Costly Main Street traffic lights rusting:City has contacted supplier to fix the defect

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Rust spots are appearing on some of the newly installed traffic poles downtown. (Amy Satterwhite photo)

The spit-shine appearance given to the first phase of the downtown project is being tarnished by rusting traffic light poles, which are almost brand new.

Three of seven traffic light poles, which cost almost $50,000 combined, have already been installed at the intersection of Main and Chancery streets, but officials said they have noticed spotty rust on those poles. They also report the problem appears to extend to the other four traffic light poles scheduled to be installed.

City leaders mentioned the rust several weeks ago and mentioned it again during the last bi-weekly progress meeting between contractors and administrators.

At that meeting, construction administrator Rob Clary of engineering firm EG&G, Inc. said they would make a telephone call to the pole supplier, which is Union Metal, but so far nothing has been physically done about the problem.

However, EG&G site superintendent Ed Vander Horst, who is providing daily on-site supervision for the engineering company locally, said he had spoken with EG&G construction administrator Rob Clary Thursday. Vander Horst said Clary assured him someone from Union Metal would come to assess the problem and fix it, but did not know when that might occur.

Vander Horst said his perception of the problem is the strapping that held the poles when primer was initially applied may have caused the primer to be applied inadequately. He said the rust spots are in the same vicinity on each pole. Another official disagreed and said the rust is occurring sporadically.

McMinnville Electric System technically owns the poles.