at the Braintree Split. The sign is way way too big and has a down arrow covered up; that one was a straight up design error there was no miscommunication except between the state and the designers. And the shame in that one is that it replaced a really well done sign that was a standard size, two down arrows, and a centered old school "exit only"  patch which had a unique black border around it (haven't seen this elsewhere in the state), making it more sharp looking than a standard yellow patch. So they bacislly replaced one of the state's best looking signs with one of its absolute ugliest

PHLBOS

Quote from: AMLNet49 on November 03, 2018, 08:15:32 PMThere's another one of these on I-93 south at the Braintree Split. The sign is way way too big and has a down arrow covered up; that one was a straight up design error there was no miscommunication except between the state and the designers. And the shame in that one is that it replaced a really well done sign that was a standard size, two down arrows, and a centered old school "exit only"  patch which had a unique black border around it (haven't seen this elsewhere in the state), making it more sharp looking than a standard yellow patch. So they bacislly replaced one of the state's best looking signs with one of its absolute ugliest
I'm assuming that you're referring to this sign vs. its predecessor sign.  What happened there (& I am not excusing/condoning the oversight) was that the exit lanes for MA 3 South was reduced from three to two during that time period but the replacement sign was still sized/configured for a three-lane exit.  Either MassDOT or the contractor opted for the "cheap" route for the sign correction and covered that far-left, angled down-arrow.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

AMLNet49

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 05, 2018, 10:53:41 AM
Quote from: AMLNet49 on November 03, 2018, 08:15:32 PMThere's another one of these on I-93 south at the Braintree Split. The sign is way way too big and has a down arrow covered up; that one was a straight up design error there was no miscommunication except between the state and the designers. And the shame in that one is that it replaced a really well done sign that was a standard size, two down arrows, and a centered old school "exit only"  patch which had a unique black border around it (haven't seen this elsewhere in the state), making it more sharp looking than a standard yellow patch. So they bacislly replaced one of the state's best looking signs with one of its absolute ugliest
I'm assuming that you're referring to this sign vs. its predecessor sign.  What happened there (& I am not excusing/condoning the oversight) was that the exit lanes for MA 3 South was reduced from three to two during that time period but the replacement sign was still sized/configured for a three-lane exit.  Either MassDOT or the contractor opted for the "cheap" route for the sign correction and covered that far-left, angled down-arrow.
To tell you the truth, I actually forgot that it used to be three lanes there, which explains the error on the new one, so it was a wider sign at the split. I was actually thinking of the advance signage, which has been replaced by diagrammics, as the "beautiful"  signage. I for some reason thought those regular width signs had been replaced with the new patched sign, but in reality it was actually just another three wide sign but with an exit only patch.

The change in lanes makes the I-90 one a more egregious error imo, because in this case they had already patched the previous sign

bob7374

The sign discussed in the previous posts:

roadman

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 05, 2018, 10:53:41 AM
Quote from: AMLNet49 on November 03, 2018, 08:15:32 PMThere’s another one of these on I-93 south at the Braintree Split. The sign is way way too big and has a down arrow covered up; that one was a straight up design error there was no miscommunication except between the state and the designers. And the shame in that one is that it replaced a really well done sign that was a standard size, two down arrows, and a centered old school “exit only” patch which had a unique black border around it (haven’t seen this elsewhere in the state), making it more sharp looking than a standard yellow patch. So they bacislly replaced one of the state’s best looking signs with one of its absolute ugliest
I'm assuming that you're referring to this sign vs. its predecessor sign.  What happened there (& I am not excusing/condoning the oversight) was that the exit lanes for MA 3 South was reduced from three to two during that time period but the replacement sign was still sized/configured for a three-lane exit.  Either MassDOT or the contractor opted for the "cheap" route for the sign correction and covered that far-left, angled down-arrow.

The "narrowing" of the Route 3 exit to two lanes took place after the new signs were fabricated.  As such, the expedient move was to change the arrow on the diagrammatic signs to reflect the revised configuration, and to revise the exit direction sign by covering the third arrow.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

bob7374

Quote from: bob7374 on August 26, 2018, 10:42:12 PM
Sign replacement is proceeding along the eastern half of the Mass Pike, if not the west. New signs are up eastbound for the Newton/Watertown exit, and advance signs are up westbound for Newton/Watertown and I-95/MA 128 along with a ramp sign for MA 16. There are also new signs along the ramps at the Weston interchange. The most curious sign is below, a 1/2 mile advance with no distance listing and an exit only arrow not pointing to the exit only lane, could this be the ramp sign put in the wrong place?:


The rest of the new sign images can be found on my I-90/Mass Pike Photo Gallery:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/i90photos.html
The above sign has been revised so that the exit only arrow now appears over the correct lane:


No new Pike signage to report east of I-95/MA 128. The contractor has been putting new mile posts up in the median though, as of Sunday they're present west of Mile 125 (MA 16 WB exit). Here's one prior to the Weston interchange (with to be replaced signage in the background:

Beeper1

On the western contract, the only overhead signs that have not been changed are the 2-sign overheads at Exit 10 WB and Exit 6 WB.   (Yes, the button copy still lives at exit 6)

DrSmith

Well the sign at Exit 6 is probably a short timer now. I noticed a new empty gantry was up behind the old one.

Mergingtraffic



I surprised this relic hasn't been replaced off of the Exit 4 connector.
I only take pics of good looking signs. Long live non-reflective button copy!
MergingTraffic https://www.flickr.com/photos/98731835@N05/

SignBridge

Yeah really, that sign is very 1960's, but let's enjoy the button-copy while we still can.  :spin:

PHLBOS

Quote from: SignBridge on March 10, 2019, 08:50:41 PM
Yeah really, that sign is very 1960's, but let's enjoy the button-copy while we still can.  :spin:
I believe that particular BGS is from the early 70s.  And it looks to me that the I-90 shield is likely not original.  Tilting 9s didn't start coming into vogue in the Bay State until the 1980s.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

roadman

Quote from: Mergingtraffic on March 10, 2019, 04:05:06 PM


I surprised this relic hasn't been replaced off of the Exit 4 connector.
There is a project under design to redo the US 5 end of the connector roadway.  This is why the signs weren't included in the I-90 sign project.  At that time, this sign, and the signs at the I-90 ramps from the connector, will be replaced.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

bob7374

#319
Checked out the Pike westbound between Newton and Millbury on St. Patrick's Day to note any sign replacement progress (the MassDOT progress listing still has Fall 2018 as the completion date, the western contract now lists Fall 2019). Nothing overhead sign wise, still need advances for the Route 16 westbound and I-95 westbound and eastbound (still no foundations for the 1 and 1/2 mile advances eastbound which need warmer weather) along with both ramp signs at I-495. It appears more ground-mounted signage is going up in the near future as support posts have appeared behind most of the speed limit and other regulatory signage and reassurance markers, but not around the old distance signs. I've posted photos with examples of all the above, such as with this reassurance marker in Framingham:


on my I-90/Mass Pike Photo Gallery: http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/i90photos.html

bob7374

#320
The eastern project contractors have put up the overhead exit and pull through signs for the I-495 exit, here westbound:


They have also put up many of the ground mounted signs in May that posts were placed for back in March, including signs at town borders, reassurance markers, and post-interchange distance signs where some text has been by interstate shields:


The new reassurance markers for the eastern contract have the I-90 shield over the Mass Pike logo, same as the pull through signs, but opposite of the previous order and those of the new western contract markers.


Photos taken of much of the new signage between Newton and Auburn can be found at:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/i90photos.html

PHLBOS

#321
Quote from: bob7374 on June 12, 2019, 11:50:50 PM
The eastern project contractors have put up the overhead exit and pull through signs for the I-495 exit, here westbound:
:thumbsup: Very nice.  This IMHO is how interchange signage should be.  The use of two control cities on the pull-through panel makes sense for this location & is completely logical. 

Minor nitpicks for the above-signs would be the use of a paler blue for the I-shields as well as the smaller numerals.  The combination of such makes the shields harder to read from a distance due to less of a contrast.  The smaller numerals also increases the possibility of such being not positioned properly (I've seen dozens of examples in several other states as well as MA); the numerals on the I-495 shield are properly positioned but the numerals on the I-90 shield are positioned too close to the top.

Quote from: bob7374 on June 12, 2019, 11:50:50 PM
They have also put up many of the ground mounted signs in May that posts were placed for back in March, including signs at town borders, reassurance markers, and post-interchange distance signs where some text has been by interstate shields:
Interestingly, the numerals on the I-495 shield are of the taller variety than the numerals on the I-84 shield.

Quote from: bob7374 on June 12, 2019, 11:50:50 PM
The new reassurance markers for the eastern contract have the I-90 shield over the Mass Pike logo, same as the pull through signs, but opposite of the previous order and those of the new western contract markers.
As I commented on Facebook; the Turnpike shield on these reassurance markers are of a square variety rather then the normal rectangular (portrait orientation).  Such does make the MASS PIKE text above and below the Pilgrim hat look crowded.  Given that the shields on the new BGS' are still rectangular; I'm assuming that these square, stand-alone shields are a fabrication error(?).

Whoever fabricated those I-90 shields should IMHO take a look at the I-95 reassurance markers that were erected along the Peabody-to-Newburyport stretch a year or two ago.  Those had the numerals properly spaced & positioned.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

PHLBOS

#322
Update at the Weston (I-95/MA 128) interchange but no photos for such:

Even though the I-95 shields on these two bridge-mounted BGS' replaced faded ones just over a year ago; the BGS' themselves have since been replaced with new ones on an overhead gantry erected just prior to the overpass.

The legends are similar (but not 100% identical) to the BGS' that were erected at the ramp split beyond the overpass.  Going by memory here:

    95 NORTH
     Waltham
Portsmouth, NH

   \|/         \|/
and
   95 SOUTH
    Dedham
Providence, RI

       \|/ ONLY
GPS does NOT equal GOD

bob7374

Quote from: PHLBOS on June 20, 2019, 01:14:56 PM
Update at the Weston (I-95/MA 128) interchange but no photos for such:

Even though the I-95 shields on these two bridge-mounted BGS' replaced faded ones just over a year ago; the BGS' themselves have since been replaced with new ones on an overhead gantry erected just prior to the overpass.

The legends are similar (but not 100% identical) to the BGS' that were erected at the ramp split beyond the overpass.  Going by memory here:

    95 NORTH
     Waltham
Portsmouth, NH

   \|/         \|/
and
   95 SOUTH
    Dedham
Providence, RI

       \|/ ONLY
Good to know. The two signs in the Street View image has been taken down the last time through the Weston interchange in early June. Was wondering if they were going to be replaced.

Ben114

Quote from: PHLBOS on June 20, 2019, 01:14:56 PM
Update at the Weston (I-95/MA 128) interchange but no photos for such:

Even though the I-95 shields on these two bridge-mounted BGS' replaced faded ones just over a year ago; the BGS' themselves have since been replaced with new ones on an overhead gantry erected just prior to the overpass.

The legends are similar (but not 100% identical) to the BGS' that were erected at the ramp split beyond the overpass.  Going by memory here:

    95 NORTH
     Waltham
Portsmouth, NH

   \|/         \|/
and
   95 SOUTH
    Dedham
Providence, RI

       \|/ ONLY
I was able to find a photo of said signs.



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