For DC-area Dopers: this photo was taken near the interchange of Telegraph Road and the Beltway, in Virginia. The things hanging from the power lines seem to be red or orange horizontal bars a few feet long, hanging from rods or wires, perhaps 20-30 feet long (my sense of scale is off). They’ve been there for several years now.
The picture makes it seem as though some of the horizontal bars are connected to other lower lines, however this is not the case; they’re all free-hanging.
I’ve seen power lines with orange balls on them, mostly south of here along I-95, and those would presumably be to make them more visible to aircraft. I’d suspect the same thing here, BUT, these are a lot more numerous than you’d think would be needed. And I think they’re only in the area around that interchange, not further up/down the Beltway for example.
Of note: there is reworking of the Beltway ramps etc. being done around there, and I thought maybe they were to keep the ramps from accidentally being built too high or something - but there’s no concrete anywhere near these.
If there is construction going on, or soon will be, and given that they seem to be hanging from the lower wires, I would say that they are to warn lift equipment operators of an overhead hazard. That’s not at all uncommon on construction sites with overhead power lines because it REALLY sucks (in multiple ways) to catch one of those lines with your crane or boom lift or bucket truck.
FTR - Aircraft markers tend to be placed on the highest wires since they typically are approached from above, while overhead hazard markers are put on the lowest wires to warn things approaching from below.
Since there have been a couple of solid serious answers offered, may I offer the suggestion that they’re what sneakers evolve into after extensive weathering and exposure to the elements?
You would think this would be easily googled. I couldn’t find anything useful under “power line damper”. I suspect the triangles I see on power lines also act as dampers for different frequencies.
But only if they meld - in exactly the right environmental circumstances - with proliferating coat hangers to form the vertical-drop portion
Thanks for the info, folks - it’s quite possible they are a sort of vibration dampers as suggested by Squink et al. They are right in the middle of a very wide uninterrupted expanse of wires (as in, the poles are a long way apart, presumably due to the road placement etc.). Maybe they do some sort of double duty as visibility aids for when cranes are brought into play in the future.
I know they weren’t there back before the whole Wilson Bridge project started (however many years ago that was).
They’re in the wrong place for any useful damping, if I understand what I’ve read correctly. While hazard marking is a good possibility, they might also be bird diverters – brightly colored twirly things are commonly used to keep birds from roosting on lines.
They are there as an indicator of lower hanging wires further down the same road, possibly the ones in the background of that same pic, or a bridge or flyover (is that one in the foreground?). If your truck brushes those, stop immediately, you’re about to run into something.
They seem to be too high up for that and the fact that exactly three of the objects are on each of the phases of the lower transmission section my vote is that its definitely to keep the transmission line from galloping.
Not knowing anything else about this situation I can only offer a guess that the distance between transmission poles had to be lengthened beyond some comfort zone due to road right of way requirements. To insure that the lines wouldn’t gallop into each other during windy conditions anti gallop devices were added.
If you mean the thing blocking the upper left part of the picture, that’s the roof of my car - the pic was taken while I was stopped at a traffic light. There isn’ any kind of ramp anywhere near the power lines at present. The power lines are pretty high up - it’s hard to tell from the photo but I’d guess they’re 40-50 feet in the air. Google Street View shows them also, and this might make it easier to visualize the intersection. Try tilting the pic up toward the sky a little bit.
My guess is probably not (obviously I could be wrong!!). This is on a surface street, vs. the highway; you have to go a quarter mile or so north of there to even see the Beltway overpass. If they were watching for traffic flow on highway feeder roads (as this is) we’d see such things on other roads near the highway.
Also, since the only toll road in the area is 25ish miles away from that intersection, I’d hazard a guess that most cars passing through there don’t have EZ-Pass in place. I don’t for example (well, I do have a transponder but I only mount it when I’m travelling somewhere it’ll be needed).
I noticed this morning that they look a lot like the long skinny frames which hold up traffic lights and intersection signs. Take a look on your way home tonight. . .
I’m betting that ramp is eventually going to go right under them, and signage or signals will hang from them.
