Installing speed humps/bumps is a daunting task in road maintenance. It was especially challenging for the Lakewood, Colorado, street maintenance crew, which had to install new speed humps each year following an annual overlay program. The crew handled 7 to 14 tons of 280-degree asphalt for a single speed hump while single-lane flaggers attempted to safely direct impatient drivers.
Determined to come up with a safer and more effective method, the Lakewood staff created an adjustable form that follows Lakewood’s 12-foot and 24-foot speed hump specification. The form is made up with 4x4 timber, flat sock steel sliders, and connectors with an interlock connection, allowing the form to extend from 12 feet to 24 feet. The form completely revolutionized the speed hump installation process: It reduced the number of staff required and increased safety for the crew and residents, all while maximizing daily production.
The materials needed to create the form were simple: three red cedar posts, one flat stock steel plate, and a singular plain round roc. In total, the project cost the county $517. Before the speed hump form, only two 12x30-foot speed bumps would be installed in a day. Now, with the speed hump forms and an asphalt paver, the crews can install six speed humps in a day.
Learn more:
- Kyle Beck, Lakewood, Colorado, 303-987-7951, kylbec@lakewood.org