Oklahoma's use of cable barriers in medians prone to crossover collisions is saving lives, officials said Tuesday.
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There were no fatalities in the first six months of this year because of crossover accidents where median barriers were present, John Fuller, chief engineer for the state Department of Transportation, said Tuesday. Fuller told state transportation commissioners the state has averaged 34 crossover fatalities the past four years.
There were six crossover fatalities in the first six months of this year where there were no median barriers.
The commission launched the program in February 2007 to install mostly cable barriers plus some concrete barriers on medians with high accident histories. The state has erected 89 barrier miles so far. Another 142 miles are under construction and an additional 41 miles will be contracted in the next three months, Fuller said.
"With the trend we are seeing and the reduction of fatalities, it appears that the installation of cable barriers has been one of the most effective, if not the most effective, safety improvements the department has made,” Fuller said. "What's very encouraging for us is we're seeing that much effect with only 89 miles in place.”
State Transportation Secretary Phil Tomlinson is quite familiar with crossover accidents.
Three weeks ago, a car in front of him went out of control and crashed into the cable barrier on Interstate 40 about five miles east of Tinker Air Force Base. Two women got out of the car, surveyed the damage and drove away, apparently without significant injury.
"It was just amazing to watch it happen,” Tomlinson said. "It caught them like a spider web catches prey.”
It prompted Tomlinson to telephone Gary Ridley, director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
"Ridley, your cable barriers work,” he told the DOT chief.
About 10 years ago, Tomlinson's son and a friend were traveling on I-35 about 30 miles from Fort Worth, Texas, when a car crossed into their lane. Tomlinson's son survived, but his friend was killed, Tomlinson said.
The first cable barriers were installed in Oklahoma City as a demonstration project in 2001.
"As best we knew then, it was the only such design available, and it was available in Europe. It was called the Brifen system, and we installed it on Lake Hefner Parkway to see how effective it would be stopping crossover accidents,” Fuller said.
Since its installation, the cables have been hit by cars more than 500 times, but none of the hits by cars resulted in fatalities, he said. A fatality did result from a truck hitting one of the cables, he added.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation Web site, cable barriers have been used on the nation's highways since the 1930s. The modern system, which uses three cables supported by steel posts, was developed in the 1960s and is now used in several states.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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I'm seeing ignorance again. Many states(most of them, from what I've seen) even have those little connector roads in RURAL areas. If an interstate is there, rural or otherwise, the connector roads are present as well. It's not just a metro area that has them. Is that clear enough?? Believe it or not Joanna, there are actually many states that once you get 10 minutes from a suburban area the roads are still asphalt. I've always been intrigued by the amount of dirt roads between Shawnee and Tecumseh, even though it's only 5 minutes out of town....
Paul, Yukon: Wow!! I just asked a question for those of us that have a long commute to work, but thanks for letting me know that we really do live in these civilized states?? That is just fine for you people who live in a metro area where they DO put U-Turns every mile or so, but for those of us who have to drive 40 plus miles a day to work & pass the cable barriers for miles on end with NO U-Turns, it is a concern. It may seem trivial to you, but it is a worry for others!
As someone who has lost a best friend -- Alicia Layne -- due to a crossover on I-35, I would like to say I am so thrilled ODOT is installing barriers on our Oklahoma highways. Not only do I feel safer on our roads but I feel my family and friends are safer too. I only wish they had barriers when the semitruck ran my friend off the road causing a head-on collision, which took her life and almost the life of her sister. I agree OHP and ambulances should be able to access people by crossing the median, but that is why they have put crossovers every so many miles. God Bless!
So Oklahoma is the only place in the world where people drive and talk on a cell phone at the same time? Wow. Would someone please explain to me the joy some people get by insulting others for no reason whatsoever. What an angry and sad life you must lead if a source of your entertainment is trying to hurt someone’s feelings for pleasure.
"Questions: Has anybody thought about if a bad accident does happen, how are emergency crews going to be able to have access to hurt people if they can't cross over?"...they have these things in civilized states called "U-Turn lanes". It's a remarkable concept really, put a small connector road in the median between the lanes....usually every mile or so , then no traveling 11 miles to respond to an accident....brilliant!!!!!
Too many people have died due to crossover accidents. I have had a car crossover and come at me head-on. I was lucky--they didn't hit me.
Riding motorcycles is a risk you take daily--as is driving a car. I can see how they would be a huge scare for motorcyclists. If motorcycles were the main form of transportation, I could see spending 5 times as much to put in concrete barriers. Until then, saving the lives of the many people who have died because some idiot decided to drive across Lake Hefner Parkway's median seems to be a little more important.
Joanna if you ask any trooper out there they will all tell you the same thing about barriers. It does lengthen response times and reduces enforcement options. If my numbers are right, it costs 1 million dollars per mile to build a cement barrier. The same will buy you 5 miles of cable barrier. I really don't foresee any successful lawsuits against them because in general highway safety systems are approved and upheld by federal codes and tort law. Its not impossible to sue as people sued governments over the guardrail systems and there have been some redesigns. The same was for lighting systems as most are now collapsible aluminum structures. Lastly I have lost a family member to a crossover crash. It took the DOT several months to install cement barriers at the location and only after many other people were killed or injured.
Sparky (Mark), Oklahoma City - Aug 13, 2008 at 8:07 am
I commute daily across town on a motorcycle, and the presence of these new cable barriers frightens me.
In Europe, they are referred to as ‘Cheese Graters’, and many countries have removed them entirely after realizing that they have actually been the ‘cause of death’ among motorcyclists unfortunate enough to come into contact with them.
Though probably more expensive, the concrete wall section concept seems like a safer alternative.
Questions: Has anybody thought about if a bad accident does happen, how are emergency crews going to be able to have access to hurt people if they can't cross over? In some instances,seconds count and you can't wait until they travel 11 miles or more to the next exit & come back! Also, how are OHP's going to be able to aprehend & maintain control? We will end up with a super speed highway just like Europe. I see some major law suits for the state of Oklahoma ahead.
Translation: Cable barriers should have been used about 25 years ago, like they have been in the rest of the civilized country. What a wonderful story title as well.."no crossover fatalities when you can't cross over"...brilliant!!!
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Sludge could stick Crosstown project
State transportation officials said Tuesday it's too early to tell if a Crosstown Expressway project will be delayed by a sludge pit from an early-day refinery.
The sludge pit is in the area where a new Shields Boulevard bridge over the new Crosstown Expressway is under construction.
Dealing with the sludge pit already was in project plans, said John Bowman, project development engineer.
The subsurface, 40-by-120 foot sludge pit is being treated with chemicals to neutralize the acid so it won't corrode new bridge piers, Bowman said. The bridge piers will be encased in steel and further protected by fiberglass and concrete.
The bridge is scheduled for completion next spring, Bowman said.
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Riding motorcycles is a risk you take daily--as is driving a car. I can see how they would be a huge scare for motorcyclists. If motorcycles were the main form of transportation, I could see spending 5 times as much to put in concrete barriers. Until then, saving the lives of the many people who have died because some idiot decided to drive across Lake Hefner Parkway's median seems to be a little more important.
In Europe, they are referred to as ‘Cheese Graters’, and many countries have removed them entirely after realizing that they have actually been the ‘cause of death’ among motorcyclists unfortunate enough to come into contact with them.
Though probably more expensive, the concrete wall section concept seems like a safer alternative.