Traffic signal installation highlights the value of field experience, safety discipline and agency coordination when unexpected conditions emerge.
Roadway Electric, a subsidiary of Pulice – a FlatironDragados company, is nearing completion of its traffic signal and electrical scope on the Layton Lakes project in Chandler, Ariz., in the Phoenix metro area’s East Valley.
The work spans the traffic signal installation sequence, beginning below grade with conduit, pole foundations, meter and traffic signal foundations and conductors. Above ground, Roadway crews are installing poles, cabinets, signal heads, video detection equipment, CCTV equipment, street name signs and preemption devices.
For Superintendent Emmanuel Ramirez, the project showed why experience matters even on a relatively small site.
“Team leadership and good communication played an important role in accomplishing our goal,” Emmanuel said.
What traffic signal work did Roadway Electric perform at Layton Lakes?
Roadway’s scope required coordination between underground electrical work and final traffic signal equipment installation. Crews first installed the conduit and foundations that support the system, then pulled conductors and moved into aboveground installation.
“That sequence gives little room for error, Emmanuel said. “Conflicts below grade can affect foundations, conduit routing and the equipment that follows.”
Emmanuel said Roadway’s traffic signal construction experience across its area managers, project managers, foremen, operators and laborers helped the team work through the project’s challenges while maintaining its focus on safety and quality.
What challenge affected the Layton Lakes traffic signal installation?
One of the project’s biggest challenges emerged during installation of a traffic signal pole foundation, when the team located a 16-inch water main that did not have a confirmed owner at the time.
The conflict stopped that portion of the work while Roadway coordinated with the general contractor and the City of Chandler to identify a solution. An HOA ultimately claimed ownership of the line, allowing the project team to move forward.
“We worked together to find the best solution to the problems that come up,” Emmanuel said of Roadway’s relationship with the City of Chandler.
Why did collaboration matter on the Chandler project?
For electrical and traffic signal contractors, the Layton Lakes project illustrates how field conditions can quickly change the execution plan. Resolving those conditions depends on clear communication, experienced crews and productive relationships with contractors and public agencies.
Emmanuel credited the City of Chandler traffic signal team for its knowledge and willingness to help address issues as they arose.
As Roadway finishes its work at Layton Lakes, the project reflects a core strength of traffic signal construction: combining underground expertise, electrical installation, field leadership and agency coordination to deliver a functioning intersection system safely and with attention to quality.