Here in Hampton Roads Virginia, they are putting barriers up on the freeways.

[Tyler Durden]

On I-64 there are GATES appearing on all of the entrance and exit ramps. They resemble the railroad style barriers you've seen on a thousand WWII movies manned by NAZIs, except these are STEEL and they look massively strong.

This IS a rather concentrated Military area, also it's close to DC, but this creeps me big time.

We are on vacation, and maybe would like to retire to Norfolk area, but this does concern me.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Gearing up for the next lihop perhaps and readying the environ for

martial law?? Be afraid, be very afraid.

[havocmom]

2. Have seen them on ramps onto highways in WY, but that is due to snow

They don't want fools taking off down the roads likely to be shut by brutal blizzards.

Seriously doubt killer winter storms are a reason for such things in the VA area.

Locals? Whazzup?

[Newsjock]

3. one possibility

It could be connected to some type of hurricane evacuation plan, where they make the freeways all one-way before and after the storm.

[peacebird]

4. I was told its for traffic control in event of a hurricane

so they can open up all routes out of Hampton Roads and keep people from coming in

fwiw - even knowing that it creeped me out too

[Tyler Durden]

5. These are REALLY STRONG GATES.

Each one of the pair can cross the freeway ramp. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but sometimes it's not whether you're paranoid but whether you're paranoid ENOUGH.

[lynnertic]

31. Good, they have to be able to withstand hurricane-force winds.

My Dad told me they were to prevent head-on collisions. When the population is evacuated for hurricanes both sides of the road will be used to go out. He works for the Hampton 911 dispatch center.

They went up after Katrina.

[nashville_brook]

40. the Atlantic coast of Florida doesn't use "hurricane gates"

i haven't been down to South Florida in a few years, so I can't say there's any sort of contraption used there. I drive down the coast from Jacksonville to Melbourne quite frequently, though -- and there's no gate situation on this north-central stretch.

i noticed these gates first in April of 2005 -- before Katrina -- and I noticed them farther inland than one would expect for storm preparation. I was so intrigued that I took and exit for gas and asked the person in the store about them. She said they were for hurricanes, but expressed doubt/sarcasm, too.

If they are intended to be used for "hurricane traffic control" I wonder which way they intend to direct the traffic. People were trapped in New Orleans with barriers and armed guards at all the bridges. Traffic "control" wasn't about getting the people to safety, rather, it was to keep them barricaded in the flooded city.

i don't know what these gates are for, but "hurricane traffic control" doesn't make a lot of sense regardless of what VDOT says. I think it's reasonable to wonder what these are for and also reasonable to be concerned that their practical use might not match their stated use. at the very least,

[Midlodemocrat]

47. They are to reverse the traffic on I-64 to get as many people

out of the Hampton Roads area as possible in the event of a hurricane.

All traffic will be west bound, hence the gates preventing anyone from going east bound.

[glitch]

48. "People were trapped in New Orleans with barriers and armed guards at all the bridges."

Do the gated off ramps only lead to posh neighborhoods? Question answered. Can't have the rabble trying alternate routes, why, they might be hungry or thirsty.

[katamaran]

51. No, they are on every exit...rich and poor

There are no "posh" neighborhoods off the interstate here. They're manually operated gates that anyone can raise or lower if needed.

[glitch]

52. Good, and "thanks" for the answer. nt

[donsu]

50. like Judge Judy says - if it doesn't make sense, it ain't true

nt

[tnlurker]

6. my guess

They setting these up to keep undesirables (the little people) out of D.C. when the shit hits the fan. War with Iran, "terrorist attack" or whatever.

[Wiley50]

7. At The Same Time That They're Deploying Troops To DC?

I'd say Beware The Ides of September

Something Bad is going down

AND I MEAN SOON!

When the Media gets the sheeple all wound up remember 9/11
like they do every year since
and people are more likely to support more mideast madness

They will attack Iran

And
Declare Martial Law

Call me paranoid now, if you must

But remember to call me a correct when it happens

And Above All

Call me to mealtime because food will become scarce

[Individualist]

9. Connect the dots

You're not paranoid.

[mzteris]

12. deploying troops to DC?

OK - what've I missed now.

Can you fill me in?

[jtrockville]

20. Here 'ya go:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1650150

[Carni]

43. Thank you

I just asked for a link farther up the thread (nevermind!) Thanks

[warren pease]

13. Probably won't be able to call you at all...

All phones tapped; the internet disabled; internment centers open for business. Nice knowing you, Wiley.


wp

[Carni]

42. Do you have a link to the troops/DC thing?

Not being sarcastic--I really hadn't heard about this and would like to check it out!

[pinto]

8. My guess. There's federal money in bioterrorism/homeland security budgets.

I would caution against assumption of some kind of hidden agenda. I lived in the District in the late 70's and there was an evacuation plan in place at that time. It entailed making the major exit highways one way - out of the district - including that center lane that was there at the time.

This may seem overblown, but I would guess it's more of the same.

And, that said, I could be wrong, but I don't read too much into it....:shrug:

[warren pease]

10. Here's a related thread you might find interesting...

OP Headline: Troops deploying to Washington DC

Source: http://www.wesh.com/news/13949580/detail.html

Full thread here: http://tinyurl.com/2kmg5l


Also, in Portland this week, we've got our very own Operation Noble Eagle going on. There's a thread from a couple of days ago on GD that I'm going to try to find. I'm lousy with DU's search engine, so have at it yourself if you're interested. The only thing I remember about the OP subject line is that it was about half UPPER CASE. Helpful, eh?

wp

[warren pease]

11. And here's the other thread...

Starts off with this statement:

<<<A convergence of events logically leads to a conclusion that only the most naive observer would deny - that an upcoming crisis may be in the pipeline that will signal the green light for such provisions to be enacted. World stock markets continued to plunge today despite billions in liquidity being pumped into the system by governments in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

With a prolonged slump leading to fears of a recession on the horizon, many worry that a run on the banks could cause chaos on American streets and give the government an excuse to enact state of emergency procedures that Bush recently codified into law with his Presidential Decision Directive of May 9th.

Others see the designation of Iran's military wing as a terrorist organization by the White House as an ominous indication that a military strike is being finalized, as five U.S. aircraft carriers circulate the Persian Gulf.>>>

Full thread here: http://tinyurl.com/292hcc

There's a video link and a Global Research link in the OP. My comments about what's up in Portland are about 2/3 down the page.


wp

[OzarkDem]

16. Really disturbing

I still think they're trying to intimidate Dems in Congress.

[warren pease]

18. Maybe, but I'm more concerned with the protests scheduled for 9/15 n/t

[Zomby Woof]

14. Don't retire there

The place is a hellhole. From Virginia Beach to Hampton and all places in-between, it's a fundie/freeper/ignorant conclave of boring strip malls and boring people.

[marions ghost]

27. Not all the people are freepers

Norfolk and Peninsula always go blue in every election. I still have some friends there and my family of hardcore liberal Dems originates from there, though most have moved. It used to be a beautiful area with water all around and gentle sea breezes and lots of maritime vegetation when my mother grew up there. :cry:

Virginia Beach & Chesapeake were destroyed by over development, which the largely Republican business people and local government have facilitated. The locals colluded with outside interests to wreck the place in a very short time in the 60's-70's, and it's ongoing now. The influential people in the area did and still do nothing whatsoever to stop it. The pillars of the community who could have conceivably put some curbs on it looked the other way. So I guess they pay the price for their lack of vision. Nature has been effectively eradicated, except for the crowded strips of beaches.

Hampton Roads is today a "hellhole" as you say... of crap shopping malls and endless suburbs with no coherence, I agree with that. Traffic is a nightmare, especially because of the bottlenecking at all the bridges and causeways. There are serious pollution problems, especially the water. Sometimes you DO have to takes the blinders off and not see things as the Chamber of Commerce would prefer you to see it.

I'm sure there are other examples of the horrors of sprawl in this country, but I can think of no better than what happened to the area known as Tidewater, or Hampton Roads, Virginia. You can have some development, but there's a way to do it wrong. And this was all wrong. I don't forgive them.

There are good people there, but not in leadership positions so much. The exploiters won in Hampton Roads.

[Zomby Woof]

61. I lived there for over 12 years

I lived there off an on from Nixon's second term through the end of Reagan. I have visited several times all the way through the current occupant. It is safe to say it's only gotten worse, and it was never a bargain.

There's a reason nearly one quarter of the land is part of the 'Dismal Swamp'.

The jellyfish-infested beaches, the overdevelopment on marsh land, the fact you can't turn around without walking into the side of a church... it's flat, dull, humid as hell in the summer, and plenty cold in the winter.

There's no nice way of saying it - the place sucks.

[Blue_Tires]

28. it's not so bad

plenty of DUers like myself are born/raised/live here...You just got to seek us out

[Zomby Woof]

62. See my reply just above

I knew plenty of people who were born and raised there, and they too couldn't wait to get the hell out.

I spent most of my K-12 school age years there, including all of high school and half of college. I have visited several times since I left - one of my friends still lives there, although he hates it too.

I was a registered Democrat in Virginia Beach, in the same precinct as Pat Robertson. Being a liberal, atheist, Democrat in a hostile environment politically toughened me. It also made it one of the happiest days of my life when I left it in the rearview mirror.

When you have lived elsewhere like I have, you realize how truly vile and dead a place like 'Tidewater' is.

No skin off my nose that you and others like it. Knock yourself out. ;-)

[FourScore]

15. This could be a dumb question,

but have you called the Highway Dept to find out what their explanation is? I think I would start there.

[marions ghost]

25. yes, call VDOT

at least get an official explanation of what it's about. If they say "hurricane evacuation" ask how concerned citizens can get some info about their overall plan. People need to know especially since the whole area depends on bridges and tunnels so much.

The VDOT website which is usually up-to-date should mention the construction. If it doesn't, well--that could mean you're not supposed to notice. But give them a chance to answer directly to citizen inquiry.

If you get no satisfactory answers call the Virginian-Pilot and see if you can get some publicity on it.

Update here if you get any info. I know some people in the area who might have some insights and I'll ask around.

[Tsiyu]

17. The highway system belongs to the military i was once told

true?

They have those barriers in South Georgia as well, near army bases but also along hurricane evac routes....they are kinda creepy looking

[onenote]

24. no

[LeftHander]

36. Interstate system was designed for moving nukes in cold war

And moving troops....as well as killing rail and making GM the largest corp in the world.

[Tesha]

38. Sorta-kinda, but not really. See...

Sorta-kinda, but not really. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System

Essentially, the system was built to allow the movement
of huge amounts of defense (sic) troops and materiel in
the event of a war. It also allows for use as emergency
runways for aircraft. (Wiki says "no" on this last bit,
but many lightplanes every year say otherwise ;) .)

But the highways are "owned" by the states.

Tesha

[seemslikeadream]

19. I hear the Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed Labor Day weekend

[warren pease]

21. Now that would start the revolution. n/t

[Garbo 2004]

23. They're working on the bridge. Last year it was closed eastbound. This year in both directions.

Info here: http://www.baybridgeinfo.org/

[qdemn7]

26. Damn that is a

Unique way of fixing a bridge. Wow!

[onenote]

22. hurricane gates

Explained here: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hurricane_gates.asp

[Stinky The Clown]

30. Party pooper

Letting facts get in the way of a good conspiracy theory? Shame on you.

[onenote]

32. i know. i've tried various 12-step programs for it, but its apparently incurable

[alphafemale]

56. Hurricane Gates.

We've had them on I-16 in GA for years.

[Pacifist Patriot]

29. The picture on the VDOT website looks like the gates on I-16 in Georgia.

Never understood why we don't have anything similar in FL....oh wait, that's because we can get it coming AND going. ;)

[hd1200]

33. Barriers are all over the midwest on freeways and always have been

In the midwest they use them to close freeways in case of blizzards or rainstorms. We even have them on a lot of plain old highways.

[YankeyMCC]

34. I lived there for a couple of years...

at first I kinda liked it, but I didn't like the massive over-development that was happening. It took me almost an hour to commute 6 miles down I-64 to the base where I worked.

Hampton Roads was historically blue but there were still plenty of "Dixie" flags and signs around and now there certainly are a lot of military there.

[Perky]

35. It is probably Hurricane evacuation route work so that

they can clear the town s using both east and west bound lanes.

[LeftHander]

37. Got blizzard gates in upper plains states....nt

[Squatch]

39. They were emplaced to control Chemtrails

Here's an example of an obsolete chemtrail disperser:



It's been determined that to effectively control chemtrails, these things are best placed on highway on and off ramps and painted in red and white candystripes like this:



Notice how the worker is carefully aiming the chemtrail disperser to maximize protection of Virginia motorists. I think you need to call the VDOT and express gratitude at the government's concern for your well-being.

[RB TexLa]

41. No one has put one of these pictures on this thread yet? Has to be posted. FEMA

As in: "Look what FEMA has built! You can go in, but you can NEVER go out!"



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[pepperbear]

44. they're meant to be used in the event of a hurricane. n/t

[katamaran]

45. They're HURRICANE GATES

They're Hurricane Gates that were installed over the past few years in order to reverse the interstates to evacuate quickly in case of emergency. Hampton Roads is considered one of the hardest to evacuate areas in the country due to only having one main interstate that most people will likely flock to to get out of town in case of a hurricane. VDOT will open the other side of the interstate so there are double the lanes to evacuate. The other two main evacuation routes, Routes 58 and 460, are in line for major upgrades and widening to add to the traffic flow. Not everything is a damn conspiracy.

[Midlodemocrat]

46. Dude, take off the tin foil hat. Those gates are there to reverse traffic on I-64

in the event of a hurricane. All lanes of I-64 will become west bound to get as many people as possible out of harm's way.

[donsu]

49. creeps me out too

nt

[BeHereNow]

53. The REAL POINT OF THIS THREAD IS....WHY do we even have to WONDER?????

What is revealed by this thread and the nature of the replies is this:

WE DON'T TRUST THE MOTHER FUCKERS.

And with GOOD reason.

That is all.

BHN

[Individualist]

58. Anyone who isn't paranoid hasn't been paying attention.

[B2G]

60. Who don't we trust?

The current adminstration or government in general?

Because I've been seeing this conspiracy crap forever. When Nixon, Reagan Bush 1 & Clinton were all in office. For years now, concentration camps have been supposedly under construction in preparation for the declaration of martial law, suspension of the constitution and permanent installation of whoever the president du jour is.

The pubes said it when Clinton was in office. It didn't happen then, it won't happen now. Get over it. It's old.

[onethatcares]

64. in those previous administrations did we lose

habeus corpus? was there not so secret spying on everyones phone conversations? was GITMO housing more than the naval stockade? I'm just wondering here. Since the selection in 2000 way too many things have happened, beginning with 9/11/01, to think that this time they might just start the clamp down. With the economy in the shitter, people losing their houses, people losing their jobs, a war without end, and corporations doing as they please, do you trust your government?

[GrantDem]

54. Link...

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hurricane_gates.asp

[muffin1]

55. They are there in case of a hurricane...

they do look rather ominous, but I think they are there to direct traffic in emergencies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

57. Those are standard around military bases

to protect against attacks, but if they are on freeways... they could be used for other goals

[B2G]

59. If VA didn't install them

and they were smacked with a major hurricane, everyone here would be screaming that "some sort of gate system should have been installed to assist in evacuations!!!"

sigh.

[appleannie1]

63. Gov Work Outside D.C.'s Fallout Zone, list of offices moved

Winchester and its neighbors along Interstate 81 in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley have much to recommend themselves to potential employers, including a low cost of living, access to a major highway and views of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.

More recently, though, the area has been successfully trumpeting another attribute: It is just outside the "blast zone."



Development is booming along Interstate 81 near Winchester, Va., as federal agencies move to relocate offices. (By Scott Mason For The Washington Post)



In a little-noticed migration with implications for both greater Washington and the valley, several federal agencies, including the FBI, are relocating operations to the I-81 corridor. Helping drive the shift is the government's emphasis on security in a post-Sept. 11 world, which turns Winchester's location 75 miles from Washington into a geographic ideal. It is far enough from the capital to escape the fallout of a nuclear explosion -- a distance often estimated at 50 miles -- but still close enough so that employees can get to the District relatively easily when they need to.
snip

The moves represent a level of dispersal even beyond other recently announced federal moves, including the military's planned relocation of 22,000 jobs from the District and inner suburbs to Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax County and the FBI's relocation of its Northern Virginia field office from Tysons Corner to Manassas.

snip

FEMA has chosen a farm just outside town for an operations center that will employ 700 people. Local officials say this would include positions moved from Mount Weather, the government's hilltop emergency center on the border of Loudoun and Clarke counties, so that that facility could be devoted to national security instead of natural disasters.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500637.html Things that make you go hmmmmmm