Decorative lamp posts installed on some Cleveland overpasses will require a four-man crew to replace the bulbs and lane closures on the highway below.
That’s according to Ward 12 City Councilman Anthony Brancatelli, who told News 5 he just learned about the safety issue on Tuesday in a meeting with Ohio Department of Transportation officials.
The meeting concerned replacing the Broadway Avenue overpass above I-77 in Cleveland.
ODOT said the extra manpower is needed because unlike traditional overhanging streetlights, those decorative lamp posts stick straight up and down with nuts and bolts potentially flying into traffic below.
“So when you ask the proverbial question how many city employees does it take to change a lightbulb, it’s four,” he said, standing on Fleet Avenue near Slavic Village. "Two up on top and two down below directing traffic.”
Those decorative posts are going up on several bridges crossing I-77. Brancatelli said he has a fix — longer-lasting LED bulbs.
“So our protocol for replacing will be much further spaced out,” he said.
