Largest wastes of overhead assemblies?

[PHLBOS]

Almost forgot about this monstrosity...

<snipped image>

These signals mounted on two old PennDOT freeway guide sign gantries are over the 5-way intersection between US 202, PA 309, and PA 463 in Montgomeryville. Here's the GSV of the intersection.

I first saw those in 1993 and was like, what the heck? Back then there were circle shields for 202 and 309 posted there as well.

Both of you obviously know this since you were both present at the meet last December but for those that weren't;  since early December of last year, any US 202 shields in that intersection should've been stripped off due to the opening of the new US 202 Parkway south of that area.

With regards to blank BGS': my first siting of such was in 1972 along MA 114 and MA 62 at the then-not-yet opened interchanges w/I-95 in Danvers.  Roadman will know of the BGS' I speak of.  These were all replaced during the mid 1990s.

The 3 blank BGS' along MA 114 were for I-95 North; two at the entrance ramp for each MA 114 direction (ground-mounts) and one overpass-mounted structure BGS facing eastbound MA 114 traffic.  The 95 NORTH Salisbury NH-Maine legends were added when the northbound stretch opened in 1974.   

The 5 blank BGS' along MA 62 were for I-95 South; two were ground mounts at the entrance ramp (which branched off to a shopping center adjacent to US 1 North), two were overpass-mounted (one on the I-95 overpass facing westbound 62 traffic, the other on the US 1 overpass facing eastbound 62 traffic) and the fifth shared an overhead gantry with (back then 5 other BGS', 2 of them being MA 62 pull-through signs).  These BGS' remained blank until the southbound section of I-95 in Danvers (between Exits 50 & 46) opened in 1975.  The legend on the ground-mounts and overhead gantry BGS read 95 SOUTH Boston while the overpass-mounted BGS simply read SOUTH 95 with a downward arrow. 

More recently and near Conshohocken, PA; prior to I-476 south of I-76 opening in Dec. 1991, there was a blank pull-through BGS that had just a blank 3di-shield placed on the upper-left corner.  BGS would have likely read 476 SOUTH Chester.  Ironically, when the rest of the road opened, the 70s-era blank BGS (w/button-copy borders around the signboard & I-shield) was taken down and never replaced with a newer BGS.

[roadman65]

I always like the one on I-4 in Plant City, FL.  Steve features it on alpsroads and was not even aware of it at first until Steve mentioned the fact that a percentage of the sign is wasted.  It not only features the annual Plant City Strawberry Festival as a major control point, but the fact that there are two mentions for the same exit.  Plus SR 39 is not Alexander Street, that at the time the photo was taken it was without number, but is  now SR 39A as FDOT took over the once city maintained street.

Also the 5 points intersection in Montgomeryville, PA (the previous post) has siblings in Orlando, FL.  Many Orange Blossom Trail intersections have something similar painted green.

[sp_redelectric]

Greenburg Road, Tigard, Oregon

What's worse is that the control city for Oregon 217 south is Tigard, but almost nobody would bother to get onto 217, take the next exit (99W), and return back to Greenburg Road instead of just driving straight one mile and going right into downtown Tigard.

The sign would be more useful with either Lake Oswego or Salem as the control city, or simply "To Interstate 5".  But the sign bridge is wasted by having no sign facing northbound Greenburg Road (no sign for Oregon 217 north to Beaverton, no pull through sign for "Washington Square")

[Alex]

More recently and near Conshohocken, PA; prior to I-476 south of I-76 opening in Dec. 1991, there was a blank pull-through BGS that had just a blank 3di-shield placed on the upper-left corner.  BGS would have likely read 476 SOUTH Chester.  Ironically, when the rest of the road opened, the 70s-era blank BGS (w/button-copy borders around the signboard & I-shield) was taken down and never replaced with a newer BGS.

I saw a 1980s video Jeff R. took of that sign once (Jake, you didn't get a copy of this one did you?). Was odd to see a blank 3di shield in place, usually the space would just be empty. The next button copy sign saw "Plymouth Mtg" slapped on haphazardly when the route was extended north:

[PHLBOS]

I saw a 1980s video Jeff R. took of that sign once (Jake, you didn't get a copy of this one did you?). Was odd to see a blank 3di shield in place, usually the space would just be empty. The next button copy sign saw "Plymouth Mtg" slapped on haphazardly when the route was extended north:

BTW, the Plymouth Mtg. lettering isn't even button-copy, which was still available until recently.

Originally, the control destination for I-476 North in that BGS was to be Allentown.  Also, lettering for a NORTH cardinal was supposed to be placed next to that I-476 shield.  If one looks closely at the photo, one can tell that cardinal was once there.  It's possible that traces of the Allentown lettering might be evident as well if one looks up close & personal w/that BGS.

BTW, both BGS' in that pic were replaced a few years ago with No Clearview but the BGS for I-476 North still has no NORTH cardinal listed/placed, but the I-shield is now centered on the sign panel.

[mass_citizen]

sorry to revive this thread but I couldn't help but notice this gem wasn't mentioned:

http://goo.gl/maps/Jyo4D

spans 8 lanes plus shoulders on I-93 Quincy

[PHLBOS]

sorry to revive this thread but I couldn't help but notice this gem wasn't mentioned:

http://goo.gl/maps/Jyo4D

spans 8 lanes plus shoulders on I-93 Quincy

That is just wrong on so many levels; especially given the small size of the VMS.

One has to wonder if there either there were some BGS panels on that gantry that were taken down or plans for new BGS panels to be erected (I-93 in that area is undergoing a sign replacement project).  I would like to believe the latter but either roadman or Bob7374 could confirm.

In South Philly, this gem of a gantry/BGS assembly was erected in the early 90s:

http://goo.gl/maps/UQwv4

It's worth noting that the original plans (I saw them) called for a smaller, more standard gantry; the one ultimately used here was actually either an extra/rejected gantry from the adjacent Vine Expressway project.  Waste not/want not I guess.

[roadman]

sorry to revive this thread but I couldn't help but notice this gem wasn't mentioned:

http://goo.gl/maps/Jyo4D

spans 8 lanes plus shoulders on I-93 Quincy

That is just wrong on so many levels; especially given the small size of the VMS.

One has to wonder if there either there were some BGS panels on that gantry that were taken down or plans for new BGS panels to be erected (I-93 in that area is undergoing a sign replacement project).  I would like to believe the latter but either roadman or Bob7374 could confirm.

The structure in question was installed when the Braintree to Savin Hill contraflow "zipper" HOV lane was constructed in the mid-1990s.  The location of this support is directly in the middle of the southern crossover area for the contraflow (the median barriers in the middle of the road are moveable), which is deployed for entering northbound traffic (using one lane on the southbound roadway) in the AM peak, and deployed for exiting southbound traffic (using one lane on the northbound roadway) in the PM peak.  As such, neither a half-span structure nor a cantilever support were practical for the installation.

The sole sign on this structure was originally an extruded panel with a large "blank-out" message sign for the HOV entrance, located in the approximate position of the current VMS.  It was replaced with a smaller "brick" type VMS several years ago when the blank out portion of the sign became unreliable.  This span will be replaced with a new span as part of the Boston to Randolph work.  The new span will carry a larger VMS, an overhead "Trucks Must Use Right 2 Lanes" sign and the new 1/4 mile advance sign for Furnace Brook Parkway over the northbound lanes, and a new supplemental sign for "South Shore Mall Road Use 93 South" over the southbound lanes.

[SteveG1988]

I wonder if any of these gantries that are blank could be used in a fairly useful way, basically traffic monitoring or even radio use, broadcast highway information radio.

Another idea, other than tearing them down, Use them for educational use, i am sure there must be a way to put up a "did you know that....in this state someone was the first person to do something to someone while wearing something" type marker, just for the kids, have it be part of a education program where the signs are able to be changed out without much hassle, such as having multiple holes to fit various letters that can be screwed on

[agentsteel53]

any VMS that isn't showing anything useful.

I took a photo this weekend of stand-still traffic underneath a blank VMS.  really, guys?  absolutely no help whatsoever?  that's the most help you can give us?

[SteveG1988]

any VMS that isn't showing anything useful.

I took a photo this weekend of stand-still traffic underneath a blank VMS.  really, guys?  absolutely no help whatsoever?  that's the most help you can give us?

The VMS took one look at the situation and basically went "screw you guys, i'm going home"

[roadman]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

[agentsteel53]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

or, even worse, "don't drink and drive".

if, at this point in our society's evolution, someone is drinking and driving, it isn't because of ignorance of the law - it's willful malfeasance.

[Brandon]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

or, even worse, "don't drink and drive".

if, at this point in our society's evolution, someone is drinking and driving, it isn't because of ignorance of the law - it's willful malfeasance.

Could still be worse.  Could be posting the number of highway deaths in your state to date.  Illinois is at 705 at last count.  I'm rooting for it to pass 1,000.   

[Alps]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

or, even worse, "don't drink and drive".

if, at this point in our society's evolution, someone is drinking and driving, it isn't because of ignorance of the law - it's willful malfeasance.

Could still be worse.  Could be posting the number of highway deaths in your state to date.  Illinois is at 705 at last count.  I'm rooting for it to pass 1,000.   

This sounds like a great drinking game - which would also help further the cause.

[WichitaRoads]

Maybe not a waste per se, but certainly weird:

http://goo.gl/maps/63CjI

The signs are so high over the roadway, you crane a little. Couldn't the suport structre been bolted into the right wall, so the signs would be lower?

ICTRds

[1995hoo]

Aside from the wasted space, it's a bit misleading because the "exit" lane merely rejoins on the left (without any kind of separation) a very short distance up the road. It's a provision for future expansion, but for now the sign confuses people unfamiliar with the area.

[DSS5]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

In another thread I mentioned that NCDOT put in a bunch of new VMSs in and around Winston-Salem ahead of the Business 40 reconstruction, all of which currently say "STATE LAW NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING"

[JMoses24]

From the AARoads Interstate Guide site. I-75/71 south just past Buttermilk Pike in Crescent Springs, KY. This doesn't need to be here, especially since there is a 1 1/4 mile advance sign just north of here!

[national highway 1]

http://goo.gl/6tW9s6

[PHLBOS]

http://goo.gl/6tW9s6

Your link doesn't appear to be working; at least on my end.

One recent observation when seeing some newly-erected cantilever gantries along PennDOT highways is that it appears that PennDOT (or at least some contractors) seems to be adopting more of a one size fits all approach in terms of separation between horizontal cross-members.  Previously, they used to use 2 or 3 different sizes depending on the height of the BGS panel; now they're using gantries that have a rather large separation between horizontal members even when the BGS panel is of a smaller height.  Example of such along PA 309 at the PA 152 interchange.  While this example's not too extreme (I've seen worse); one can see what I'm pointing out here.

Similar examples are now being erected along US 202 between Malvern (PA 29) and Frazer (PA 401) as part of the widening project.

Did PennDOT (or contractors) purchase these large cantilever gantries by the gross at a fire sale or something. 

Here's one that existed for almost 2 decades.  The story behind it, as told to me by one of the bridge engineers who worked on the project, is that the new more suitably-sized gantry was damaged during either fabrication or delivery (I forget which). 

Rather than wait for a replacement gantry; a surplus gantry from the adjacent Vine Expressway (I-676) project was available and would've went to waste otherwise.

Yes, the gantry & BGS' predate one-way tolls across the Delaware River (per the green-out that covered the yellow TOLL label on the I-76 East BGS).

[SSOWorld]

OTOH, at least the VMS wasn't displaying "Don't bring invasive species in.  Clean your boat before launching" or other such nonsense messages.

or, even worse, "don't drink and drive".

if, at this point in our society's evolution, someone is drinking and driving, it isn't because of ignorance of the law - it's willful malfeasance.

Could still be worse.  Could be posting the number of highway deaths in your state to date.  Illinois is at 705 at last count.  I'm rooting for it to pass 1,000.   

Dear IDiOT, what can we do to lower your body count? 

NOTHING!  They're already dead
Post Merge: August 02, 2014, 12:00:31 PM

(Photo courtesy Eric Stuve/okroads)

Apparently this once carried a single Lane Ends sign, but it was later made inapplicable and taken down. So... there's just a pointless gantry.

Found plenty of these along I-287 in New Jersey between Woodbridge and Alps's land.

[Brandon]

This one has been around for a while.



Personally, I think it would be a great location for for following on the left:

EXIT 267
[53]
Bolingbrook
1 1/2 MILES

[on_wisconsin]

BUS US 53/ Hastings Way at CTH Q/ Birch St in Eau Claire, WI


Google Streetview
(Used to support a BGS before the intersection was rebuilt.)

Link: http://goo.gl/maps/Nm8Iq

[PHLBOS]

Posted this one in the Airport Roadways thread and thought it would be appropriate for here as well.

One old plan originally called for the I-95/Bartram Ave. interchange near PHL Airport to be a full-diamond interchange (instead, such only contains ramps to/from Center City Philadelphia).  One empty overhead gantry along I-95 North in the area gives hint of a possible exit sign for such (note the light brackets at the bottom of the gantry).