AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Great Lakes and Ohio Valley => Topic started by: Truvelo on November 17, 2016, 02:40:34 PM

Title: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Truvelo on November 17, 2016, 02:40:34 PM
What is happening to gantries throughout Ohio? I've really only started to notice this when comparing the pictures I posted on the take it yourself route number challenge game elsewhere on this forum to what's there now. They are now a simple BGS mounted at low level. It's a great shame because most of them had button copy.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Bitmapped on November 18, 2016, 07:39:00 AM
Can you give some specific examples? If anything, Ohio has generally been moving signs overhead as they widen Interstates to 6 lanes.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: busman_49 on November 18, 2016, 07:57:03 AM
In kind of the same vein, I noticed in the past few months, the 75 south to 275 east signage went from this (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2909135,-84.4422021,3a,75y,188.44h,94.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW7vV7nw9Kd6WHwJ9RIMawQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) to this (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2909494,-84.4422495,3a,43.7y,188.44h,94.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3B7Z4CEKKvD4XXpONNxikw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Truvelo on November 18, 2016, 01:22:55 PM
Here's an example and the modern view is here https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.5761895,-83.0741277,3a,75y,14.58h,92.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1slNKjjasIZ-Dl70_QRp05Eg!2e0!5s20160101T000000!7i13312!8i6656

There's several on I-70 which have also received similar treatment.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedcam.uk%2Fd70%2Foh95.jpg&hash=15eacab5585a4b99eb5f55f9cba0aed465a64e27)
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: roadman on November 18, 2016, 01:51:54 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on November 18, 2016, 01:22:55 PM
the modern view is here https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.5761895,-83.0741277,3a,75y,14.58h,92.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1slNKjjasIZ-Dl70_QRp05Eg!2e0!5s20160101T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Somebody from ODOT needs to be retrained on the concept of minimum spacing between guide signs on freeways.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: thenetwork on November 18, 2016, 06:47:37 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on November 18, 2016, 07:57:03 AM
In kind of the same vein, I noticed in the past few months, the 75 south to 275 east signage went from this (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2909135,-84.4422021,3a,75y,188.44h,94.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW7vV7nw9Kd6WHwJ9RIMawQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) to this (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2909494,-84.4422495,3a,43.7y,188.44h,94.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3B7Z4CEKKvD4XXpONNxikw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).

Considering that the I-275 East sign is on a "temporary" wooden assembly, my guess is that it is only temporary.  Perhaps there was a problem with that particular sign support on the bridge which necessitated the immediate moving of said sign.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: 6a on November 18, 2016, 07:47:11 PM
Aren't signs on bridges a no-no now? I know at least in Columbus, when new signs have gone up, bridge mounted ones were placed elsewhere.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: hbelkins on November 18, 2016, 08:18:00 PM
Quote from: 6a on November 18, 2016, 07:47:11 PM
Aren't signs on bridges a no-no now? I know at least in Columbus, when new signs have gone up, bridge mounted ones were placed elsewhere.

They're being discouraged, but I don't know whether or not they've been banned outright.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: amroad17 on November 18, 2016, 10:43:34 PM
There could be issues with structural integrity with the overhead gantries.  Some of these have been exposed to the elements for 40-50 years.

The I-275 sign mentioned above did have an issue with the support on the bridge.  When or if it will be placed back up there, who knows?  It would probably be better to stay ground-mounted--if the permanent posts are ever installed.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Bitmapped on November 19, 2016, 10:20:18 AM
Looking at GMSV in 2007, the overhead for the SR 95 was starting to rust. It was probably original from when the Marion bypass opened in the 1960s and the galvanization had worn out. Gantries are expensive and ODOT probably figured it wasn't worth the cost of replacing it. In this case, ODOT spaced out the BGSes that used to be on the gantry which gives drivers less information to deal with at one time.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: plain on November 19, 2016, 11:47:46 AM
Virginia's been doing the same thing lately, but they're unmounting the BGSs from overpasses instead of gantries and putting them on the side of the highway
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Truvelo on November 19, 2016, 11:59:09 AM
This one has also gone and the top of the gantry is rusty. So too are the lighting poles but these still remain. The nearest one is clearly leaning to the left.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedcam.uk%2Fd70%2F88.jpg&hash=2b2c41e661769d012befa0ff83839e77c38c75ba)
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: hotdogPi on November 19, 2016, 02:22:27 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on November 19, 2016, 11:59:09 AM
This one has also gone and the top of the gantry is rusty. So too are the lighting poles but these still remain. The nearest one is clearly leaning to the left.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedcam.uk%2Fd70%2F88.jpg&hash=2b2c41e661769d012befa0ff83839e77c38c75ba)

That one's in West Virginia.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Bitmapped on November 19, 2016, 02:25:51 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on November 19, 2016, 11:59:09 AM
This one has also gone and the top of the gantry is rusty. So too are the lighting poles but these still remain. The nearest one is clearly leaning to the left.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedcam.uk%2Fd70%2F88.jpg&hash=2b2c41e661769d012befa0ff83839e77c38c75ba)

This sign was in West Virginia, not Ohio. The full-width gantry was replaced as part of a sign replacement project on I-70. There is now a cantilever gantry that just includes Exit 5 (US 40). There are still full-width overhead gantries for Exit 5A before and after this location. The sign for I-470 was redundant and added to information overload for drivers at this location.

The lighting poles at this interchange were removed as part of a lighting upgrade earlier this year. High mast lighting has been installed from this interchange east to Exit 11.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: Truvelo on November 20, 2016, 04:57:18 AM
I forgot I-70 goes through a short section of WV.

All my visits to Ohio over the last few years have been from the west so it's been while since I've driven I-70 east of Columbus. I'm going only from GSV imagery for what I assume is currently in place.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: JMoses24 on November 21, 2016, 06:07:07 PM
In Cincinnati proper, I know there have been ground mounted signs for the Hopple Street interchange. Those are now back to being overhead. I'll see if I can snag a few photos in the next couple of weeks.
Title: Re: Disappearing Ohio sign gantries
Post by: amroad17 on November 22, 2016, 03:10:47 PM
Ohio DOT is nearly finished with that section of I-75 from Harrison to the other side of I-74.  They are currently finishing paving and working on opening the Hopple to I-75 south ramp along with some work on the I-75N to I-74W ramp (which is better with the way it is set up now).  Most every overhead sign is installed.  That Hopple ground-mounted one southbound looks temporary.  Northbound, the Hopple exit signs are on sign bridge gantries.

I would not mind seeing a mileage sign between Harrison and Hopple northbound (around mile 2.8) with the following...

       Dayton     51
       Toledo    200