Gantry Style/Design Between The States

[FreewayDan]

The final gantry style used in California is called the "Box-Beam".  It's basically a Pratt truss that's been wrapped in a metal sheeting.  While this is the most aesthetic, it was removed from Caltrans' Standard Plans in the early 2000's but many of them are still in use today.  These gantries are always painted and have been seen in mint green, dark green, reddish-brown and tan.

Three other U.S. states utilize "Box-Beam" gantry in some of their overhead sign installations.

Hawaii:
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!4v1508726369885!6m8!1m7!1sGMskvYpibDmwQnBXqvId1A!2m2!1d21.33261709804911!2d-157.889692492098!3f296.0293767838921!4f1.4964597840133678!5f2.7551508706423364" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Virgina:
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!4v1508726028995!6m8!1m7!1sTXqWSoFawAJokOMB_emDEw!2m2!1d38.93122609105566!2d-77.19992496432067!3f249.78641214994204!4f6.754250273193449!5f3.1418696762068836" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Wyoming:
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!4v1508726287786!6m8!1m7!1s_2hiM5-PXKex-mig3Xhy1w!2m2!1d44.83276897673437!2d-106.9622689101092!3f131.71614332832098!4f1.1900643646526134!5f1.7431718349436869" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

^^^

It's a sawed-in (as opposed to rolled-in) rumble strip.

I meant to ask, if it is sawed-in vs. rolled-in, does it have the same visual characteristics as if it were rolled-in?

[lepidopteran]

Also good see that PTC has dumped Clearview.

Everyone has dumped Clearview. Its not permitted anymore.

But notice that the W in WEST is larger than the other letters.  Wasn't that introduced with Clearview?

[US 89]

Utah currently exclusively installs monotubes. If the signs aren't too big, Utah will typically install something like this.

This is the typical design for when the signs are too tall for the first option.

There used to be several of what look to be Pratt truss gantries in the area of the 80/215/Foothill interchange in eastern Salt Lake City, such as this one. All were replaced this summer as part of a resigning project. As far as I know, there are only five truss gantries still standing in Utah. There's one on each approach to the I-15/I-70 junction at Cove Fort, and then there's a pair on I-15 at the SR 56 exit in Cedar City.

[Scott5114]

Also good see that PTC has dumped Clearview.

Everyone has dumped Clearview. Its not permitted anymore.

But notice that the W in WEST is larger than the other letters.  Wasn't that introduced with Clearview?

No, that was introduced in the 2003 MUTCD. It just so happened that a few years after that was both when that version of the MUTCD was being picked up by DOTs and also when Clearview was being experimented with.

[roadman]

Also good see that PTC has dumped Clearview.

Everyone has dumped Clearview. Its not permitted anymore.

But notice that the W in WEST is larger than the other letters.  Wasn't that introduced with Clearview?

No, that was introduced in the 2003 MUTCD. It just so happened that a few years after that was both when that version of the MUTCD was being picked up by DOTs and also when Clearview was being experimented with.

The elongated initial letter for cardinal direction words requirement was originally issued by FHWA in 1993.  It first appeared as a requirement in the 2000 MUTCD, not 2003.

[Pink Jazz]

Utah currently exclusively installs monotubes. If the signs aren't too big, Utah will typically install something like this.

This is the typical design for when the signs are too tall for the first option.

There used to be several of what look to be Pratt truss gantries in the area of the 80/215/Foothill interchange in eastern Salt Lake City, such as this one. All were replaced this summer as part of a resigning project. The only remaining truss gantries in Utah that I'm aware of are at the I-15/I-70 junction at Cove Fort.

I think New Mexico does something similar.

[hbelkins]

The elongated initial letter for cardinal direction words requirement was originally issued by FHWA in 1993.  It first appeared as a requirement in the 2000 MUTCD, not 2003.

And I first saw it in the field (in Kansas) a full two years earlier, in 1991.

^^^

It's a sawed-in (as opposed to rolled-in) rumble strip.

I meant to ask, if it is sawed-in vs. rolled-in, does it have the same visual characteristics as if it were rolled-in?

No. Sawed-in is much wider and deeper.

[PHLBOS]

The elongated initial letter for cardinal direction words requirement was originally issued by FHWA in 1993.  It first appeared as a requirement in the 2000 MUTCD, not 2003.

And I first saw it in the field (in Kansas) a full two years earlier, in 1991.

Some then-new PennDOT signs along I-95 & 476 also had such circa 1991.

[roadman]

The elongated initial letter for cardinal direction words requirement was originally issued by FHWA in 1993.  It first appeared as a requirement in the 2000 MUTCD, not 2003.

And I first saw it in the field (in Kansas) a full two years earlier, in 1991

The 1993 FHWA directive referenced Kansas, and how they had started the practice in the late 1980s.

[FreewayDan]

The final gantry style used in California is called the "Box-Beam".  It's basically a Pratt truss that's been wrapped in a metal sheeting.  While this is the most aesthetic, it was removed from Caltrans' Standard Plans in the early 2000's but many of them are still in use today.  These gantries are always painted and have been seen in mint green, dark green, reddish-brown and tan.

My apologies for the bad links.  Here are some workable links of the locations.

Hawaii:
https://goo.gl/maps/djRu7j9PyX12

Virginia:
https://goo.gl/maps/prrVsPFLpDG2

Wyoming:
https://goo.gl/maps/u9ubEVrqoS52

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

My apologies for the bad links.  Here are some workable links of the locations.

Hawaii:
https://goo.gl/maps/djRu7j9PyX12

Virginia:
https://goo.gl/maps/prrVsPFLpDG2

Wyoming:
https://goo.gl/maps/u9ubEVrqoS52

I was able to access them just fine (the original links)!
Great photos! The quality is as if they were taken a while ago.

[jakeroot]

My apologies for the bad links.  Here are some workable links of the locations.

Hawaii:
https://goo.gl/maps/djRu7j9PyX12

Virginia:
https://goo.gl/maps/prrVsPFLpDG2

Wyoming:
https://goo.gl/maps/u9ubEVrqoS52

I was able to access them just fine (the original links)!
Great photos! The quality is as if they were taken a while ago.

You do know the "photos" are just Street View links right?

[architect77]

NORTH CAROLINA SUPPORT STRUCTURES

BEA99614-BD17-452A-9C26-F1C771BC5E4A by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr
8A74106B-30FB-4D43-987E-CB780EBAA75C by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[jakeroot]

NORTH CAROLINA SUPPORT STRUCTURES

THANKS

[MattHanson939]

Arizona once used Pratt truss, but now uses monotubes.  Some older portions of the Phoenix area freeway system still have some of the truss gantries intact.

I've always seen Arizona as a monotube state, same as California. I don't know.... Movies?

There are still plenty of trusses on many of the older freeways in the Phoenix area. I don't recall seeing many trusses in the rural areas of the state though.  They are still very common on I-10 and SR 143 in the Phoenix area, with a small number still on I-17 and US 60; most of those surviving on the latter being full-widths (I think the one-sided ones were replaced by monotubes in a construction project in the early 2000s), although some one-sided trusses still survive east of Loop 202.

New Mexico uses monotubes statewide, but in the past they used trusses.   In fact, older stretches of I-25 and I-40 in Albuquerque used to have Pratt trusses, and they were exactly the same as the ones dominant in California and Nevada.  The stretch of I-25 from Lead/Coal to Gibson used to have trusses but were replaced with monotubes, despite the stretch has yet to be reconstructed.  As I mentioned, I-40 also had them, but now only uses monotubes as the entire stretch through Albuquerque has been upgraded to modern-day interstate standards (the last project was widening the freeway from 6 to 8-10 lanes between Carlisle and Louisiana and rebuilding the interchange with San Mateo Blvd., which wrapped up in late 2009).

[SkyPesos]

Ohio mainly use truss gantries.

From what it seems like based on the diagram upthread (correct me if I'm wrong)...
Older ones are Box trusses.
Newer ones are Warren trusses.
A lot of the box trusses are getting replaced with Warren ones in recent years.

The side gantries in the state look like this, which I don't know the name of.

There are also some other gantry types in the state that are only used at one-off municipalities, like Monotubes in Downtown Toledo and Vierendeel on Fort Washington Way in Downtown Cincinnati.

[Scott5114]

The side gantries in the state look like this, which I don't know the name of.

That's a Pratt truss.

[kphoger]

... which I don't know the name of.

Check out this thread for good info.

[MattHanson939]

Utah currently exclusively installs monotubes. If the signs aren't too big, Utah will typically install something like this.

This is the typical design for when the signs are too tall for the first option.

There used to be several of what look to be Pratt truss gantries in the area of the 80/215/Foothill interchange in eastern Salt Lake City, such as this one. All were replaced this summer as part of a resigning project. The only remaining truss gantries in Utah that I'm aware of are at the I-15/I-70 junction at Cove Fort.

I think New Mexico does something similar.

New Mexico only did that along I-25 and I-40 in Albuquerque when the Big I was rebuilt. 

[roadman65]

Typical PennDOT..
Missouri gantries single poles.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/48009424443
Texas varies, but urban areas seem to use different types of concrete supports.

[SkyPesos]

MoDOT's single-pole gantries reminds me of what is used in California.

Actually, it's the other way around because I've been in Missouri first 

[hobsini2]

I have always liked what Wisconsin does for gantries especially the new ones in Milwaukee.
Side gantries: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5175995,-87.9515513,3a,75y,16.49h,103.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soNXIJDvlIhYdMzQfZlfsCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Full gantries:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5615552,-87.9523471,3a,75y,352.48h,95.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sb_ZUYvBCXBEY-5YL6QaTDA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Older Median gantries:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9626148,-87.9978301,3a,75y,234.53h,103.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgLvQfNtBVvcRz6YWrV8BzQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Newer Milwaukee style:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.932279,-87.9350832,3a,75y,7.19h,92.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9NcrVfcET9-q8ORdOF8k5A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Newer Median gantries:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9333481,-87.9350713,3a,75y,353.06h,100.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sugm3pFVZU0ouFWhhB25-NQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

[EpicRoadways]

Minnesota has kept it nice and simple over the years. Like many states at the dawn of the interstate age MNDOT used howe gantries. Many of these are still in use today, especially in Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Duluth, though they become less and less common with each passing year. That design was scrapped in the early 1980s, though they briefly made a resurgence about ten years ago during MNDOT's intelligent traffic lane management project in Minneapolis that wound up flopping.
From the 1980s onward, it's been warren all the way! I really like MNDOT's gantry design- it's clean and doesn't seem overly flimsy or overly thick/overbuilt. Unlike some other states, both full-width and side-mounted gantries use the same design.

From what I can figure, these are the only six standard MNDOT gantry designs that have ever been used:
1980s full-width warren (despite the age this design is still current, like I mentioned above)
Early 2010s side-mount warren (current design)
1960s "big" full-width howe
1960s "little" side-mount howe
1970s "big" side-mount howe
early 2010s howe installed as part of the intelligent lanes project

[HighwayStar]

Oklahoma uses an almost caltrans-type gantry, however they are starting to use tubular mono-tube gantries. honestly, I don't like the new ones. I wish they would use more aesthetically pleasing gantries... or at least paint them...

I've seen Oklahoma use Arkansas' style closer to the border. But, Oklahoma's tubular style is cool, and most states tend to follow suite with California. Despite the state's debt, they tend to lead the way in transportation development and innovation (Hint: Botts' Dots). Most states now use Botts' Dots or a similar style with the same function.

California has not led the way in transportation development for decades, there was certainly a time when that was true, but the only leadership CA has provided lately has been how NOT to get anything done.
Texas has led the way with many designs and innovations especially where roads are concerned. Super 2, Texas U turn, actually building roads rather than demolishing them, the list goes on. Even rail is arguably better a domain of TX, their high speed rail, if it comes to fruition, will be a much better model than CA.
Not that I am happy to see CA in such straights though, its sad.