This shows the same ramp (on the right) where two OV-20s still stand today. All the others shown here were taken down in the 80s due to a widening project. Today they have aluminum light poles, some of them 50' tall, with mostly AE/ITT Series 25 FCOs. Thanks to Joe Maurath for this pic!
Hmm. Good question Joe. Here the older set-ups had every-other pole in the median and every-other pole outside the break-down lane, creating an alternating pattern when there was a jersey barrier. This was probably done for better lamp distribution. Modern set-ups are all done with the poles mounted on the side of the road in a straight line.
Yep, in MA in the Boston area highway lighting are sometimes in the median, sometimes on the shoulders. Sometimes pole height vary by section. For example I may see 30' poles over a long stretch, then I see 50' poles for a few miles, widely spaced too. Then its 30' poles again.
I'm guessing it's because the poles were installed at different times. Here most if not all the older poles are 25ft while the newer davits used vary slightly in height. Some older davit poles in the Providence area from Exit 17 to 19 and from the Providence Place Mall to Exit 25 are original from 1957 when Interstate 95 was constructed. According to a pic i found, the poles originally held OV-25 flatbottoms. Now they hold M-250R2s. Small stretches of the poles have had a relay added in. You can tell what fixtures NGrid repalced because the new ones usually don't have PC sockets while the older ones do. Some of the M-250R2s that haven't been serviced since the relays were added still have photocells instead of intermatic shorting caps, though the number is decreasing as NGrid tends to wait until most of the fixtures are out and by that time a lot of ignitors have died so there will be a good number of new shiney fixtures.
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