Traffic Sign Posts

Every sign on a highway, state route, or city street sits on a post system that must accomplish two things: hold the sign panel stable through wind, snow, and ice — then break away cleanly if a vehicle strikes it. Ideal Fencing Corp installs DOT-specified sign post systems across Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, Wyoming, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Nebraska. From single U-channel posts on rural state routes to multi-post breakaway systems on interstate shoulders, our crews handle the sign support infrastructure that DOT maintenance programs depend on.

Sign Post Systems

**U-Channel Posts**: The most commonly used sign support for ground-mounted signs up to 12 square feet. Galvanized or painted steel U-channel posts driven into the ground with breakaway bases when required by proximity to travel lanes. We install U-channel posts per state DOT standard drawings, which specify post size, embedment depth, and mounting height based on sign panel area and local wind loads.

**Square Tube Posts**: 2-inch and 2.5-inch perforated square tube (PST) posts for lightweight sign panels. Used for street name signs, regulatory signs, and warning signs in urban and suburban locations. Standard breakaway base assemblies allow the post to shear on vehicle impact per MASH TL-3 requirements.

**Breakaway Steel Posts**: Wide-flange steel and tubular steel posts with slip-base or frangible-base breakaway systems for larger ground-mounted signs. Required for interstate and high-speed highway signs where vehicle impact energy is high. We install slip-base systems with calibrated bolt torque per manufacturer specifications to ensure proper breakaway performance.

**Multi-Post Installations**: Large guide signs and overhead panel signs require two or more posts supporting a horizontal span. We install multi-post configurations with breakaway bases, cross-bracing, and splice connections per DOT structural design drawings. Foundation work includes drilled shafts, spread footings, or direct embedment depending on sign size and soil conditions.

DOT Standards and Wind Engineering

Sign post selection is not arbitrary — every state DOT publishes standard drawings that specify post type, size, embedment, and breakaway requirements based on sign panel area, mounting height, wind zone, and proximity to the travel lane. Wind engineering is particularly critical in our service territory: Front Range winds in Colorado regularly exceed 80 mph, Kansas plains experience sustained 60+ mph gusts, and mountain passes in Idaho, Utah, and Oregon create venturi effects that amplify wind loads on sign panels.

We engineer sign post installations for local wind conditions per ASCE 7 and the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals. Our proposals include post size calculations, foundation designs, and breakaway system specifications — not just a labor bid.

Production and Scale

Our sign post crews install 15 to 40 sign posts per day depending on soil conditions, foundation type, and sign size. We maintain inventories of U-channel, square tube, and breakaway base hardware at our regional yards for rapid mobilization. For DOT sign replacement programs, we provide turnkey service including old post removal, new post installation, sign panel transfer, and site restoration.

Investment

Sign post installation ranges from $150 to $800 per post for standard U-channel and square tube installations, depending on post size, breakaway requirements, and soil conditions. Multi-post breakaway systems for large guide signs range from $3,000 to $12,000 per installation including foundations. We provide unit pricing per DOT bid item format for competitive comparison.