Old-style gantries still in use

[lepidopteran]

Speaking of I-95/I-495, here's one that comes to mind that (I think) is the last of its kind left in Maryland:  The exit 27 ramp divide between I-95 north and the Weigh Station/Park & Ride.

There used to be more on I-95 north at the southern I-695 interchange, but these were replaced in 2019 with some sharp-looking (IMHO), non-clearview signs on box truss.

One more of them remains at the I-95/495 interchange as of 4 days ago:
https://goo.gl/maps/7Ni3YeRSPMQfyqJBA  and

There is also a single-sign, cantilever version on each end of the MD-212 overpass, pointing to the loop ramps.

[plain]

I was thinking about the demise of the famous New Jersey Turnpike "art-deco" gantries southbound at Exit 6 and eastbound on the nearby Turnpike Extension and I found myself wondering how many older-style gantries are still out there.

BTW, the style does still exist for the NJ Turnpike at NJ 139.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/59ARTxuJwHifJri57

You know what would be a cool idea?  When the New Jersey Turnpike goes AET, they should build replicas of these for the toll gantries.

I would absolutely go along with this!! Wow

[DrSmith]

Some old ones remain on I-95 through Milford, CT
https://goo.gl/maps/Csttz3XC4H5n6kgW6
https://goo.gl/maps/WeTcsq3Rx5Rru3tu6
https://goo.gl/maps/JnofaE8wjLHUf1bJ7
https://goo.gl/maps/K4ecrV8Df8Kmvpt38

[fwydriver405]

There's a couple on the Northern Expy on I-93 in Somerville/Boston:

SB: 1, 2, 3, 4

NB: 1, 2, 3, 4

And a few on Route 99 as well:

1, 2

[1995hoo]

I was thinking about the demise of the famous New Jersey Turnpike "art-deco" gantries southbound at Exit 6 and eastbound on the nearby Turnpike Extension and I found myself wondering how many older-style gantries are still out there.

BTW, the style does still exist for the NJ Turnpike at NJ 139.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/59ARTxuJwHifJri57

You know what would be a cool idea?  When the New Jersey Turnpike goes AET, they should build replicas of these for the toll gantries.

I would absolutely go along with this!! Wow

I second that. Great idea.

[Revive 755]

However, they're not exclusive to the Windy City, as they can also be seen elsewhere in IL, such as this one at the south end of I-39 near Bloomington:

Were the vierendeel designs really one the first type of gantries used or was it more of a fad?

The I-255/IL 255 corridor in Illinois, included the somewhat recently completed section near Godfrey, only uses vierendel gantries.

[paulthemapguy]

Were the vierendeel designs really one the first type of gantries used or was it more of a fad?

The I-255/IL 255 corridor in Illinois, included the somewhat recently completed section near Godfrey, only uses vierendel gantries.

I was split on whether to post the "brown gantries with only vertical bars," as I know them.  While they haven't been used on new gantries in the Chicago area in the last 15 years AFAIK, I wasn't sure if that was enough evidence to declare them antiquated.  I just clinched IL-255 during my last Illinois daytrip a week ago, oddly enough, and I can confirm what you're saying:


IL-255X13S by Paul Drives, on Flickr

I also clinched I-290 and the IL-53 freeway extension to test out my new dashcam, and that section of freeway has lots of these gantries:


IL-053X7N by Paul Drives, on Flickr

In fact, one of the ways you can tell the old section of IL-390 from the new one, is that the old section has the brown gantries mentioned in this thread, whereas the new section uses gray commonplace gantries used nowadays.

[Brandon]

Were the vierendeel designs really one the first type of gantries used or was it more of a fad?

The I-255/IL 255 corridor in Illinois, included the somewhat recently completed section near Godfrey, only uses vierendel gantries.

I was split on whether to post the "brown gantries with only vertical bars," as I know them.  While they haven't been used on new gantries in the Chicago area in the last 15 years AFAIK, I wasn't sure if that was enough evidence to declare them antiquated.  I just clinched IL-255 during my last Illinois daytrip a week ago, oddly enough, and I can confirm what you're saying:

IDOT started using them in the 1980s and stopped sometime just before 2000.  Oddly enough, they coincide with IDOT's button copy period.  Of the districts to employ them, District 1 was a big user, and even sized the signs to be all the same height a la CalTrans on these gantries. District 8 used them on I-255, and there's a few around Bloomington-Normal.  The other districts and ISTHA did not use them as far as I can tell.

I wouldn't include them here as "old-style gantries" as they only date to the early 80s at the earliest.

[mcmc]

I was split on whether to post the "brown gantries with only vertical bars," as I know them.  While they haven't been used on new gantries in the Chicago area in the last 15 years AFAIK, I wasn't sure if that was enough evidence to declare them antiquated.

Why did this type of gantry fall out of favor everywhere? I always found them very attractive. Not to mention that they added a distinctive look to the highways of the urban areas that used them.

[jay8g]

Vancouver, the land of things that don't follow WSDOT standards, has quite a few of these square-tube arched monotubes, which seem to have evolved into WSDOT's standard square monotubes (though Vancouver also used round-tube arched ones for a brief time). Speaking of the Vancouver area not following standards, WSDOT also installed a brand-new old-style truss gantry on a project there a few years back, despite the same project installing a bunch of standard monotubes.

A similar design to the Vancouver arched monotube gantries was also used in a couple locations in Wenatchee, strangely enough.

And while the space-age gantries on SR 99 are sadly gone now (about the only thing I miss about the Alaskan Way Viaduct), this very old gantry still remains on Aurora approaching the north end of the tunnel, though stripped of all of its signs. 

[webny99]

I personally prefer the trusses because the monotubes look too clean. I know, intellectually, that the monotubes are designed to hold the weight of a sign. But visually, from a design standpoint, a single pole 'feels' too flimsy, like the sign is going to tip over backward off the back of the gantry or slip off of it.

Yeah, I agree. Trusses are much more classy, and I've been disappointed to see some monotubes appearing in the Buffalo area in the past few years.

[ErmineNotyours]

Vancouver, the land of things that don't follow WSDOT standards, has quite a few of these square-tube arched monotubes, which seem to have evolved into WSDOT's standard square monotubes (though Vancouver also used round-tube arched ones for a brief time). Speaking of the Vancouver area not following standards, WSDOT also installed a brand-new old-style truss gantry on a project there a few years back, despite the same project installing a bunch of standard monotubes.

A similar design to the Vancouver arched monotube gantries was also used in a couple locations in Wenatchee, strangely enough.

And while the space-age gantries on SR 99 are sadly gone now (about the only thing I miss about the Alaskan Way Viaduct), this very old gantry still remains on Aurora approaching the north end of the tunnel, though stripped of all of its signs.

I thought WSDOT was finally coming to its senses and resuming the use of truss gantries, at least here for photo toll equipment.  Alas, it was short lived and they moved the equipment further west and on monotubes.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/D4u2ErPrHJbvvLhG9

This one on Boyle Plaza in Jersey City, NJ still exists.

[Mergingtraffic]

Speaking of I-95/I-495, here's one that comes to mind that (I think) is the last of its kind left in Maryland:  The exit 27 ramp divide between I-95 north and the Weigh Station/Park & Ride.

There used to be more on I-95 north at the southern I-695 interchange, but these were replaced in 2019 with some sharp-looking (IMHO), non-clearview signs on box truss.

One more of them remains at the I-95/495 interchange as of 4 days ago:
https://goo.gl/maps/7Ni3YeRSPMQfyqJBA  and

D'oh!  I've been thru that interchange so many times, I don't know how I forgot about the southbound one when typing my above post.

But yes, make that 2 of those gantries still kicking!  That gantry must have been SHA's preferred style during the time period the "between the beltways" segment was constructed.

Was there ever a sign on the right most part of the gantry?

[Pink Jazz]

The new Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in the Phoenix area uses a unique style of truss gantry for most signs (except DMS which use monotubes).  My guess this was the design-builder's choice, since all new ADOT projects since then continue to use monotubes.

[EpicRoadways]

What's the financial side of all of this like? I'm assuming Monotubes are more expensive than most truss designs? I know that a lot of it depends on project/sign specifics like length, height, aesthetic factors, etc. but I'm just wondering in general.

[SkyPesos]

What's the financial side of all of this like? I'm assuming Monotubes are more expensive than most truss designs? I know that a lot of it depends on project/sign specifics like length, height, aesthetic factors, etc. but I'm just wondering in general.

Ohio only installed a couple of monotubes on I-75 in the Toledo area, but otherwise, even with newer setups, are all truss designs. Those monotubes are also home to the only APL signs in the state.

ODOT District 2 in general does some things differently from the rest of the state; it's also the only place where there isn't a .0 for whole miles on the blue enhanced mile markers.