Interstate 95 signing work

[PHLBOS]

Roadman, As usual, thanks for the clarification.  Although I could have sworn that I saw Wayland listed on the new TO 117 BGS.

I guess I was hallucinating.

[roadman]

Roadman, As usual, thanks for the clarification.  Although I could have sworn that I saw Wayland listed on the new TO 117 BGS.

I guess I was hallucinating.

Given the presence of two new ground-mounts in close proximity, your confusion is understandable.

[mass_citizen]

Roadman, As usual, thanks for the clarification.  Although I could have sworn that I saw Wayland listed on the new TO 117 BGS.

I guess I was hallucinating.

Given the presence of two new ground-mounts in close proximity, your confusion is understandable.

Thanks for clarifying Roadman. I took a ride yesterday and I think our confusion is due to the fact that the "Wayland Watertown" sign has already been erected.  This results in 2 signs saying "Wayland" no more than 500 feet apart (I noticed it occurs both SB and NB) at least until the overheads are replaced.

[southshore720]

Drove up 95/128 North tonight and there are a few new overhead panels installed between Exits 21-25.  Not all of them are replaced, but it was neat to see the see the new ones.  I-90 (Exit 25) is now being labeled by the control cities "Boston/Albany NY" instead of "Mass Pike."

I also spotted a new overhead for Exit 15 on the Mass Pike for 95/128, but didn't get to take a good look at it.  If anyone can take pics, that would be great!

[mass_citizen]

Drove up 95/128 North tonight and there are a few new overhead panels installed between Exits 21-25.  Not all of them are replaced, but it was neat to see the see the new ones.  I-90 (Exit 25) is now being labeled by the control cities "Boston/Albany NY" instead of "Mass Pike."

I also spotted a new overhead for Exit 15 on the Mass Pike for 95/128, but didn't get to take a good look at it.  If anyone can take pics, that would be great!

As much as I'd like to see a new sign with 95/128, thanks to our anti-128 friends at MassDOT and FHWA I'd be willing to bet that new sign on the Pike just says 95.

Although funny how they seem to have no issue putting up US 1 and MA 3 along with I-93 on new signs on and near the Southeast Expressway. This considering absolutely no one refers to that road as US 1 or MA 3 whereas many many people refer to the inner belt portion of I-95 as MA 128. Go figure.

[AMLNet49]

I had been told by a MassDOT official a few years ago that, contrary to rumors that the Hat logo was going away, when new signs were installed, the "Mass Pike" text would be replaced by a Mass Pike hat logo shield next to the I-90 shield. Has anyone seen whether the Mass Pike logo is present on the sign?

[HurrMark]

Yes, the hat is on the sign. Note there is still no reference to Recreation Road (Exit 23) - I guess the sign would be too busy with all that information.

[PHLBOS]

Although funny how they seem to have no issue putting up US 1 and MA 3 along with I-93 on new signs on and near the Southeast Expressway. This considering absolutely no one refers to that road as US 1 or MA 3 whereas many many people refer to the inner belt portion of I-95 as MA 128. Go figure.

Actually, recent I-93 signage along the Expressway only includes I-93 & US 1 shields.  Even weirder is the fact that MassDOT still includes Cape Cod for the new southbound signage even though that's strictly a MA 3 destination.

I had been told by a MassDOT official a few years ago that, contrary to rumors that the Hat logo was going away, when new signs were installed, the "Mass Pike" text would be replaced by a Mass Pike hat logo shield next to the I-90 shield. Has anyone seen whether the Mass Pike logo is present on the sign?

New BGS' were recently (as in a few months ago) erected along MA 30 in Weston for the I-90/Mass Pike entrance ramp and the Mass Pike Pilgrim hat was present (the old BGS' did not have it).

[roadman]

I had been told by a MassDOT official a few years ago that, contrary to rumors that the Hat logo was going away, when new signs were installed, the "Mass Pike" text would be replaced by a Mass Pike hat logo shield next to the I-90 shield. Has anyone seen whether the Mass Pike logo is present on the sign?

What the MassDOT official told you is correct.  Besides making for a consistent message statewide on signs approaching the MassPike on other Interstates and freeways (some signs have logos and others have text), in the weeks leading up to the MassDOT consolidation in 2009, there was some talk about removing the Massachusetts Turnpike name and just referring to the road as I-90.  Based on this, the rationale was that, should that ever happen, a logo is easier to remove and said removal is less disruptive to the sign appearance than removing or overlaying the "Mass. Pike" text would be.

The I-95 Wellesley to Lexington signing project plans reflect this, as all new BGSes for the MassPike will now have the Pike LOGO instead of reading "Mass Pike".

Drove up 95/128 North tonight and there are a few new overhead panels installed between Exits 21-25.  Not all of them are replaced, but it was neat to see the see the new ones.  I-90 (Exit 25) is now being labeled by the control cities "Boston/Albany NY" instead of "Mass Pike."

I also spotted a new overhead for Exit 15 on the Mass Pike for 95/128, but didn't get to take a good look at it.  If anyone can take pics, that would be great!

The new overhead signs and structure at MassPike Interchange 15 were installed westbound.  Although most of the signs and supports in this area are not due to be replaced until the larger 2015 sign replacement projects, the existing support was one of the last aluminum structures on the Pike.  It was deemed a priority replacement based on the last inspection reports, so the work was done under the Weston-Newton-Boston sign replacement (not much mainline stuff, mostly secondary road work at Newton Corner and Newton Centre interchanges).

[roadman]

Yes, the hat is on the sign. Note there is still no reference to Recreation Road (Exit 23) - I guess the sign would be too busy with all that information.

Note that there was never any reference to Recreation Road on the I-95 NB overhead BGSes for Exits 23-24-24, even prior to the 1991 sign update project.

[southshore720]

The new overhead signs and structure at MassPike Interchange 15 were installed westbound.  Although most of the signs and supports in this area are not due to be replaced until the larger 2015 sign replacement projects, the existing support was one of the last aluminum structures on the Pike.  It was deemed a priority replacement based on the last inspection reports, so the work was done under the Weston-Newton-Boston sign replacement (not much mainline stuff, mostly secondary road work at Newton Corner and Newton Centre interchanges).

Thank you for clarifying this Roadman...I thought for a minute that project was fast-tracked!

[PHLBOS]

While riding along I-95 South last weekend (to the Pike), I did notice some newer BGS for US 20 (Exit 26) are now erected.  The older ones haven't been taken down/removed yet.  I'm guessing that such removals won't be done until all the new BGS' in that area are erected.

[roadman]

To avoid a bad crash that had the Southeast Expressway at a standstill, I drove I-95 northbound through the Wellesley to Lexington sign project this past Sunday (10-20).  The contractor (RoadSafe Traffic Systems of Avon MA) is making good progress, as a number of new mainline BGS panels (all on cantilever supports) are now in place.

Besides the new BGS northbound at Exits 23-24-25 mentioned in southshore720's post, one other notable improvement is the new overhead 1 mile BGSes southbound for MA 4/225.  Two signs are now provided - one on the I-95 mainline prior to the merge from US 3 southbound, and one on the ramp from MA 3 southbound to I-95.  Much better than the substandard ground-mount BGS that was installed as part of the US 3 widening project.

[SidS1045]

Let's hope this pull-through is on the hit-list for this project.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xi8Jd

[PHLBOS]

one other notable improvement is the new overhead 1 mile BGSes southbound for MA 4/225

That is indeed a welcome improvement.  Originally, at least as far back as the 1960s, the first southbound notice BGS for MA 4/225 (1-3/4 mile IIRC) was mounted on the wide overhead gantry where the gore for US 3 North/Middlesex Pike is located.  It was placed to the right of the small SOUTH 128 pull-through BGS that existed back then.  The BGS' then had button-copy lettering with low-profile, horizontal, rectangular beige shields w/a thin black outline.

Let's hope this pull-through is on the hit-list for this project.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xi8Jd

Roadman can confirm, but I believe that pull-through will be ultimately removed w/no updated replacement.

[NE2]

Let's hope this pull-through is on the hit-list for this project.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xi8Jd

Roadman can confirm, but I believe that pull-through will be ultimately removed w/no updated replacement.

It certainly doesn't need to be there.

[roadman]

Let's hope this pull-through is on the hit-list for this project.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xi8Jd

Yes indeed, this pull-thru at Route 2A (that should have been removed during the 1992 sign update but wasn't) will be going away for good once the new structure and signs (for 2A east and 2A west) are installed at this location.

[PHLBOS]

Yes indeed, this pull-thru at Route 2A (that should have been removed during the 1992 sign update but wasn't) will be going away for good once the new structure and signs (for 2A east and 2A west) are installed at this location.

If memory serves, that BGS was only about 10 years old and was in much better condition circa 1992.  The likely reason why it wasn't removed was probably the same reason why a smaller SOUTH 95 pull-through in Waltham at Exit 27 (part of the same 1982 signing contract that erected that northbound pull-through) wasn't removed until just a few years ago.  That 1992 signing contract only involved replacing existing exit panel BGS' and not pull-through BGS'. 

Similar reasoning was likely why that early-70s vintage SOUTH 128 pull-through in Burlington (at Exits 33B-A/US 3 South/MA 3A North) remained until a few years ago.

[bob7374]

Checked the MassDOT project listing for the I-95 project from Newton to Lexington. The project engineer reports that the contract is now 30% complete. To compare and contrast with the current I-93 signing project, the I-95 project started more than a year later and now is listed as 4% more complete.

I will be taking a trip from the South Shore to the Springfield area tomorrow using I-95 and the Mass Pike and will try to get some photos of the new signage that has been referred to by others in the posts above.

[bob7374]

Here is a photo of the new I-90 / Mass Pike signage on I-95 / 128 North that was installed recently:

For photos of a few more of the new I-95 signs (and some plans for I-93 signage) and more, feel free to go to my latest blog post:
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-95-signage-update-and-more.html

[PHLBOS]

Here is a photo of the new I-90 / Mass Pike signage on I-95 / 128 North that was installed recently:

For photos of a few more of the new I-95 signs (and some plans for I-93 signage) and more, feel free to go to my latest blog post:
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-95-signage-update-and-more.html

Is it me or do the digits for the I-90 shield appear slightly tilted/angled (especially when compared to the shield on the temporary I-90 LGS behind the gantry)?

[mass_citizen]

it does look likes its about to peel off to the right.

[PHLBOS]

one other notable improvement is the new overhead 1 mile BGSes southbound for MA 4/225.  Two signs are now provided - one on the I-95 mainline prior to the merge from US 3 southbound, and one on the ramp from US 3 southbound to I-95.  Much better than the substandard ground-mount BGS that was installed as part of the US 3 widening project.

I saw those and some new installations closer to the interchange this past Thanksgiving.

The only critique I have regarding the new BGS' is the use of the Series D font for the MA 225 shields (the plural is intentional).  The lower-left corner of the first numeral 2 seems to encroach onto the thin-black border (which mimics the stand-alone state shields).  While it's not terrible, one does start to notice such after seeing the 3rd consecutive MA 225 shield.   

If MA wasn't using the narrow black strip border for its BGS shields, then the Series D 225 numerals would fit better (assuming that the shield width is standard for 3-digit routes).

IMHO, Series C font should have been used for the 225 numerals since there's no 1 in any of the digits.  Series D on 3-digit numbers should only be used/work best when there's at least a single 1 in the route number.

Roadman, was the use of Series D for the MA 225 shields spec'd in the design or did the contractor take some liberties (similar to the smallish & squeezed 95 numerals on those through-I-95 shields at the US 3 North/Middlesex Turnpike interchange Exit 32A-B)?

[massroadpatriot]

Some new BGS's going up between US-3 and Route 2 (Exits 29-32). Once they pave 128/95 and re-paint the bridges, it'll actually become a real highway.

[PHLBOS]

Once they pave 128/95 and re-paint the bridges, it'll actually become a real highway.

As opposed to a "fake" highway?   
I'm a tad confused by your comment.