
Courtesy Photo/Heather Hagelberg: This Gold Star Boulevard sign before Exit 1 on the southbound side of I-190 fell into the middle of the highway Tuesday.
WORCESTER — It all came down to faulty anchor bolts.
At least that’s what the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) concluded during a preliminary investigation into why a sign fell in the middle of I-190 last week.
According to the Telegram & Gazette, MassDOT’s spokeswoman Kristen Pennucci said the department is in the process of inspecting all 52 signs that line the I-190 corridor.
The inspection is in response to the Exit 1 sign that State Police say fell at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
No one was injured and no cars were damaged in the fall.
More: MassDOT is still trying to figure out why a highway sign fell in the middle of I-190 yesterday
According to MassDOT, the Exit 1 sign was 24 years old. Representatives from the agency said that most of the signs on the state highways are less than 25 years old.
Pennucci said that a $5.1 million project to replace all 52 signs which was initially scheduled to go out to bid in November, has been moved up to September because of last week’s accident.
Pennucci added that the foundations and sign structures of 31 signs on the I-90 corridor have been inspected as of Tuesday, Aug. 16. The remaining signs are scheduled to be inspected in the next two weeks.