Illinois DOT Call Lighting Design Services (District 1)
IDOT recently awarded Wi-Skies and their team a contract to provide on-call roadway lighting design support throughout the Chicagoland area. These projects will range in size, complication and schedule, but are always expected to be delivered on time and of the utmost quality. Our first project is development and revision of the District’s construction standards, which encompasses approximately 25 drawings.
I-285 at I-20 East Interchange Design-Build
Wi-Skies is designing the lighting at the I-285 interchange with I-20 on the east side of the loop as part of GDOT’s Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP). The interchange is being reconstructed to improve traffic flow throughout the interchange as well as adjacent interchanges as a design-build. These improvements include increased entrance and exit ramps for all interchanges and at the main interchange, which includes the addition of several flyover ramps and widened roadways. Most of the interchange area will be lit using high mast towers, however, because of the elevation differences between the mainline and some the flyover ramps, supplemental conventional lighting is necessary on the taller flyover ramps. Full photometric analysis including all roadway elevations along with the tower heights based on actual proposed cross-section elevations were done throughout the project to verify lighting criteria was met. The cross-sections were also analyzed to determine where any existing towers may be re-used based on the local grade. Due to the increased roadway widths, ROW constraints coupled with both structural and noise wall obstructions, placement of high mast towers was difficult or impossible to accommodate, leading to extensive coordination with the roadway and bridge designers. Spill lighting analysis was done at the ROW in certain quadrants where residential properties were prevalent. These residential properties, along with dense forestation in other quadrants, also limited the service point locations to power the very large electrical load, which resulted in extensive coordination with the local power company.
Florida DOT D1 On-Call Lighting and Traffic Signal Design Services
Wi-Skies is a sub on a Districtwide master contract with Florida DOT District 1, where we provide a variety of high-level activities including providing estimates and design reviews as necessary. We are charged with developing program level scopes of work and quantities for various lighting and traffic signal improvements throughout the District, including re-surfacing projects which will address various safety issues related to lighting and traffic operations. To date, Wi-Skies has reviewed and estimated over 55 intersections and 30 miles of roadway improvements across the District.
Main Road Re-Alignment Design-Build
This design-build project entails the reconstruction and widening of Main Rd with intersection improvement at US 17 and a new multi-use path. Improving the intersection congestion at US 17 is critical for evacuation routes, commuter traffic, and access to surrounding commercial and residential zones. The addition of the multi-use path is to welcome future growth expected to come and add value to the community. The project also pays special attention to the environmental impact under the county’s tree preservation program, and special drainage facilities to protect the new infrastructure from the marshy soils. The new four-legged roundabout at the S-20 and S54 is designed with full perimeter and approach lighting, which follows the bridge over the West Ashley Greenway and all the way to S-57 (Bees Ferry Rd) for a total project length of approximately 2.4 miles. LED luminaires on light poles with varying mast arm lengths and foundation types were applied throughout the project to cater to project initiatives and limitations while still providing quality continuous lighting that meets industry standards.
I-35 NEX Central Design-Build Lighting Quality Control
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is expanding approximately 19.5 miles of interstate highway I-35 in Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties, Texas. The I-35 design-build project involves the construction of two non-toll 15-mile-long elevated bridges between the I-35 main lanes and frontage roads. The elevated lanes will provide one high occupancy vehicle lane and two general-purpose lanes in each direction. In addition to the elevated lanes on either side of I-35, the mainline lanes of I-35 will be widened for the addition of two general-purpose lanes. The project also includes revisions to ramps and frontage roads to transition the elevated lanes and connectors with the existing highways. Wi-Skies has the distinctive opportunity to provide quality control and design oversight for lighting of the entire project, which encompasses the entire 19.5 miles of the interstate. Our role included reviewing and conversing with three design firms and the overall project manager to ensure uniform lighting was provided throughout the project. Multiple drawing packages needed to be reviewed to ensure TXDOT specific lighting requirements were adhered to.
Carolina Crossroads
Wi-Skies has partnered with Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering (ICE) and have won the first two phases for this massive design-build effort, which is the largest construction venture in South Carolina transportation history!
This five-phase project will improve fourteen miles of I-20, I-26 and I-126 that includes the area commonly called “Malfunction Junction”. We are providing the lighting design for these two phases, which includes both high mast towers along the interstates and interchanges as well as conventional roadway lighting along the ramps and side streets. Phase 2 includes a complex Diverging Diamond Interchange at the crossing of US176 and I-20.
Please see further information here for the Carolina Crossroads overall project on their website.
Georgia Dept. of Transportation (GDOT) Design-on-Request Services
Wi-Skies has operated as an extension of GDOT staff, within the GDOT Lighting Group since 2014, assisting them with many of their daily initiatives. Serving as GDOT’s lighting subject matter expert, Wi-Skies frequently makes policy decisions or provides guidance on a myriad of issues. With full-time staff physically located at GDOT, we assist GDOT in their daily operations, such as approving permit submittals, lighting plan reviews, revising and maintaining Chapter 14 of the Design Policy Manual, reviewing and revising pay items and specifications, and identifying and developing design standards to be adopted by GDOT.
We have been instrumental in assisting GDOT in enhancing their policies as well as providing design guidance for photometrics and plans submitted for approval. Our expertise has been called upon by the group to assist in daily challenges the group faces, such as providing lighting recommendations for programmed projects, providing cost estimates for both new and existing lighting installations which are often provided directly to the Chief Engineer.
Illinois DOT Design-on-Request Services
We had staff located in-house in a full-time capacity providing and reviewing lighting designs across the state.
Additionally, we assisted IDOT in several high-level tasks such as revising Chapter 56 of their Bureau of Design and Environment Manual, revising the LED specification and identifying and developing design standards to be adopted by IDOT. We were involved in several research projects, such as high mast tower applications, revised voltage drop considerations for LED technologies as well as environmental impacts of roadway lighting. We also developed IDOT’s Intersection Design Guide, which encapsulates the practical approach to many of the recommendations now found in IES’ RP-8 as well as the AASHTO Roadway Lighting Design Guide.
Stand-alone Lighting I-75 from Pierce Ave to Arkwright Rd (GDOT)
This stand-alone lighting project provided 3.5 miles of mainly high mast lighting along I-75 from Pierce Ave to Arkwright Rd. As the area had been recently constructed without lighting in mind, several construction issues arose such as drainage and other utility conflicts, impacts of environmental documents and other complications, all of which had to be avoided. The project include survey, geotechnical studies, reconstruction of new walls and guardrail installation along certain areas.
Sunny Isles Beach, FL Lighting Inspection
Wi-Skies was brought in to inspect approximately 130 decorative teardrop light poles installed along Collins Ave (A1A), which were recently installed as part of an FDOT project. Unfortunately, much of the electrical work done by the contractor was not done in accordance with FDOT specifications or the plans and the Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) group did not catch the mistakes. This resulted in the failure of all of the lights within months of being turned over to the City.
Most of these issues were related to the fact that the contractor did not use outdoor rated cabling throughout the project and utilized indoor rated transformers to power festoon outlets near the top of the pole. Our primary responsibility was to inspect the lighting system and identify the critical issues for a different contractor to provide an expedited repair. Providing documentation for potential litigation was one of our secondary functions on this project. After working with the pole manufacturer, however, it was determined that the holes did not impact the structural integrity and the warranty was still valid.
After completing a physical inspection of many of the light poles and adjoining handholes within the project limits, we developed a report for the City to use for future litigation.
Langford Parkway Lighting Rehabilitation
Langford Parkway is a major thoroughfare which connects I-285 to I-85 north of the Atlanta airport in the southwest side of the city. The corridor was originally built as an urban collector, but over time has become an access control freeway with entrance and exit ramps. However, urban curb still exists in portions of the roadway and the lighting was installed based on the original urban collector setting and subsequent setbacks. Because of this, most of the lighting installed on the outside of the roadway is within unprotected clear zone and subject to frequent knock-downs.
As the entire 6.5 mile corridor is continuously lit, this results in a lot of maintenance. To properly address this situation, coupled with inadequate lighting, the recommendation was made to provide a new lighting system through the corridor which will increase pole setbacks coupled with barrier protection as warranted. This new lighting system also replaced and upgraded the existing lighting along the median wall, where applicable. As the corridor was untouched for decades, full survey, LIDAR and SUE was necessary, which we coordinated through our sub-consultant. The entire electrical system, including service point locations, cabling and conduit except for that within the barrier walls for the lighting system was replaced as part of this project.
Tucker Summit CID Lighting
The Tucker Summit CID engaged Wi-Skies to assist them in assuring a proper lighting design was ultimately delivered on the streets within the CID. Our task was to work with the power company to either review their supplier’s lighting design or provide a design in typical sections for the power company to install in specific corridors. In total, there were over 15 miles of roadways, both commercial and industrial, to be retrofitted. Wi-Skies reviewed the current installation areas and added lighting in the desired areas within the CID.
Iowa Department of Transportation Lighting Non-Design Services
We have provided the Iowa DOT with high level lighting support since 2016, where we have spearheaded several statewide initiatives including developing a Lighting Design Manual, revising lighting standards and developing their LED specification. We provide lighting design reviews from other firm designs and develop lighting master plans and retrofit projects. We have also evaluated many short tunnels to determine warranting for daytime lighting installations and implemented an experimental approach for daytime lighting within short tunnels.
Tennessee Department of Transportation Lighting Design Services
Wi-Skies led the effort to overhaul the Tennessee DOT’s lighting policy manual, specifications and standard drawings. Much of this work is essential due to evolving technologies and national recommended practice, but also due to debatable language and directive within the existing policies that put the Department at risk for design-build efforts. Our experience on the other side of the negotiating table provided invaluable insight to improved contract language which would be difficult to debate in the future. This work also includes adding several standard drawings to streamline the design and construction work throughout the state.