Recent posts

#21

Northeast / Re: Massachusetts

Last post by bob7374 - Today at 01:12:27 PM

Notice to Proceed was given to the sign replacement contract for MA 140 between Freetown and Taunton on July 2. I've updated information on this and all other current MassDOT sign replacement projects at:
https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/signprojectlist.html

#22

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Update on I-69 Extension i...

Last post by Rick Powell - Today at 12:53:32 PM

Those piers are for the viaducts that will carry I-69 over the Ohio River floodplain. That area in particular is very prone to flooding whenever there is prolonged rainfall or spring snowmelt, so it makes sense to elevate the highway so it's not shut down every spring when the river floods.

It's not so much the potential flooding on the I-69 pavement that requires a bridge section in the floodplain; INDOT could have built the bridge approaches on a high fill far above the potential flood elevation, and probably cheaper than a land bridge. But by doing so, they would likely cause backwater that would endanger the surrounding properties during flood events. Meeting the floodplain permit requirements for design and construction of I-69 was likely the biggest influence on what is being built.

#23

General Highway Talk / Re: XY Challenge

Last post by paulthemapguy - Today at 12:35:52 PM

July 11: Post the junction of a US highway with a 1 in the tens place and a different US highway with a 1 in the tens place.

Let's quote a post where I wrote the criteria correctly...heh heh.

US12 and US18 in Cambridge, WI


WI-US12-US18ENA by Paul Across America, on Flickr

US13 and US17 in Windsor, NC


NC-US17-US64NS by Paul Across America, on Flickr

US11 and US15 near Duncannon, PA


IMG_6090 by Paul Across America, on Flickr

The next few days:
July 12: Post the junction of a US highway with a 1 in the tens place and a US highway with a 2 in the tens place.
July 13: Post the junction of a US highway with a 1 in the tens place and a US highway with a 3 in the tens place.
July 14: Post the junction of a US highway with a 1 in the tens place and a US highway with a 4 in the tens place.

#24

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by kphoger - Today at 12:18:33 PM

When there's one stripe or dashed line, it should be at the center.  When there are two stripes, the center of the road should be between them.

How is this possible?

To clarify my question:  In order to both have a single line centered and also have two parallel lines straddle the center, isn't a three-head sprayer still required?

With typical two-head sprayers, you end up with something like this, where the single dashed line is off of center.

#25

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by GaryV - Today at 11:59:22 AM

Although if there are any three-head center line paint sprayers in use today, they have to be ancient. The dashed white line hasn't been a thing in 50 years.

But if they just load yellow paint in all 3 hoppers ...

#26

Traffic Control / Re: Normally covered/dark/blan...

Last post by kphoger - Today at 11:47:10 AM

Nope. If the sign was folded down, that meant that there was a truck already on the ramp and no other trucks could use it until the truck already using the ramp was cleared away.

Sounds to me like the ramps are in use, but the trucks aren't.

#27

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by hbelkins - Today at 11:45:07 AM

That striping technique hails from the days when the dashed line was required to be white.

... although I'm not old enough to remember it actually being a thing.

I am. First time I ever saw only two yellow lines with no white line was returning from a family vacation to North Carolina in the very late 60s or early 70s. It was on US 23 in Virginia, just north of the Tennessee state line.

Although if there are any three-head center line paint sprayers in use today, they have to be ancient. The dashed white line hasn't been a thing in 50 years.

#28

Pacific Southwest / Re: I-15/Tropicana interchange...

Last post by mrsman - Today at 11:35:35 AM

but they do generally encourage buses on the HOV lanes.

Buses in CA *love* the HOV lanes. Even outside of HOV hours, buses will camp in the left lane holding up traffic (at least here in the Bay Area). It might be that it's safer for them to use the far lane like that rather than a middle lane where they have to contend with traffic on both sides.

Not only in CA.  Same in WA.

In many states buses are permitted to ride the HOV lane even if they are empty of passengers (i.e. the driver is the only person present and he is running empty before or after completing a shift and heading back to the bus yard.)

[trucks]

#29

Traffic Control / Re: Normally covered/dark/blan...

Last post by hbelkins - Today at 11:35:07 AM

WVDOH used to have flip-down parts of signs for runaway truck ramps that could be used to show when the trucks were in use. They even welded stairs onto the support posts to facilitate workers flipping the sign down: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8DT5N67Fb6QdYeVe7

WVDOH stopped using this style of sign at least a decade ago. New signs no longer have the ability to mark the escape ramp as in use and no longer have the ladder.

typo?

Nope. If the sign was folded down, that meant that there was a truck already on the ramp and no other trucks could use it until the truck already using the ramp was cleared away.

#30

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Ohio

Last post by GCrites - Today at 11:23:44 AM

The Turnpike was strategically placed to avoid population centers in an effort to whisk vehicles across the state as quickly as possible. That's why it seems so desolate. I don't even feel like I'm in Ohio when I am on it. The only other major road that makes me feel like that is the Portsmouth Bypass which makes me think I'm in Kentucky.