City officials put their stamp on two engineering-related items on Tuesday, including an emergency repair of the signal at 8th and Lindsey streets and the purchase of backup equipment related to vehicle detection at city intersections.
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members agreed to pay Greenfield-based Signal Construction $28,440 to do emergency work on the traffic signal at 8th and Lindsey Streets, and approved the purchase of two Miovision SmartView 360 systems from Carrier & Gable for $59,834.
The work on the signal will involve the replacement of the traffic signal cabinet and any equipment within.
A memo City Engineer Andrew Beckort sent to board members stated that the existing signal cabinet and equipment has aged out and there’s concern about the signal functioning over the long-term as is.
It’s more of an immediate concern because the intersection contains the main track for the Louisville and Indiana Railroad, with an equipment failure potentially resulting in a vehicle getting stuck on the track with a train approaching.
Signal Construction is the city’s signal maintenance contractor and has repaired the intersection previously, according to city documents. The new cabinet will also include the hardware needed for railroad preemption.
The city has started to transition to the Miovision SmartView system when vehicle detecting systems at different signals need me be upgraded. The system uses camera detection to adjust the timing of signals and complies traffic data that can be used for things like safety analysis or in the pursuit of state or federal grant dollars.
The city has installed the system at eight intersections, with five more on tab, according to city documents.
Assistant City Engineer Amber Porter said the two systems will serve as a back-up if something gets damaged, so the city wouldn’t have to wait two months for a replacement.
