Interstate 95 signing work

[roadman]

In the original I-95 example in NH that triggered this thread tangent, both the signs and overhead gantries are MassDOT Spec'd.  No division of responsiblity exists in that particular installation that I'm aware of.  Roadman can confirm/correct.

Signs and structure in question were designed, installed and paid for by MassDOT.  Bureau of Turnpike's only involvement, other than entering into an agreement whereby MassDOT assumes responsibility for future maintenance and repair (if necessary) of the signs and structure, was to approve the traffic control plans and issue a work permit to MassDOT's contractor.  The one significant concession MassDOT made to Bureau of Turnpikes was to mount both signs on a single structure, instead of locating the MA 286 sign north of the I-495 diagrammatic.

[MassRoadFan95]

I-95 Newton-to-Lexington project now says 68% complete on MassDOT website.

[southshore720]

I spotted updated signage on the Exit 23/24/25 off-ramp yesterday.  Recreation Road finally receives a proper BGS!

[SidS1045]

Let's hope this pull-through is on the hit-list for this project.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xi8Jd

Yes indeed, this pull-thru at Route 2A (that should have been removed during the 1992 sign update but wasn't) will be going away for good once the new structure and signs (for 2A east and 2A west) are installed at this location.

As of Tuesday 7/1, the new structure and signs are up, placed directly in front of the old ones, so I would venture to say the old ones will be history soon.

[shadyjay]

I traveled the entire Route 128 portion of I-95 on July 12 in the early morning hours (midnight-1am).  The old I-95 pull-through is gone.  I didn't notice anything else other than what's been posted.  No pics since it was early morning and dark.  It's amazing there's no lights on Route 128 at all, especially around the southern end.  First lights I saw were up by the US Route 3 interchange. 

[MassRoadFan95]

71% complete now!

[MassRoadFan95]

Wow. This page hasn't received any new posts for over 2 weeks now. Seems like everybody seems to care more about the I-93 resigning project than this one. What is it about I-93's resigning project that's being payed attention to more than the I-95 Newton-to-Lexington sign project? I mean come on!

[bob7374]

Wow. This page hasn't received any new posts for over 2 weeks now. Seems like everybody seems to care more about the I-93 resigning project than this one. What is it about I-93's resigning project that's being payed attention to more than the I-95 Newton-to-Lexington sign project? I mean come on!

I can't speak for others, but since most of my travels are from the South Shore to Boston, it's easier for me to comment on sign replacement along roads I frequently use, than those I would have to go out of my way to drive. It's not so much due to importance, as convenience. Since you live in Lexington, it should be convenient for you to travel along I-95 and relay what's going on. Feel free to take the initiative and let us know, many here would appreciate your effort.

[KEVIN_224]

Is there anything significant signage difference from the I-93/US 1 junction in Canton, MA south to the RI border? I don't think I've been on that part of I-95 since January of 2012. I might be on that stretch tomorrow, but now 100% certain right now.

[roadman]

Is there anything significant signage difference from the I-93/US 1 junction in Canton, MA south to the RI border? I don't think I've been on that part of I-95 since January of 2012. I might be on that stretch tomorrow, but now 100% certain right now.

No.  The signing on I-95 between Canton and Attleboro has not changed since the signs were installed in 2001.  This section is not scheduled for its next signing/structure update until 2018.  However, there is a pending project to re-align and widen the exit ramp from I-95 south to I-295 south (this ramp currently has the highest number of truck rollovers in Massachusetts).  As part of this work, the new ramp will be two lanes wide, and they will be adding an auxiluary lane on I-95 south.  This will create an "option lane" situation at the exit, and will result in new BGSes at the exit (including a new pull-through sign for I-95 south) and in advance of the exit.  However, no APL or diagrammatic signs are proposed due to cost and time constraints for the ramp work - this will likely be addressed as part of the 2018 sign update.

[shadyjay]

Wow. This page hasn't received any new posts for over 2 weeks now. Seems like everybody seems to care more about the I-93 resigning project than this one. What is it about I-93's resigning project that's being payed attention to more than the I-95 Newton-to-Lexington sign project? I mean come on!

Perhaps its because I-93's project involves the replacement of button copy signage, considerably older than those on the 128....err.... 95 project.  The last sign on that project that was "of importance" has been replaced, being the pullthrough which advertised Peabody/NH-Maine. 

[spooky]

There was also a lot of debate and outright mocking of A0003423429077819742 and his ludicrous posts in the I-93 thread.

On this topic though, I had a chance to go through this segment last night and see all the new NB signs. I noticed that they are putting truck exclusion signs on the gantries over the left two lanes, similar to what has been done on I-93, with one difference. Signs on I-93 say "TRUCKS MUST USE RIGHT TWO LANES". Signs here say "TRUCKS PROHIBITED FROM LEFT TWO LANES". (I may not be exact on the wording - I was navigating stop-and-go traffic and intermittent rain)

I specifically noticed the truck prohibition sign in the section parallel to the Mass Pike ramp C-D road, where recent lane reconfiguration reduced I-95 to three NB lanes. This implies that trucks are only allowed to use the right lane, but I suspect the signs were designed and the locations determined when this was still a four-lane configuration, similar to the rest of I-95 in this area.

[roadman]

The reason the truck prohibition signs on the Southeast Expressway portion of I-93 say "Trucks Must Use Right Two Lanes" instead of "Trucks Prohibited from Left Two Lanes" is because of the moveable 'zipper' HOV lane barrier between Savin Hill and the Braintree spilt.  When the HOV lane is deployed, the opposing mainline has only three lanes instead of four.  As I-93 between Braintree and Canton, and I-95 north of Canton, don't have this condition, the more traditional "Prohibited From" signs are used on that section instead.

Although the Southeast Expressway 'zipper' lane doesn't extend all the way into Boston, it was decided to use the same "Must Use" restriction signs north of Savin Hill for simplicity.

[KEVIN_224]

This was my shot of the I-95 South gantry, crossing from Attleborough, MA into Pawtucket, RI (taken Saturday, August 16, 2014). I'm sure the RI Route 114 square is a MassDOT assembly, since the "R.I." is missing. Are the center exit tabs on top MassDOT as well?


There was a matching BBS for McCoy Stadium on I-95 North as well. The only difference is that sign said "NEXT 3 EXITS" instead of 2.

[Alps]

This was my shot of the I-95 South gantry, crossing from Attleborough, MA into Pawtucket, RI (taken Saturday, August 16, 2014). I'm sure the RI Route 114 square is a MassDOT assembly, since the "R.I." is missing. Are the center exit tabs on top MassDOT as well?

This is all RIDOT standard. They omitted RI from the shields for a number of years in the 80s-90s.

[PHLBOS]

This was my shot of the I-95 South gantry, crossing from Attleborough, MA into Pawtucket, RI (taken Saturday, August 16, 2014). I'm sure the RI Route 114 square is a MassDOT assembly, since the "R.I." is missing. Are the center exit tabs on top MassDOT as well?

That gantry & BGS' are actually located in MA (erected by the MassDPW) and date back to 1977 when center-mounted exit tabs were the MUTCD standard.

Tid-Bit: RIDOT BGS' of similar vintages erected along I-95 between the MA State Line and I-195 featured an experimental full-width, borderless exit tabs that had the text right-justified for right-lane exits and left-justified for left-lane exits (I-195/Exit 20 off I-95 South).  These tabs were also taller than the standard exit tabs of the era.

Side bar & back to MA: when are the additional lanes for I-95 (MA 128) & I-93 between MA 9 & MA 24 finally going to be completed & open?

[SidS1045]

The fourth lane is already open between MA 109 and MA 24.  The next opening, between MA 109 and Highland Avenue, is due to open next June.  I believe the last stretch, from Highland Avenue to MA 9, will take another two years beyond that.

[roadman]

Bids on the Needham to Wellesley portion of the I-95 "Add A Lane" project (also known as the "Bridge V" contract), which goes from north of Great Plain Avenue to Route 9, and includes construction of a new interchange at Kendrick Street, were just opened on July 22nd.  Barletta Heavy Equipment is the apparent low bidder.

Once the Contractor receives the notice to proceed, they have 4.5 years to complete the project.

[spooky]

Bids on the Needham to Wellesley portion of the I-95 "Add A Lane" project (also known as the "Bridge V" contract), which goes from north of Great Plain Avenue to Route 9, and includes construction of a new interchange at Kendrick Street, were just opened on July 22nd.  Barletta Heavy Equipment is the apparent low bidder.

Once the Contractor receives the notice to proceed, they have 4.5 years to complete the project.

In addition to the new interchange at Kendrick Street, I understand this project modifies the existing cloverleaf at Route 9 to eliminate loop ramps and add signals on Route 9 for left turns onto I-95/Route 128.

[PHLBOS]

In addition to the new interchange at Kendrick Street, I understand this project modifies the existing cloverleaf at Route 9 to eliminate loop ramps and add signals on Route 9 for left turns onto I-95/Route 128.

Sadly, yes; such was discussed either a few pages back on this thread or in the Massachusetts thread.  IMHO, the interchange w/MA 9 is absolutely the wrong place to make this change; there's too many lights & traffic along MA 9 as it is now and adding more left turns can increase the chances of near-head-on collisions if one either doesn't properly stop on the red signal.

Adding collector-distributor lanes along MA 9 would be a much better solution to separate the weaving entering/exiting traffic from the through-traffic.

[spooky]

In addition to the new interchange at Kendrick Street, I understand this project modifies the existing cloverleaf at Route 9 to eliminate loop ramps and add signals on Route 9 for left turns onto I-95/Route 128.

Sadly, yes; such was discussed either a few pages back on this thread or in the Massachusetts thread.  IMHO, the interchange w/MA 9 is absolutely the wrong place to make this change; there's too many lights & traffic along MA 9 as it is now and adding more left turns can increase the chances of near-head-on collisions if one either doesn't properly stop on the red signal.

Adding collector-distributor lanes along MA 9 would be a much better solution to separate the weaving entering/exiting traffic from the through-traffic.

Agreed, although this would not solve weaving on the highway, which is the safety issue cited to justify the elimination of loop ramps.

[PHLBOS]

Agreed, although this would not solve weaving on the highway, which is the safety issue cited to justify the elimination of loop ramps.

In short, eliminate one safety issue but create another in the process.  Can we say "the cure is worse than the disease"?

[bob7374]

Had a chance to take a drive along I-95/128 yesterday afternoon north from MA 2 to MA 4/225 in Lexington and then south down to Canton. Took some photos of the new overhead signs that have appeared due to the Lexington to Newton sign replacement project, which according to the MassDOT listing was 80% complete in early November. Here's one of the new signs southbound for I-90/Mass Pike, and MA 30:


There is still a lot of work to do at the southern end of the project, while it appears most of the signs have been installed north of the Pike. To see more photos, check out my I-95 Photo Page:
http://www.gribblenation.net/mass21/i95photos.html

As for new overheads further south in the Add-A-Lane project area, nothing new to report since my last drive through a few months ago. It appears, southbound anyway, that most of the work adding the new lane is complete south of Great Plain Avenue (Exit 18), what's holding up opening is work on the MA 109 bridge, which looks far from complete.

[bob7374]

Follow-up post, a question regarding this particular overhead sign:


Shouldn't the exit tab read 'Exit 20AB' since there are separate east and westbound ramps? Is there a reason for the missing letters or is this a sign error?

[roadman]

Follow-up post, a question regarding this particular overhead sign:


Shouldn't the exit tab read 'Exit 20AB' since there are separate east and westbound ramps? Is there a reason for the missing letters or is this a sign error?

Yes Bob, the exit tab should read "Exits 20 B-A".  Checked the Wellesley to Lexington plans, and the "Exit 20" tab was indeed an error.  I'll forward this to my project contacts and see if it can be corrected.  Good catch there!