Those old, folding "Watch for Ice on Bridge" signs will be going the way of the Dodo. While not a bad idea to have a sign that could be active when necessary, Texas drivers know the reality became that these signs, once unfolded, rarely were folded back up.
Which led many of us to be hyper-vigilant for that elusive "ice on bridge" in the middle of the summer and triple-digit temperatures. Mainly so we could sit on it and cool off a bit.
Beginning next week, the old signs in the Northeast Texas region will be taken down and replaced with a more visible version of the message, reading "Bridge May Ice in Cold Weather".
So while TxDOT may not be warning you of icy bridges in hot weather any longer, they will have some people out there replacing signs for the next six weeks or so...so keep an eye out for those workers.
Full release via the Paris office of the Texas Department of Transportation:
Sign Crews Will Begin Work in Early August
Paris – Motorists who travel regularly in Northeast Texas should watch for crews replacing signs on area bridges beginning Aug. 4.
Lone Star Barrier Services work crews will begin replacing worn, outdated “Watch for Ice on Bridge” signs on that date. They will replace the old signs with new “Bridge May Ice in Cold Weather” signs with better visibility.
It should take about 38 days for the contractor’s crews to remove old signs and install new signs in Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Rains and Red River counties. While the work is underway, motorists are asked to watch for work crews around area bridges, slow down and obey all traffic control devices and flaggers to ensure work crew safety.
For information on when sign crews may be working in your area, contact Daniel Taylor at the TxDOT area office in Greenville at (903) 455-2363.
