In The News

Officials say median barriers are working

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — Median barriers erected along parts of a Kentucky interstate are credited by transportation officials with preventing numerous vehicles from possibly crossing into oncoming lanes.

In Hardin County, two eight-mile sections of the cable barrier prevented possible lane crossovers on about six occasions since installation was completed in late April, Becky Judson, spokeswoman for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 4, told The News-Enterprize of Elizabethtown.

Cable barrier also was installed along 12 miles of I-65 in Hart and Barren counties, and six miles of I-65 in Bullitt County, the newspaper reported. The 18 combined miles of cable barrier in Bullitt, Hart and Barren counties had been impacted 18 times as of Aug. 10, according to KTC records.

"Without a doubt, it's working," Judson said.

Prior to the cable barrier installation, more than 30 I-65 motorists died in lane crossover crashes between 2003 and 2008, including 14 fatalities between January 2007 and spring 2008, the newspaper said.

The 2007-2008 spike in lane crossover deaths sparked a demand for median barriers by Elizabethtown resident Dave Lawson, whose adult daughter, Cassandra, and wife, Myra, died in March 2008 after a northbound pickup hydroplaned across a median in Hart County and collided with their southbound van.

Three members of a Logan County family, who were inside the truck, also died in the collision.

Since barrier installation in 2006 in Jefferson County, 589 impacts have occurred in the county that includes Louisville, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 5 spokeswoman Andrea Clifford.

Of the 589 reported impacts, the barriers only failed to stop two vehicles.

More than 51 miles of Jefferson County interstate are protected by cable barrier.

Clifford said one incident involved a car slipping beneath the barrier at a low spot in the median. That low area is being rectified, Clifford said.

Another involved a semitrailer rolling over the top of the barrier. Cable barrier is not designed to stop large trucks, but Clifford said numerous semitrailers have been stopped by the cable in Jefferson County.

"We have not had any crashes where a fatality occurred due to impact to the cable barrier system," Clifford said.

Parts of I-65 in Bullitt and Hardin counties still lack cable barrier.

Judson said areas left unprotected by cable barrier were found not to have concentrations of lane crossover wrecks during engineer traffic studies leading up to the barrier project.

Since barrier installation, there have been three fatal lane crossover crashes in areas of I-65 left unprotected by barrier in Hardin and Bullitt counties, according to Kentucky State Police news releases.

At this time, however, Judson said "there is no plan to install cable barrier in these unprotected areas."

Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected] .

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