Existing Wire Span Intersection Question

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

The only list of examples I can give would be for Little Rock. Is it cheaper to maintain (at some point) an existing wire span intersection than to upgrade it to a modern LED intersection?

There are many within Little Rock



How much room is generally needed to install a mast hung signal.

[roadfro]

Is it cheaper to maintain (at some point) an existing wire span intersection than to upgrade it to a modern LED intersection?

Your question doesn't make sense. You can have signal heads with LED elements on a span wire installation.

If you're asking about signal mounting via span wire versus mast arm, a span wire intersection is cheaper to install but will likely have more ongoing maintenance issues (occasional tightening of the wire, more likelihood of signal heads getting misaligned, extreme weather, etc.)

[roadman65]

I think he means the latter.  As I traveled through Arkansas I noticed very few (almost none along the US 71 corridor)so I am guessing he wants to know why the span wire in this case he pointed out.

[roadfro]

For that particular intersection, there's a mess of overhead power/utility lines with multiple poles accompanied by very narrow sidewalks on several sides. It was likely easier to string up span wire signals using existing utility poles than to try and locate a mast pole in there without really hampering use of the sidewalks and/or needing to acquire property to locate a mast pole. Note the one approach that does have a mast arm also has plenty of space for it with the sidewalk situation on that corner.

[cpzilliacus]

If plans call for a signalized intersection to become a grade-separated interchange, the state may not want to spend money to replace a span wire install with mast arms.  I know of several such intersections in Maryland, including this one, that was the scene of a fatal crash earlier this month involving a dump truck, a school bus and a car (the fatality was in the car).

The driver of the dump truck (a tractor-trailer combination dump trailer) may be facing charges, but the  County Police and the  States' Attorney have not announced any charges yet.  The Washington Post reported that the driver of the tractor-trailer ran a red signal.

Maryland legal precedent requires that drivers be charged once (and only once) with all charges after a crash.  Since this involved a fatality, the investigation (which could take weeks or months to wrap-up) has to be completed before any charging documents are written.