At the present time the federal government has borrowed 23 billion dollars that should have been spent on the national highway system.

TRIP TO NORTHWESTERN STATES

We just returned from a trip to several northwestern states. We drove through Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Colorado and never saw a blunt end guardrail. We have no idea how many have been replaced in those states but it was great to see the up to date end treatments on the interstate highways and even on some of the secondary roads. Kansas has finally just about finished installing ET 2000’s or slotted rail terminals on I-70 across the state.

In Wyoming we were Iowa and South Dakota both had either ET 2000’s or slotted rail terminals.disappointed to see a new turn down installation on the passenger side when there was an ET 2000 in the median across from it. This was mm 130 on I-90. Even Highway 16 from Cody to Yellowstone had slotted rails.

Idaho seems to be using the slotted rail terminal. On I-84 they seem to be using rumble strips in most locations.

When we first entered Utah I-84 was very rough with no rumble strips on the shoulders. We soon came to section that was still pretty rough but had rumble strips. Once we joined I-15 we saw either ET 2000’s or slotted rail terminals. I-70 had ET’s and rumble strips when we joined it at the intersection of 196. Utah had turndown terminals on the 2 lane Hwy. 6 and 196.

EAST COAST TRIP

Pennsylvania has made many changes in the past few years but still have a long way to go with their roadside safety. Highway 422 west of Norristown still has turndown guardrails and no rumble strips. There were a couple of ET 2000's that had obviously replaced damaged turndowns and some slotted rail terminals in the median. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a mess. We found a blunt end terminal at MM 220 and in general the guardrail was is very poor condition with old terminals and rusting rail. One would think that the money paid to drive the road could go into the upkeep and the roadside hardware. Highway 75 at MM2311 west of Harrisburg had several bluntend terminals with a large flair. These must be replaced in spite of the flair. The memorandum doesn't allow for a single bluntend to remain on the National Highway System.

NEW JERSEY
We only drove the New Jersey Turnpike and the turnpike extension but were pleased to see many slotted rails although there were many double turn downs in the median. Rumble strips which are essential were off and on. Starting at the 802 mm the pavement had been replaced but no rumble strips were there.

TRIP TO ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, NEVADA & UTAH, COLORADO

Recent Trip to These States: 3/1/00

ARIZONA
Arizona seems to be doing a fair job with their roadside hardware. Although we didn’t see many ET 2000’s at least we didn’t see any blunt end guardrails.

CALIFORNIA

Cal Trans Socked for $5.9M
Improper Rail Installation Led to Severe Injuries in Crash
Feb. 4th, 2002 Randy Stewart
From: "California Jury Verdicts Weekly" Vol. 1 Issue 5

An Alameda County jury awarded $5.9 million to a 47 year-old unemployed women whose leg was amputated after her vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into a guardrail over Castro Valley Boulevard.

Facts: On June 26th, 1998 Sabrina Bauman was driving a Datsun 280Z on the on-ramp to Interstate 580 from Foothill Boulevard. As she was driving, a cup of hot chocolate spilled, causing her to drive off the on left side of the on-ramp. As she tried to re enter the roadway, she was looking over her right shoulder when she struck a guardrail on the bridge that crosses over the boulevard.

She claimed that the guardrail speared through her vehicle, smashing her left foot and cutting off her right leg. She argued that had the guardrail been properly installed, she would have been involved only in a minor non injury collision. The plaintiff's counsel determined that the guardrail she struck had been improperly installed in or about 1989. In 1980 , the Federal Government had complained to the director of the California State Department of Transportation (Cal Trans) about the same deficiencies as those in this guardrail, the plaintiff reported. Cal Trans countered the plaintiff's claims by maintaining that the guardrail was properly installed. It also claimed that the plaintiff would have suffered the same injuries regardless of the guardrail installation because of the way she allegedly struck the rail.

Injuries: The plaintiff's right leg was cut off at the knee. At the hospital, her stump was amputated at the mid-thigh due to the severe damage to the bones and muscles.

Verdict: The jury found that Cal Trans was 100% at fault for the plaintiff's injuries. The defendants have filed a motion for a new trial.

3/2/02 Update: Cal Trans has lost there motion for a new trial and it appears it will be difficult for them to overcome this.

This should serve notice to all the States and to the Federal Highway Administration that they will need to fix thousands of guardrails and other roadside hazards across the country. Kansas still has thousands of blunt end guardrails that their own Sec. of Transportation has signed a memorandum saying they had to be replaced years ago.

Feb. 2000--We were told that California would have every blunt end off of their highways by 2000. We saw hundreds of the blunt end (stand up end) on the highways in southern and central parts of the state. Most of these are at least anchored but should still be replaced. Many of the installations of gating type terminals are on a slope where there is no room for recovery when hit. On I-15 near the I-40 interchange, there were tapered concrete barriers. It looked like if they were hit on the end, they would vault a car in the air, often times right into a bridge pillar they were meant to protect.

NEVADA & UTAH
We were only on I-15 in Nevada. At mm15 they had a tapered concrete barrier that looked like it would vault a car right into the bridge pillar. There were many examples of these in Nevada and Utah. In Utah they were putting Sentre’s on concrete barriers with no run of guardrail that didn’t look like they would work in our opinion.

BOSTON TRIP
8/6/99 thru 8/19/99

ILLINOIS
Good—I-70 mm 75-91 resurfaced w/rumble strips on both sides, ET-2000’s & correct drop off. In Illinois the speed limit for trucks is 55mph but most drive 65-70. We didn’t see a single ticket given. Lets hope they slow the trucks down.

INDIANA
I-70 in the area of mm 35 there is lots of rusty and damaged guardrail.

OHIO
Eastbound I-70—There is a new turndown guardrail in the median eastbound just west of mm 39. They are still installing illegal turndowns in the median in several places.

I-70 around Springfield still has turndown guardrails after resurfacing
I-70 123 mm resurfaced—no rumble strips
I-70 129 exit—new turndown in the median
I-70 191 mm—as they are repaving they are raising the roadbed which makes the guardrail way too low.
I-470 Wheeling There are many new turndowns being used here and all along I-70 in the median even where there are new ET-2000’s being used along the right shoulder.

PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania has many turn down guardrails on I-70. The guardrails are mounted on very thin metal posts that look very weak.

Pennsylvania turnpike—There are many sections of cable guardrail even where the road has been repaved and rumble strips have been installed. This is a true example of “tunnel vision” They have major improvements needing to be done.

NEW YORK
I-287 mm 48.8 bluntend guardrail. There is an example of many kinds of guardrail end treatment along this stretch of road including 2 kinds of turndowns and BCT’s.
I-90 Syracuse to Buffalo—many turndowns
I-90 mm 355—There are trees in the median
I-90 mm 482 New turndown
I-90 has turndown guardrails through the state of New York

CONNECTICUT
I-95 mm 4 new turn down guardrails. "WHY" Why not use the proper terminals and save lives.

RHODE ISLAND
Hwy. 24 mm 6 & 8 Bullnose guardrail in the median with steel I-beams. These will not function properly.

TEXAS

2/12/99 We saw brand new turndowns installed in Texas on I-35 around mm72 and 82. Turndowns should not be installed anywhere on the NHS at this time. 2/19/99 in Texas on highway 77 we have seen several brand new turndowns just installed.(mm 800, 807, 809 and another closer to Corpus Christi) We stopped at the Texas DOT office in San Benito and asked them why they installed an illegal turndown and they didn't give us a good reason. They told us there was a shortage of the newer terminal but we doubt that.

MISSOURI

KANSAS TURNPIKE

1/8/99

PENNSYLVANIA

9/21/98

1200 MILE DRIVE FROM NEW YORK STATE TO KANSAS CITY:

9/21/98

TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C

9/21/98