It isn’t yet clear why, but a traffic-light-bearing mast stretching over State Road 100 at Flagler Avenue in Flagler Beach, just before the bridge, bent and struck the road this morning around 10:30, causing some havoc with traffic.
“I know it didn’t hit anything, which is the good thing, so I don’t know if it came down slowly or not,” Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney said. A close-up of the mast arm’s junction with the vertical pole suggests the metal degraded and split as if along a seam.
“It just looks like the arm bent” on the northwest corner of 100 and Flagler Avenue, the chief said. “Our traffic signals are worked on by the City of Palm Coast, so they’ve been notified and they’re on scene, as if FDOT,” the Florida Department of Transportation. Since 100 is a state road, it’s under the state’s jurisdiction in some regards. Palm Coast oversees technical aspects of all traffic lighting across the county, including in Bunnell, Flagler Beach and unincorporated parts of the county.
“The city maintains the traffic cabinets, but we do not maintain the mast arms or poles,” Brittany Kershaw, Palm Coast’s communications director, said. “Those are the property of FDOT. We are out there disconnecting the power and on standby, but FDOT will install a temporary replacement until final repairs can be made.”
Flagler Beach police officers have been at the scene redirecting traffic and hoping for a quick resolution, with heat being a factor.
Eastbound traffic off the bridge and into the city is not affected. For anyone heading west on 100 and looking to cross the bridge, Doughney said drivers should take South Daytona Avenue to North Flagler Avenue and make a left onto 100, toward the bridge. He had not gotten word from FDOT as to when the mast would be removed or a temporary replacement installed.
“It should be someone’s responsibility to inspect these mast arms and condemn any bad ones,” Flagler Beach Commissioner Rick Belhumeur, who’d been to the scene, said. “Luckily no one got hurt or killed.”
Brian says
Anyone who lives at the beach, as I do, gets used to things deteriorating pretty quickly in the salt air. As Mr. Belhumeur suggested, it probably would be prudent to inspect these things periodically. Thankfully no one was hurt and no cars destroyed.
The Sour Kraut says
I wonder how old it is (was). Either it was defective at manufacture or maintenance was lacking. Either way, all of these masts should be inspected. Can you imagine if all of the masts are in the same shape and we have a direct hit from a hurricane? Nobody, including emergency responders, will be able to get anywhere.
pete says
LIGHTING HIT IT AND WEAKED IT
JimboXYZ says
Metals & welds are like that, they corrode/rust with the salt air & moisture, then they will fatigue under stress. Aluminum is strong, very rigid, but when it fails, like carbon fiber it will fail catastrophically. Easiest comparison would the the failure of a bicycle fork made of carbon steel vs aluminum vs carbon fiber (the epoxy medium fails) A steel pipe mist like bends or sags before it will eventually fail. Aluminum & carbon fiber will break almost instantaneously in comparison.
Laurel says
Maybe the effects of salt air on Chinese aluminum.
Salt Air says
Galvenized steel on beachside should be inspected regularly especially on the inside and welded joints as the salt air orrosion eats it up, Why you need a new BBQ every year!
Tim says
Hope they are inspecting the other stop lights
Snoop says
Got to be hard inspecting the inside of a mast arm like that