Oregon public interest peaked regarding crossover highway safety following three fatalities from a crossover accident in August of 1996. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) conducted a review of possible barrier solutions for the interstate highway median near Salem, Oregon. The weak-post three-cable median barrier system was selected. Unfortunately, there is not much information concerning the maintenance and repair costs of the cable barrier system. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the three-cable barrier in preventing crossover accidents on Interstate 5, Oregon Highway Number 1, and evaluates the maintenance and repair costs in order to make recommendations for future installations. Based on the results of the study, the cable median barrier system proved to be cost-effective when compared to the concrete median barrier system and the system performed well, decreasing crossover accidents in the area. The cable median barrier system works well in medians with a minimum of 7 m width, where it is used to prevent the infrequent potentially catastrophic cross-median accidents. (Author/publisher)
Abstract