AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Traffic Control => Topic started by: roadman65 on February 16, 2015, 04:05:20 PM

Title: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: roadman65 on February 16, 2015, 04:05:20 PM
I remember traveling the substandard I-70 between New Stanton and Washington, PA back in 1989 and 1990, and seeing the guardrail between the travel lanes as being box girder just like New York State uses.  Of course it stuck out as those kind of safety devices are mostly seen throughout New York, and have never seen that anywhere else let alone hundreds of miles from the Empire State.

I was wondering is there anywhere else in the United States that uses the guardrails that NYSDOT loves to still use on their roadway network either as divider or side rail?
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: cl94 on February 16, 2015, 06:53:12 PM
PA has them on PA 89 at I-90. I know a couple states out west use them.

Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont use NY-style bridge rail (either two tubes or the older 3 tube) very extensively.

Typically, NY only uses box girders for medians (fading in usage, being replaced by concrete in most cases) and locations with a steep slope, using W-beams in most locations. Box girders are almost always used in the few feet before a bridge, but tend to be relatively uncommon elsewhere.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2015, 10:24:18 PM
Box girder rails can be found at some places in the District of Columbia.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: roadfro on February 19, 2015, 10:53:28 PM
I'm not familiar with these "box girder" guard rails. Can someone post a picture?
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: KEK Inc. on February 20, 2015, 12:06:22 AM
Quote from: roadfro on February 19, 2015, 10:53:28 PM
I'm not familiar with these "box girder" guard rails. Can someone post a picture?

Just go on Google Maps and drop a pin anywhere guardrails would be (approaches to bridges, tight curves, etc.)

https://goo.gl/maps/3s1pG
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: route17fan on February 20, 2015, 01:51:06 PM
I have observed box girder guide rails in Wyoming. Specifically, US 89 southbound coming out of Grand Teton National Park near Jackson and US 30 in Wyoming.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 20, 2015, 06:47:33 PM
I-66 in D.C. westbound approaching the T. Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River has them (http://goo.gl/maps/FaVrK) on the right.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: roadfro on February 21, 2015, 12:34:53 AM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on February 20, 2015, 12:06:22 AM
Quote from: roadfro on February 19, 2015, 10:53:28 PM
I'm not familiar with these "box girder" guard rails. Can someone post a picture?

Just go on Google Maps and drop a pin anywhere guardrails would be (approaches to bridges, tight curves, etc.)

https://goo.gl/maps/3s1pG

I've never seen those before. We don't have those in Nevada.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: KEK Inc. on February 21, 2015, 02:28:30 AM
Yea I don't recall seeing any anywhere in the far west.


iPhone
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: roadman65 on February 21, 2015, 02:58:00 PM
Quote from: roadfro on February 21, 2015, 12:34:53 AM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on February 20, 2015, 12:06:22 AM
Quote from: roadfro on February 19, 2015, 10:53:28 PM
I'm not familiar with these "box girder" guard rails. Can someone post a picture?

Just go on Google Maps and drop a pin anywhere guardrails would be (approaches to bridges, tight curves, etc.)

https://goo.gl/maps/3s1pG

I've never seen those before. We don't have those in Nevada.
Just like many places in the east do not use ceramic buttons for pavement markings like the west does.

Not knocking them, but just saying box girder guard rails are like them, they are chosen by the agency of the area and not a thing that caught on.  The buttons instead of striping are because NVDOT says they last longer than ordinary paint on the pavements, so that is why Southern Nevada uses them.  NVDOT also says they do not use them in the north, so that may be why those are not adopted in other states for the reason they stated (as the email from NVDOT was so long ago I cannot remember why they do not use them in the northern part of the state) prevail elsewhere.
Title: Re: New York Box Girder guard rails outside the Empire State
Post by: dfwmapper on February 21, 2015, 04:09:43 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on February 21, 2015, 02:58:00 PM
NVDOT also says they do not use them in the north, so that may be why those are not adopted in other states for the reason they stated (as the email from NVDOT was so long ago I cannot remember why they do not use them in the northern part of the state) prevail elsewhere.
Snowplows damage them or scrape them off entirely.