I-40 in North Carolina has many entrance ramps gates specifically to assist in hurricane evacuations, particularly for when the [southbound] lanes need to be reversed. These gates have been used on several occasions to assist with detours when I-40 has been flooded (usually from these same hurricanes). Some other uses for these gates are for other types of reversible lanes and exits to/from event centers not normally open to the public (such as Wolf Trap on the Dulles Toll Road and formerly on the exit for the North Wilkesboro Speedway).
Anyhow, this post from the SWPenn thread (Ohio Valley board) is the first one where I have ever seen gates to be used specifically for accident management. [Joke about tunnel vision at Squirrel Hill withheld].
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on May 24, 2022, 07:37:56 PM
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2022/05/23/penndot-parkway-east-traffic-improvements-variable-speed-limits-message-boards/stories/202205230094
Some traffic improvements are coming to the Parkway East (I-376) in Pittsburgh. Improvements include more message boards and warning signs about lane closures; gates to close entrance ramps so vehicles don't get trapped behind accidents; and variable speed limits to reduce rear-end collisions when free-flowing traffic approaches congestion.
Are there other locations where exit/entrance ramps are equipped with gates for accident management or other unusual situations? Are any of them automated? (For purposes of this thread, it is OK to list any gates that fit the other situations that I've listed above).
Pretty common in northern areas, to close the highway due to snowfall.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on May 26, 2022, 11:50:21 AMAre there other locations where exit/entrance ramps are equipped with gates for accident management or other unusual situations? Are any of them automated? (For purposes of this thread, it is OK to list any gates that fit the other situations that I've listed above).
The Kennedy Expressway in Chicago has reversible express lanes and access is controlled using gates. Ditto for I-395 inside the Capital Beltway. I wouldn't this process can be automated, since, in order to reverse the lanes, you'd have to close the gates to all traffic, wait until the stretch of road is clear, and then open the gates going in the opposite direction.
I-94 between the Wisconsin state line and Milwaukee has entrance/exit ramp gates similar to the ones along the coast that are used for contraflow operations, although I'm not sure what they're used for.
Quote from: kphoger on May 26, 2022, 11:54:38 AM
Pretty common in northern areas, to close the highway due to snowfall.
And in Wyoming, especially, winds.
That said, there are no gates on I-49 in Louisiana even though it gets closed on a regular basis. They just put up some barricades.
I'm pretty sure every interstate entrance ramp in Wisconsin has a gate.
Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 26, 2022, 03:50:36 PM
I'm pretty sure every interstate entrance ramp in Wisconsin has a gate.
Well, not all of them. This one (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4994511,-87.8288908,3a,15y,310.31h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNLlleL4e7I1qjmkxo3yTsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192), for example, has regular barricades like I mentioned about I-49 in Louisiana.
I've seen them on I-35 in Iowa and Minnesota. I know I-70 in western Kansas has some as well.
These 'blizzard gates' are S.O.P. through the upper midwest and high plains. They allow the highway o be quickly closed whenever the need arises. WisDOT installed them statewide about ten years ago, too.
Mike
Example in northwestern Kansas: https://goo.gl/maps/yYU56x99o8JLbecm7
Does Iowa still have gates somewhere that go across the entire mainline I-35 roadway?
I's 64 and 264 use them at key ramps in the VA Beach/Hampton Roads area.
Don't know of any permanent installations in New England.
I-16 has them in eastern Georgia for hurricane evacuations.
Oak Brook, IL, also has the time-of-day barriers on the ramp from EB Roosevelt Road (IL-38) to the EB Eisenhower (I-290).
Closed: https://goo.gl/maps/d1VxhPuQrmTyRHR98
Open: https://goo.gl/maps/S7LxRZgKCJfB4tY29
I just finished a road trip that included driving across southern Ontario and Québec, from the Blue Water Bridge, to Ottawa, to Magog QC (surprisingly cute destination).
Yesterday morning, I hopped off ON 417 for a few minutes, to connect to a Teams meeting for work, and noticed that ramp gates seemed to be a standard feature: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3247054,-74.9841509,3a,49.2y,242.45h,81.3t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqY3xSQt3xOCQSR-gyJDnvw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DqY3xSQt3xOCQSR-gyJDnvw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D117.971375%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192