Lamp Posts Do The Twist To Cut Delays

It sounds like a screwy idea, but Britain's traditional lamp posts are set to be replaced by bolt-in ones! Jams caused by workmen replacing broken posts could soon be eliminated thanks to a British invention being considered by councils.

Auto Express Car Reviews

08th April 2004

The screw-in street light takes minutes to fit, meaning traffic lanes don't need to be coned off for hours. A foundation is buried in the ground with a hollow cylinder designed to hold lamp posts, traffic signals, roadsigns and barriers. If they get bent or broken, they can be pulled out and a replacement slotted in, like a domestic lightbulb.

"It normally takes hours to replace a post, because it has to be dug out with power tools," said John Lawrenson of Poletech, the firm based in Newark, Nottinghamshire, which created the system. "With ours, the swap is done in minutes."

See page 18 of this week's issue: Did you know?