Highway project scale models

[kurumi]

We were in Henderson, Nevada some years ago, and at City Hall was a scale model -- about 6 feet wide -- of the planned I-215/I-515 interchange:



Are these still common for highway projects, or are online simulations replacing them?

What happens to them after the display period is over? Do any of you collect them?

[slorydn1]

I wish I still had easy access to the picture I took of the Neuse River Bridge model that sat in the lobby of the Sheraton (now Hilton) here in New Bern during the winter of 1994-1995. If I can ever locate it again in the mess of film pictures my wife has buried in the attic I'll post a copy of it.

[roadman]

Not sure if it's still there, but the lobby of the MassDOT District 6 office on Kneeland Street in Boston had a presentation model of the Big Dig project.  This building was previously the headquarters offices of the Bechtel/Parsons Brinkerhoff CA/T management team, hense the model in the lobby.

[DaBigE]

Wisconsin still builds scale models for most of the bigger projects, but has also added drivers' perspective simulations as well. No clue as to what happens to them afterwards. The fact that 3D surfaces are now becoming a project deliverable has made making simulations much easier than they used to be.

[colinstu]

http://fox6now.com/2015/02/17/i-94-east-west-preferred-alternative/
video including scale model created recently for WI

[Henry]

They still do that? This being the 21st century, I thought they would all be gone and replaced by video simulations.

[Zeffy]

I still wonder how they make the video simulations.

[sipes23]

They still do that? This being the 21st century, I thought they would all be gone and replaced by video simulations.

I'd imagine they'd be easier to make with 3D printing and all.

Also, I'm the sort of dinosaur that needs to see it in realspace to get a better handle on it, and I doubt I'm alone in this. I suspect these models will continue to be made.

[jeffandnicole]

A video simulation is great for presenting to an audience at one time, or on the web via youtube videos.  But for an exhibit-type setting where you can't always have a video running continuously, scale models are an excellent alternative.

Even in a 3D image, you can only view what they are showing you, unless you have the ultimate control over the image on the screen and that's extremely rare for someone to provide.  With a model, you can look at every angle.

[DaBigE]

I still wonder how they make the video simulations.

In many cases, in a program such as 3D Studio Max. For instance, as WisDOT is migrating to Civil3D for their design work, one of the deliverables includes a 3D surface. Once you have the surface, it's mainly a matter of colorizing it and adding objects (cars, signs, etc.). Some traffic analysis software (e.g., VISSIM, Synchro) can do some fairly nice video simulations as well (not nearly the quality of a program like 3D Studio). My company has done a few videos before, mainly in VISSIM, but shortly we will be migrating to 3D Studio.

[mgk920]

http://fox6now.com/2015/02/17/i-94-east-west-preferred-alternative/
video including scale model created recently for WI

WisDOT also has a *fantastic* model of the US(I)-41/I-43/WI 29 upgrades in the Green Bay area, it's on public display in the lobby of their project office located in the former Circuit City store building on Mason St (WI 32/54) just east of US(I)-41 in Green Bay.  I tried everything to be able to have the group view it during the afternoon of last September's roadgeek meet tour and would have been able to with more notice (one of their guys was able to show it at about 10am, but that was a bit early for that Saturday).

I'll definitely try to have it open for the next meet.

Mike

[vdeane]

I'm pretty sure Region 4 still has a scale model of the Can of Worms (I-490/I-590/NY 590), complete with the second rail line that was abandoned before the project went to construction, in their basement somewhere.

[cl94]

I still wonder how they make the video simulations.

In many cases, in a program such as 3D Studio Max. For instance, as WisDOT is migrating to Civil3D for their design work, one of the deliverables includes a 3D surface. Once you have the surface, it's mainly a matter of colorizing it and adding objects (cars, signs, etc.). Some traffic analysis software (e.g., VISSIM, Synchro) can do some fairly nice video simulations as well (not nearly the quality of a program like 3D Studio). My company has done a few videos before, mainly in VISSIM, but shortly we will be migrating to 3D Studio.

I was going to mention VISSIM. Not typically used for final stuff or presented to the public due to the lack of detail, but for research and preliminary purposes, it's great because of how easy the simulation is to make.

[cpzilliacus]

A scale model of the Springfield Interchange in Fairfax County, Va. (junction of I-95, I-395 and I-495) is exceptionally cool.

I think such a thing exists, but I do not recall where I saw it.

[DaBigE]

I still wonder how they make the video simulations.

In many cases, in a program such as 3D Studio Max. For instance, as WisDOT is migrating to Civil3D for their design work, one of the deliverables includes a 3D surface. Once you have the surface, it's mainly a matter of colorizing it and adding objects (cars, signs, etc.). Some traffic analysis software (e.g., VISSIM, Synchro) can do some fairly nice video simulations as well (not nearly the quality of a program like 3D Studio). My company has done a few videos before, mainly in VISSIM, but shortly we will be migrating to 3D Studio.

I was going to mention VISSIM. Not typically used for final stuff or presented to the public due to the lack of detail, but for research and preliminary purposes, it's great because of how easy the simulation is to make.

"Easy" is a very relative term when it comes to VISSIM. It all depends on what you're doing in VISSIM and how much time you're willing to put into it. When you combine VISSIM and SketchUp, you can get quite detailed, however, the more visual detail you add, the more it will drag down the operation of the program. You can even get a driver's perspective out of VISSIM, however, I've found the quality of that perspective to be quite iffy (there tends to be random "jiggles" in the video that are not present in the path the vehicle is following). A simulation we're doing for WisDOT for the I-39 expansion will feature a bit of this...incidentally the probably the last video that we'll produce directly out of VISSIM.

[Bruce]

I know that there's two scale models worth checking out in Seattle. WSDOT has a small, free museum called Milepost 31 dedicated to the SR 99 tunnel/Bertha project, which includes two scale models of the future tunnel. There's a real estate marketing office north of downtown called the SLU Discovery Center with a model of the entire South Lake Union neighborhood (seen in this gallery), including I-5 and the north portal of the future SR 99 tunnel.

[GCrites]

A scale model of the Springfield Interchange in Fairfax County, Va. (junction of I-95, I-395 and I-495) is exceptionally cool.

I think such a thing exists, but I do not recall where I saw it.

Maybe at the Springfield Mall?

These things are indeed super cool. Tough to store though.