Pivoting Traffic Signals, anyone?

[cannuck]

Ran down to Sprice Grove AB this morning to visit a supplier. On the way turning off we ran into a overdimension load that clearly wasn't going to fit under the overhead traffic signals. Though he was stuck as blocking intersection but then we noticed a guy get out of the pilot truck, lift a pin lock and pivot the whole traffic light pole with cantilevered arm over both lanes! Because of the importance of the oil patch and processing, if something like this is going to be anywhere, it will be here.

https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType233/Production/87ProceduresForSignalsWithRotatableBases.pdf

I know we don't have anything like that in the patch in Wyoming, but does ANYONE else have these?

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Great idea but in the USA the unions control everything so when this happens the transportation company will have to to pay for 8 flag men, 10 electricians, 6 police officers, 8 riggers, 1 crane operator, 8 laborers for the crane and a catering truck to remove the lights and put them back.

BTW! All these oversize loads travel at night so figure time and a half.

 

[cannuck]

Great idea but in the USA the unions control everything so when this happens the transportation company will have to to pay for 8 flag men, 10 electricians, 6 police officers, 8 riggers, 1 crane operator, 8 laborers for the crane and a catering truck to remove the lights and put them back.

BTW! All these oversize loads travel at night so figure time and a half.

I think you are missing the whole point (but assuming your response somewhat tongue-in-cheek). To swing these lights the private contractor pilot car guy just lifts the lock and the whole thing pivots out of the way in 10 seconds. One could even pay double time for that much intervention/interruption.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

I think you are missing the whole point (but assuming your response somewhat tongue-in-cheek). To swing these lights the private contractor pilot car guy just lifts the lock and the whole thing pivots out of the way in 10 seconds. One could even pay double time for that much intervention/interruption.

Post #2 was meant to be "sorta humorous"………. My friend owns a large rigging company and he has told me stories about moving oversize loads through cities and costs for labor to raise or disconnect overhead wires and lights so these pivoting posts would be an excellent idea but I don't see it happening.

BTW! New York City has these "pivoting traffic lights" and these will be "swung" out of the way for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

[sparky 1971]

Great idea but in the USA the unions control everything so when this happens the transportation company will have to to pay for 8 flag men, 10 electricians, 6 police officers, 8 riggers, 1 crane operator, 8 laborers for the crane and a catering truck to remove the lights and put them back.

Don't forget the new guy that is going to have to do all of the work.

BTW! All these oversize loads travel at night so figure time and a half.

Not everywhere. I've been stopped for what seemed like an eternity at all daylight hours while a truck maneuvered a tight intersection with a windmill blade. Traffic gets backed up a long way in all directions and leads to a gigantic clusterf)ck. I've also had to sit for quite a while or be rerouted because of a house getting moved.

 

[Adaylate]

There was a time when either Raco or Saftran made rotatable, cantilevered railroad crossing signals. You had to climb a ladder and use a crank to rotate them away from the highway.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I saw the swinging light standard a few weeks ago in Airdrie, Alberta. Thought that was really cool. Then a few weeks later saw an extra long load with a remote control back end maneuver around a really tight corner in an industrial area. That was also really cool to watch.

 

[Stuart in MN]

For a time during my engineering career I designed traffic signal systems. I've never heard of the rotating style but it may be a more recent development. However, I suspect a transportation department would be hard pressed to pay the additional cost - if you consider how rarely an oversize load comes along, they'd probably rather just tell them to take another route that doesn't have height restrictions.

 

[cannuck]

For a time during my engineering career I designed traffic signal systems. I've never heard of the rotating style but it may be a more recent development. However, I suspect a transportation department would be hard pressed to pay the additional cost - if you consider how rarely an oversize load comes along, they'd probably rather just tell them to take another route that doesn't have height restrictions.

This is where the Athabasca Oil (tar) Sands is supported from - the largest known reservoir of hydrocarbon on the planet. Overdimension loads move here every day, many times a day. The infrastructure has evolved to accommodate it instead of biting the hand that feeds us.