Ryan Petersen and Kyle Martin (blue shirt), sign fabricators, manufacturing a large interstate sign.
ITD Sign Shop support during Covid Crisis
extends beyond department to community
ITD’s Sign and Signal shops, along with Traffic Supply, are continuing to support the department during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the groups recently pulled together for the safety of the community.
On Friday (April 17), a critical interstate hospital sign was knocked down. The sign shop coordinated ordering and redesign work through the weeke
nd, and was able to fabricate the sign in just one business day. This allowed the District 3 sign crew to reinstall the sign Tuesday (April 21). Sign installation pictured at left.
This was the story from Sign Shop Coordinator Brett Purvis:
“On Friday, we got a call from Alan Huey of D3 that a large Interstate sign (13 feet x 11 feet) had been knocked down for St. Alphonsus hospital off Curtis Road. He went to work on his end figuring out posts, while we started laying out a new and upgraded sign, with new materials and brighter sheeting for better visual impact.
“By Sunday night, we had a text and email chain going on how to tackle the sign and get one completed for the D3 sign crew to reinstall. Brett Purvis (sign coordinator) had sketched out a rendition of the sign following the guidance of the sign crew. By Sunday night, Ryan Peterson had the sign laid out using Adobe from home. On Monday morning, the sign team met at the shop and began production of the sign. It was completed in one day and Kyle Martin, Ryan Peterson and Don Williams dropped everything to get the important sign done. Gabe Sielaff in Traffic Supply was also crucial.”
“The sign was picked up Tuesday by the sign crew, ready to be installed. It was a great team effort, done in record time at a critical time for public health assistance. In addition, two other important advisory signs were replaced that had recently been knocked down.“
Since the work-from-home order was issued March 26, the groups have collaborated to ship approximately 36 signs and 700 delineators to D1, 700 delineators to D2, 40 signs to D3, 190 signs to D4, 127 signs to D5, and 10 signs to D6. Besides the huge number of signs shipped, the sign shop has also produced – manufactured but not shipped - 804 additional signs.
The team has been available to help industry professionals as subject matter experts, and has shared innovations on minimizing manufacturing waste where supplies are running short. The signal shop also has been able to test eight signal cabinets in Coeur d’Alene, St. Anthony, Nampa and District 4, helping to minimize project delays.
Ryan Petersen, sign fabricator, standing next to the vynil cutter.
Published 04-24-20