Quickest Streetlight replacement?

[Sunil_of_Yoxley]

On my way home from Gants Hill tube station on Tuesday night, I noticed that the eastern section of the A12 Eastern Avenue had replacement columns (uprights) installed for a short distance east of the roundabout, with the old lights still energised. Last night on my home I noticed that the old lights had vanished and all the new uprights had their double-lamp fixtures installed, and at least one of the new pairs of lights was energised (though as it was still twilight-ish, the others may have come on-line soon after I left the area).

Is this unusually quick? The new uprights along the B552 in Mill Hill by contrast still haven't had their lamps added, for the best part of a month!

[traffic-light-man]

Halton Borough Council seem to be able to change out entire setups very quickly in comparison to the neighbouring authorities. A good example is the removal of high-mast lighting on the A533 in Runcorn, being replaced with Arcs, which seems to be happening in phases, the recent ones at a very rapid rate.

[MJN]

When the Leeds PFI came to my Grandad's area it seemed to happen more quickly than in most areas. The columns and lanterns all went up one day, the next the old ones were being removed!

On the other hand, Breary Lane in Bramhope had new columns put up probably over two years ago, and this winter at least they were still there, without lanterns, and the old installations still in place!

[Truvelo]

Here in Sandwell the new and old columns are often in place side by side for weeks. I took this picture about a week after first seeing the new columns go up. A week after taking the picture the lanterns, no points for guessing what type , were finally installed. I've been abroad the last week so I don't yet know if the old columns have now gone but at least the slow progress gives me time to get pictures.

[Rojojnr]

Sunil of Yoxley:

On my way home from Gants Hill tube station on Tuesday night, I noticed that the eastern section of the A12 Eastern Avenue had replacement columns (uprights) installed for a short distance east of the roundabout, with the old lights still energised. Last night on my home I noticed that the old lights had vanished and all the new uprights had their double-lamp fixtures installed, and at least one of the new pairs of lights was energised (though as it was still twilight-ish, the others may have come on-line soon after I left the area).

Is this unusually quick? The new uprights along the B552 in Mill Hill by contrast still haven't had their lamps added, for the best part of a month!

Yes, I was in Gants Hill earlier today and was very surprised to find that the WRTL SR200s (which were only installed around 1997, replacing GEC Z9564s) had been overhauled with Iridiums. The new columns they're on look suspiciously like Mallatites (I've never seen a Mallatite column around here before, but I understand that they are very popular in the north-west). I was surprised to see those Fabrikat installations with ZX2s on the Woodford Avenue being replaced with post-top Iridiums as well. But I suppose being as the road is being worked on, they may as well replace the streetlighting as well and get everything done in one go! I was thinking just a short while ago how Iridium-free Gants Hill was, but recent events have very much turned this around!

[M19]

Here in Sandwell the new and old columns are often in place side by side for weeks. I took this picture about a week after first seeing the new columns go up. A week after taking the picture the lanterns, no points for guessing what type , were finally installed. I've been abroad the last week so I don't yet know if the old columns have now gone but at least the slow progress gives me time to get pictures.

Good picture, shows that the road has also been messed about with unecessary chicanes, hatching etc.

[Truvelo]

Good picture, shows that the road has also been messed about with unecessary chicanes, hatching etc.

That was done in 2006 following the death of a girl as she was crossing the road. It was built without pavements or crossings as it wasn't intended to be used by pedestrians. As a result there isn't enough space for D2 and pavements nor enough space in the central reservation for a refuge once the metal fencing is installed. The only way of squeezing in these features is to sacrifice one of the lanes.

Picture here of work in progress

[Dazzler]

In North Somerset a lot the street lighting has been replaced from concrete to aluminium columns. This has been phased and I haven't seen much done for several months, but recently there's been a fairly substantial program of replacements with around ten per day being done. They have a single vehicle parked up with its hazards on and a couple of cones on the road. The single team removes the concrete and drops in the aluminium with little disruption to the traffic and for awkward areas I've seen them working on Sundays. It's quite surprising to see the speed and efficiency in which the work is done.

[worcsfan]

I had cause to travel on the A451 Stourbridge Road in Kidderminster on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday night of this last week.

I thought things looked 'odd'....on Tuesday. Then it sunk in: the last remaining CU unsleeved columns in Kidderminster had been replaced with new steel columns, shining in the evening sunshine.

Concretes there for Sunday at 8.30pm...steels by Tuesday at 9pm. Not one sign- no cones or piles of dirt- that any concrete columns had ever been there at all.

Beat that!

[Truvelo]

I wonder if there's some kind of PFI scheme in Worcestershire at the moment? Today I noticed the Alpha 4's just off M5 J7 have been replaced. Picture here before removal.

[worcsfan]

Something is on...major roundabouts have had their lights- some only 20 years old- replaced with a 'Sandwell' combination of Vectra and Solid Steel.....although other [WRTL?] lanterns are also used.

[Sunil_of_Yoxley]

B552 in Mill Hill still waiting for new lanterns! Uprights still uprights only!

[MJN]

Went through Bramhope the other week and I'm pretty sure that those replacement columns on Breary Lane have now been replaced themselves without ever having had lanterns fitted! The new ones are working and the old concrete columns removed.

[Patrick Harper]

At the junction of the A4251 and the B4505, most of the low pressure lights were taken down when the high pressure lights went up, fairly quickly(about 2008/9). However, one of the old lights never got taken down and is today still energizing surrounded by all the new SON lighting!

[boing_uk]

The speed of replacement depends entirely on two things:

1) The speed of the crews planting the columns and wiring them up
2) Whether it is a private cable or a LDC cable.

In theory, it should be possible for a single gang to be planting at least 10 columns per day. If you throw enough men, equipment and material at it, the planting of columns is trivial.

It is the connection of power supply that is the biggest issue.

If it is a board feed, it could be anything up to 6 weeks before a connection is made. Same day transfers are not too bad, but if the new column is more than 2m away from the old one, its a disconnect/new service rather than a transfer.

If, however, it is a private cable, then the LDC isnt involved and it is the lighting authority's own contractor doing the connections it can be acheived very quickly. So in theory, replacing 20 columns on private cable could be done in a single day.

[Sunil_of_Yoxley]

B552 in Mill Hill still waiting for new lanterns! Uprights still uprights only!

Belay that - saw last night that the lanterns have now finally been fitted, this is at the top of the hill (the uprights here have been around since May!). Barnet Council have also made a start on the lower section near Mill Hill East station, though uprights only at this stage.

[Ben302]

When the A2/A289 Will Adams Roundabout in gillingham was upgraded and widened it received new lighting to replace the 1980's MA50 lighting. In a matter of 2 days the 8 columns were completely replaced the old streetlight would be disconnected and removed, the replacement Nedal woth post top Arc would go up almost in the same place, the connection made and new fitting was energised, If I recall they did 4 columns one day and the remainder the following day.