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PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:24 pm 
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It's worse than that, because a couple of months ago they all had the "strap and cable" treatment to keep them safe from their design fault of falling off the columns. They could have just removed the lanterns a couple of months early rather than retrofitting each and every one only to remove them all again. It was daft that they were installed in the first place though, given that the lighting was all "condemned" by the upcoming smart motorway works. It was never going to be installed remotely long enough to pay itself back.


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:47 am 
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All columns from the central reservation in the M27 J7-8 area have now been removed. What with the removal of lighting plus the gantries, the area looks a lot more rural than urban now.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 11:21 pm 
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Will these be reinstalled once works are complete?
Highways England didn't reply to my tweet.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:54 pm 
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Work with respect to the lighting removal between J7-8 have been in these stages, with approximately 1 week between each stage - although other works have been going on at the same time.

Column removal - but leaving base plinths and supply cables including cut-outs intact.

Cut out removal - and addition of green (presumably "safe to touch") labels to cable ends.

Break out of concrete base plinths but leaving reinforcing bars contained within plinth intact. Cabling still in place. I suspect a much bigger re-bar cage remains below the surface, especially given the columns were 18m tall.

Removal of exposed rebar.

Cabling removed/or cut below surface (difficult to see as foundation was surrounded by barriers), foundation hole filled with concrete flush to road surface.

Only the plinths west of J7 now remain.

Given all of the above and that no new cable ducting has been laid in the central reservation east of J7 through to J8, it seems unlikely that lighting will return. The slip road lighting between J7 and 8, remains in situ and working - for the moment.


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PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2019 7:16 pm 
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I think the recommendation was that lighting is no longer justified going by modern standards, but that if Highways England choose to go against this and reinstate the lighting then that's purely their choice.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:23 am 
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Falling column closes M3.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:55 pm 
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Interesting. The columns along here date back to about 1992, and those in the central reservation are of the type where the columns are bolted to concrete foundations in the ground (as is quite typical), whilst those in the verges are planted. I'm guessing the failure was with the bolts rather than the columns themselves, which are visually corrosion free. This section of M3 is due to have smart motorway works start in spring next year, so the columns are on borrowed time anyway, but I suspect there will be a round of intensive inspections possibly followed by some removals.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:51 pm 
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sotonsteve wrote:
Interesting. The columns along here date back to about 1992, and those in the central reservation are of the type where the columns are bolted to concrete foundations in the ground (as is quite typical), whilst those in the verges are planted. I'm guessing the failure was with the bolts rather than the columns themselves, which are visually corrosion free. This section of M3 is due to have smart motorway works start in spring next year, so the columns are on borrowed time anyway, but I suspect there will be a round of intensive inspections possibly followed by some removals.


Whilst the crews were out there dealing with the fallen column, they took the time to inspect all of the columns in the central reservation. A large number of columns, perhaps a quarter or more, have now been chopped just above the column doors, so this section of motorway is now running at reduced lighting levels.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 4:02 pm 
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So that's the end of that then, 6.5 years after they were fitted with Lumas. As you say Smartification would have seen them go anyway.

I suspect the emergency chopping was only the first stage. It wouldn't surprise me if they are all now removed from the central reservation in advance of the Smart motorway scheme. That will of course require a proper closure of at least 2 lanes - so will take time to organise.

Image here of the lighting in question.

Of note, the image posted by Highways England shows that the strap and band safety works had been completed, the lantern staying on the column. The RF node wasn't so lucky, it can be seen by the central reservation barrier.

Makes you wonder why they weren't inspected at the same time as the Luma safety works.  :roll:


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 11:23 am 
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As of Thursday the remaining columns are still in operation. I expect a wholesale replacement as this section of the M3 is both busy and complex.


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