I-5 Portland, OR

Location

Portland, OR

Installation

Temporary

Type

Median Automated Signage

About this project

Between 2010 and 2013 daily traffic signage operations were being conducted on the challenging Terwilliger Curves of Interstate 5 (I-5), south of Portland, Oregon. During the first night of traffic signage operation, a contractor’s truck-mounted impact attenuator (TMA) was struck by a passing motorist. Unfortunately, the motorist struck the vehicle at an angle, missed the attenuator and seriously injured the contractor’s TMA driver. Shortly after the crash, the contractor contacted Versilis to enquire about the SwiftSign automated signage. ODOT allowed the installation of the system on I-5 in order to alleviate the exposure of workers and equipment during lane closures.

Challenge

Daily traffic operation for a 3 years period on a challenging corridor
High risk of workers getting hit due to fast traffic and reduced visibility
No median shoulders for workers to stop in order to set up and dismantle the traffic warning signs
Looking for a safe automated traffic control solution

Solution

With ODOT’s approval, the contractor replaced all of its median standard warning signs with Swiftigns. All SwiftSigns were deployed and retracted using a handheld remote control. This installation is a successful example of a work zone safety improvement initiative. In addition to minimizing the exposure time for workers and their equipment to live traffic, it also reduced the ‘surprise effect’ of motorists coming upon work crews and their equipment in the transition zone.