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Posted: 12/29/2001 6:00:56 PM EDT
When I first saw these there were on one highway in Michigan and were grooves that looked like maybe someone lost a load or took heavy machinery down the road.  It's a set of three grooves, one set on the right hand side of the lane the other on the left hand side of the same lane.  They are only a couple feet long but they appear in sets.  It might be one set every so many feet, then it will be a double set, then a whole bunch of them.

But now, I've seen then in 2 different states and they have come back and filled the grooves in.

I've got to think the states would have something better to do than tear up and patch a good road.  So anyone know what's going on?
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:04:58 PM EDT
[#1]
You're not talking about "rumble bars" are you?  They warn you about an upcoming stop sign or light.
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:06:27 PM EDT
[#2]
It sounds to me like some kind of wide load being carried on a low-boy trailer that is dragging every once in a while.
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:13:24 PM EDT
[#3]
Way to go!!!  Whenever  return home to my home state of Michigan, I always wonder what they are for.  Particularly, I see them on M14 eastbound just outside of Ann Arbor.  I think they've been intentionally cut, due to the spacing and depth, but I've yet to come up with a solution.  The cuts look about 1" deep, too deep for a trailer that's dragging (unless it's dragging pre-stressed concrete forms).  I think it's some sort of test, to determine wear and degredation of the concrete.  That's only a guess.
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:19:26 PM EDT
[#4]
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:21:46 PM EDT
[#5]
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:46:25 PM EDT
[#6]
We have those here in Virginia, And several ajoining stats on highways that are a long boring drive. They are called "Rumble strips". When you drive over them your car "rumbles" and emits a noise that will wake your sleeping arse up in a heartbeat.

-Kc
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 6:58:52 PM EDT
[#7]
Quoted:
We have those here in Virginia, And several ajoining stats on highways that are a long boring drive. They are called "Rumble strips". When you drive over them your car "rumbles" and emits a noise that will wake your sleeping arse up in a heartbeat.

-Kc
View Quote


Most of I-81 and parts of I-64 have the rumble strips you are talking about.  They are on the shoulder and are different from what he is talking about.

If they are actually in the roadway they are probably trenches dug for pressure sensors.  Do you remember the old air tubes that used to be spread across roads to count the number of axles that used the road over a given time period?  This is the same kind of thing.  It's a lot like the sensors that are put under the road at intersections to tell the computer to change the light.  You might notice big aluminum boxes off to the sides of the road, those are the computers that keep track of the travel data (weight of vehicles passing, most travelled times of day, etc.).
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 7:06:04 PM EDT
[#8]
If your talking about the ones on the side of the road.   They are Rumble strips.
To wake you up!    Try them, they really do rumble!!
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 8:54:41 PM EDT
[#9]
Ok, I might not be the brighest person on the planet but I know what rumble strips are.  These are not on the shoulder, they are in the traffic lanes.  The last time I checked they didn't install stop signs in the middle of nowhere on freeways, so it's not rumble strips for that either.  Also these grooves don't go across the road, they go with the road.  They aren't test paint strips.

They have appeared in multiple states on different highways and all look the same.  It looks like they were carved out of the road and then paved over.

Here is a drawing that I just threw together.  The groves I'm referring to are the gray lines in the right lane.

[img]http://www.patriotarms.com/road.jpg[/img]
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 8:56:54 PM EDT
[#10]
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:03:44 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Some of these things are done to give you an optical illusion that you are traveling faster than you really are, making speeders slow down.  That could be the purpose of these.
View Quote


Wouldn't they put them in left lane then, as that is where most of the speeders are?  The one's that I've seen are primarily in the right lane.  They don't seem evenly spaced and they don't appear to have any grouping pattern.

I was wondering about a new timing system to catch speeders from the air or perhaps magnets for testing the automated vehicles that are in the works.
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:06:31 PM EDT
[#12]
Uh, it's a binary code readable from a satellite?
Maybe a tracking device for, ah, well, ...??

Would you believe only [i]you[/i] can see them?

When you find out what they are, I want to know. Now, it's bugging me!
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:09:15 PM EDT
[#13]
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:13:10 PM EDT
[#14]
Ask the Department of Transportation... unless they are in on it with the aliens.
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:17:55 PM EDT
[#15]
Ok, I found the answer.  That is if you believe the government......  This came from the Washington State DOT

What are the two sets of three grooves in the right-hand lane where holes have been drilled and then patched? This is on parts of I-90, I-5 and I-82.


In answer to your question, here is a quick summary of the work that has been going on I-90 and other concrete roads around the state.
I- 90 is a concrete roadway that has exceeded the original design life of the pavement (30 years). However, predominately the concrete is still in good condition, except for the roughness of the ride. The roughness is caused by "faulting" in the pavement. Faulting is where each panel of concrete tilts and leaves a bump when you drive on to the next panel. This faulting generates the characteristic thump-thump-thump you probably have experienced when driving on some concrete roadways. Each of these bumps can be as much as 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, and every 10 ft. along the roadway. For trucks, the faulting will rattle your teeth.
To correct the ride, we can grind the pavement smooth again, but once the faulting has started, it will continue. Therefore to stop the faulting, we put dowel bars longitudinally across the joint where the faulting has occurred. We put 3 bars in every wheel path, buried half way through the concrete slabs. Once these have been placed the bar is grouted back into the pavement. The grout is a slightly different color than the original pavement, and as you drive across the pavement, would appear to be a groove in the pavement in the same direction as traffic. The color is different, because we use a special epoxy grout that develops strength within 24 hours, instead of the usual 2 weeks. The dowel bars stop any continuation of faulting, and then we grind the pavement smooth. This is only a temporary fix, but from other tests done, we expect a minimum of 10 years of added service to the roadway.
The faulting is always worst in the right lane, since this is where 75% of the traffic travels. Thus the dowel bars are usually only needed in the right hand lane.


Link Posted: 12/29/2001 9:25:38 PM EDT
[#16]
Oh shit!  Based on that logical answer, Id say it is alien in nature and the government is hiding it from us!
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 10:04:19 PM EDT
[#17]
I didn't say intersection in the middle of a freeway Swire.  But you are correct, I visualized something entirely different than what that schematic you presented shows.  In certain areas of 81 and 64 near my house they have sensors under the road that record traffic patterns.  They are buried under the road surface just like the sensors for the lights at intersections.  
Link Posted: 12/29/2001 10:17:10 PM EDT
[#18]
The first set of grooves contains the brain wave transmitters, the second set contains the speed regulator transmitters (installed on every car manufactured since 1998), the third set contains small packages of Cracker Jacks without the prizes......
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 12:10:15 AM EDT
[#19]
The grooves are actually highway markers used by United Nations (TM) security forces.  They are impregnated with an infra-red paint so the pilots of the Black Helecopters(TM) can navigate by them.
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 1:41:00 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
The grooves are actually highway markers used by United Nations (TM) security forces.  They are impregnated with an infra-red paint so the pilots of the Black Helecopters(TM) can navigate by them.
View Quote


Close, they're actually runway markings for the UN transport aircraft to deliver troops to the larger metropolitan areas.  The infra-red lights make it easier for the Pilot-in-command (who sits on the right) to land the aircraft in the middle of the road.  
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 4:05:01 AM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
The grooves are actually highway markers used by United Nations (TM) security forces.  They are impregnated with an infra-red paint so the pilots of the Black Helecopters(TM) can navigate by them.
View Quote


Silly boys, these have [i]nothing[/i] to do with the UN. These are sensors that read the denomination and serial number off that little strip in the currency you carry, and cross reference it with you ID chip in the license plate and the IRS computer.  Get real.
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 4:08:28 AM EDT
[#22]
OK.
1.  They're not rumble strips.
2.  They're not for computer controlled cars. The road is too old and crappy and Michigan is the last place you want to build ultra expensive highway infrastructure.
3.  I'm not too sure about the UN directional codes, though.
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 4:29:18 AM EDT
[#23]
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 4:48:23 AM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
Ok, I might not be the brighest person on the planet but I know what rumble strips are.  These are not on the shoulder, they are in the traffic lanes.  The last time I checked they didn't install stop signs in the middle of nowhere on freeways, so it's not rumble strips for that either.  Also these grooves don't go across the road, they go with the road.  They aren't test paint strips.

They have appeared in multiple states on different highways and all look the same.  It looks like they were carved out of the road and then paved over.

Here is a drawing that I just threw together.  The groves I'm referring to are the gray lines in the right lane.

[img]http://www.patriotarms.com/road.jpg[/img]
View Quote


Why, thats tha DNA pattern found on Monica's blue dress. They're making plans to carve it into Mount Rushmore as well. Don't you guys know anything?[:D]
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 5:15:00 AM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Ok, I found the answer. ... This came from the Washington State DOT

What are the two sets of three grooves in the right-hand lane where holes have been drilled and then patched? This is on parts of I-90, I-5 and I-82.

In answer to your question, here is a quick summary of the work that has been going on I-90 and other concrete roads around the state.

...

Therefore to stop the faulting, we put dowel bars longitudinally across the joint where the faulting has occurred.  
View Quote


This story rings true.  In the part of PA I travel daily (I95 around Newtown), they did a similar job.  Instead of grooves, they dug out a square hole about 4' on a side, right down to the dirt.  Then a truck mounted machine drilled a bunch of horizontal holes into the roadway on the front & rear sides of the hole.  (Neat machine, BTW.  It drilled six holes horizontally under the surface.  It appeared to work like six pneumatic jackhammers ganged together.  All hung from a hydraulic boom out in front of the truck.)  They put 1"dia. x 3' long rods into the holes (green chromate primer, so I'll guess steel) and then poured concrete in the holes.  The result was 4' square patches of new concrete every thirty or forty feet.  Shortly thereafter, the road got a new asphalt repave job.  End result, it's beautiful.  I hope it lasts, the job took a year for a twenty mile stretch.
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 1:09:20 PM EDT
[#26]
Do they go up a hill or grade? US 131 has them on slight grades to help the big rigs get traction in ice and snow.
Link Posted: 12/30/2001 1:13:42 PM EDT
[#27]
I thought about this after I saw a Discovery channel (?) story about roadbuilding.  But, I thought the dowel bars had to be dropped in while the concrete was still wet.  I think we've found the answer.
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