I-90 / Mass Pike Signing Work

[Pete from Boston]

if I was heading to Maine or Portsmouth coming from the pike I would take 495 up to 95 rather than stay on the pike to 95/128.

When I went to Kittery from Nashua las year I went down to 495 to 95 then up 95 to Maine.

Yes, but we are talking about heading westbound from basically Boston, before the exit for 95/128.  It would make as much sense to use 495 to get to Providence from there as it would to get to Portsmouth–i.e.., not a lot.

[RobbieL2415]

if I was heading to Maine or Portsmouth coming from the pike I would take 495 up to 95 rather than stay on the pike to 95/128.

When I went to Kittery from Nashua las year I went down to 495 to 95 then up 95 to Maine.

If you're in a toll pinch you could do I-190 - > I-290 - > I-495.

[mariethefoxy]

if I was heading to Maine or Portsmouth coming from the pike I would take 495 up to 95 rather than stay on the pike to 95/128.

When I went to Kittery from Nashua las year I went down to 495 to 95 then up 95 to Maine.

Yes, but we are talking about heading westbound from basically Boston, before the exit for 95/128.  It would make as much sense to use 495 to get to Providence from there as it would to get to Portsmouth–i.e.., not a lot.

oh that direction it doesnt make sense. Shoulda went with Lowell and Taunton in that direction since a lot of the signage from other exits on 495 use Lowell as a northbound control city, at least from what I remember from getting off the highway in Hopkinton and Acton.

[PHLBOS]

IMHO, the I-95 & I-495 BGS legends for westbound I-90 should list more local cities (Waltham/Dedham for I-95, Lowell/Taunton for I-495) and the legends for eastbound I-90 would list the more distant cities (Portsmouth, NH/Providence, RI for I-95 & Portsmouth, NH/Bourne for I-495).

[bob7374]

Question for Roadman. It's now been over 6 months since the notice to proceed was given to the first I-90 re-signing project, and a couple months since the winner for the second project was announced. Based on information from the MassDOT project listings, it appears work has not started on the first contract nor a notice to proceed issued for the second. Is this due to the renewed debate within in the agency about switching to milepost based numbers, issues with the contractor, or something else?

Update. The Notice to Proceed was issued today (5/10) for the second I-90 contract. No Resident Engineer is listed for the project yet, however, nor completion date.

[roadman]

Question for Roadman. It's now been over 6 months since the notice to proceed was given to the first I-90 re-signing project, and a couple months since the winner for the second project was announced. Based on information from the MassDOT project listings, it appears work has not started on the first contract nor a notice to proceed issued for the second. Is this due to the renewed debate within in the agency about switching to milepost based numbers, issues with the contractor, or something else?

No.  The renewed debate about exit re-numbering is not delaying work on either of the I-90 signing contracts.

Final survey work and soil borings for new OH structures have begun on the West Stockbridge to Auburn project.  Once the survey and soil borings are completed, the fabricator will prepare design drawings and calculations for review and approval by MassDOT.

As far as the exit numbers go, the new signs will be fabricated with sufficient width to accept the mileage-based numbers.  The contractor will be informed of which numbers to use (sequential or mile-based) prior to submission of the sign face drawings for approval.  This is similar to the new requirement that was included in the Addendum for the I-495 Raynham to Bolton project.

[AMLNet49]

The part I don't get is that the Feds seem to be backing off this. I was under the impression that the reason the mileage based project was moving so quickly was because of federal pressure, and the offer for federal funding to pay for the conversion. In that case, wouldn't federal funding superceed local opposition? I would think that if the state made the public aware of the fact that the Feds are paying for this, they would be more likely to accept the idea with a shrug and say "oh okay whatever the state doesn't have to pay for it".

[vdeane]

This is what I was afraid of... I wouldn't be surprised if it's another decade before mile-based numbers show up in MA.  It's getting to the point where the federal government is going to have to call in the military to force the remaining sequentially numbered roads changed at gunpoint.

[PHLBOS]

FWIW & I'm not 100% sure when the below-Wiki Write-Up on the matter was posted; but see below:

Massachusetts and New Hampshire are among the states still using sequential numbering that initially requested a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration to retain sequential exit numbering system indefinitely. This request was denied by FHWA.

Link for Above-Quote

[bob7374]

Question for Roadman. It's now been over 6 months since the notice to proceed was given to the first I-90 re-signing project, and a couple months since the winner for the second project was announced. Based on information from the MassDOT project listings, it appears work has not started on the first contract nor a notice to proceed issued for the second. Is this due to the renewed debate within in the agency about switching to milepost based numbers, issues with the contractor, or something else?

No.  The renewed debate about exit re-numbering is not delaying work on either of the I-90 signing contracts.

Final survey work and soil borings for new OH structures have begun on the West Stockbridge to Auburn project.  Once the survey and soil borings are completed, the fabricator will prepare design drawings and calculations for review and approval by MassDOT.

As far as the exit numbers go, the new signs will be fabricated with sufficient width to accept the mileage-based numbers.  The contractor will be informed of which numbers to use (sequential or mile-based) prior to submission of the sign face drawings for approval.  This is similar to the new requirement that was included in the Addendum for the I-495 Raynham to Bolton project.

Any estimate as to how long it will be before the contractors are notified as to which numbers to use?

[bob7374]

Question for Roadman. It's now been over 6 months since the notice to proceed was given to the first I-90 re-signing project, and a couple months since the winner for the second project was announced. Based on information from the MassDOT project listings, it appears work has not started on the first contract nor a notice to proceed issued for the second. Is this due to the renewed debate within in the agency about switching to milepost based numbers, issues with the contractor, or something else?

Update. The Notice to Proceed was issued today (5/10) for the second I-90 contract. No Resident Engineer is listed for the project yet, however, nor completion date.

Further update (5/13), the second I-90 project page has been updated with a completion date of Spring 2018. Meanwhile, the W. Stockbridge to Auburn page has finally been updated with a completion date of Autumn 2017 and 3% of the work completed.

[bob7374]

Since I had to travel the Mass Pike from Weston to the NY border to attend the Capital District Road Meet in Albany on Saturday, I took notes along the way on any progress seen on the I-90 sign replacement contracts. From the 7% complete listing for the western project and nothing for the eastern, I wasn't expecting to see much, but there were some things to note.

On the eastern section, the only evidence for the project were orange tags placed by the contractor, Liddell Bros., to mark future sign locations, such as here for the 1-Mile Advance for MA 9 in Framingham:


These tags, however, only were placed between I-95 and I-495.

In the western project area there were no indications of any sign project at all. The only contract related work that could be seen were the placement of the new 2/10 mile reference posts, and these were only seen starting at Mile 40 westward. Here's one of the few right-hand markers, the rest were in the center median, where there is an older cement median just east of the Westfield River:


These markers are not of the design depicted in the project plans, the same as on all other MA interstates, but have larger vertical numbering.

The only new signs seen on the Pike were the new MassDOT 'Go Time' travel time signs, and not all of them have been placed yet. Here's the sign approaching I-495 westbound:


Photos of other new travel time signs on the Pike and I-95/128 taken on Saturday 9/24 can be found in Section B of the Misc. Massachusetts Sign page:
http://www.gribblenation.net/mass21/miscsigns.html

[southshore720]

Did they finally replace the signage inside the Prudential Tunnel for Exit 22?  I seemed to notice that they were brighter and more reflective, but were "in-kind" replacements...

[bob7374]

On my trip along the Pike out to Ludlow and back yesterday, I saw little progress in starting the sign replacement contracts over what I saw 2 weeks ago. I did spot additional orange tags put up by Liddell Bros. to mark future sign post locations. They are now as far west as Exit 11 in Millbury.

While no new signage, I did get a photo of the new shields on the existing Exit 10 signage in Auburn:

[KEVIN_224]

Has the big pullthrough sign been fixed at Exit 10 itself in Auburn? The shields on that sign eastbound are (were?) horribly faded!

[AMLNet49]

Has the big pullthrough sign been fixed at Exit 10 itself in Auburn? The shields on that sign eastbound are (were?) horribly faded!

Yes the shields on that sign have been replaced. So grab a picture of the old MassPike shield with nice shields while they last.

[bob7374]

Has the big pullthrough sign been fixed at Exit 10 itself in Auburn? The shields on that sign eastbound are (were?) horribly faded!

Yes the shields on that sign have been replaced. So grab a picture of the old MassPike shield with nice shields while they last.

Here's a photo of that sign:

[cl94]

It's still there? Wow. I was shocked to see it when I went through there in August. Is it the last one in the wild?

[KEVIN_224]

"Memories"...back on September 22, 2015:

[bob7374]

From scanning the MassDOT project listings, the I-90 W. Stockbridge to Auburn signing project is now listed as 30% complete. Looks like they'll need to push to finish the project by the listed Fall 2017 completion date. The Auburn to Boston project has been listed at 8% complete for at least a couple months. I hope to get a chance to drive the Pike soon, at least east of Worcester, to see what progress has been made there.

[shadyjay]

When I travelled the 'Pike last month from the NY line to Exit 6, the only new signs were mile markers... that was it.  Didn't see any new foundations or markers for new overheads.  So 30% complete seems like a stretch IMHO. 

[AMLNet49]

They have replaced all the auxiliary signs at most interchanges west of 495 (both on the ramps and on the mainline). They have also replaced speed limit signs. All the new signs (except the BGS directionals at intersections) use the new single breakaway post design that MassDOT has shifted toward. They all in all look quite good, but none of the BGS signage has even remotely begun installation.

[Beeper1]

Foundations for the BGS supports have begun to be installed in western MA.  There are a number of locations between Lee and Sturbridge where footings have been poured or the excavations for them have been dug.

[roadman]

Just to remind those here commenting on the progress of MassPike sign work.  The I-90 sign replacements are being done in two separate contracts:  NY line to I-290/I-395 in Auburn, and Route 146 in Millbury to Allston-Brighton interchange in Boston.  There are also two different contractors - RoadSafe Traffic Systems of Avon, MA is doing the western contract, and Liddell Brothers of Halifax, MA is doing the eastern contract.  Also note that, at some locations, some BGS work is either being done under the legacy toll plaza demo contracts, or has been deferred until full completion of the demo contracts.

[jpdailey14]

I noticed yesterday that the gore signs at the Charlton Rest Area were replaced.  Interestingly, they are now in mixed case.