Cable Median Barriers

Image Source: Washington State DOT

DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION

Cable barriers are flexible barriers made from steel cables mounted on weak steel posts that mitigate the severity of roadway departure collisions. They capture or redirect errant vehicles and reduce the amount of kinetic energy absorbed by vehicles and their occupants.

Implementation Categories

CONSIDERATIONS

• Maintenance demands for cable barriers are more frequent than for other barrier types.
• Because cable barriers deflect more than other barrier types, increased working width is needed to accommodate barrier movement during a crash.
• Some states are experimenting with cable barriers in narrow medians and on roadsides.
• Cable barriers are more adaptable to sloped terrain, with approved configurations for slopes as steep as 4H:1V, commonly found in medians and along roadsides.
• NCHRP Report 711 Guidance for the Selection, Use, and Maintenance of Cable Barrier Systems includes recommendations for using cable barriers on roadsides and medians.
• Installing and upgrading roadside barrier systems is a KYTC SHSP Engineering Strategy.

APPLICATION

• May be used on buffered or divided high-speed facilities with full access control or limited access control. Consult KYTC’s Traffic Safety Branch on potential applications.
• Some states have begun applying cable barrier in narrow medians and along the roadside.

example

Image Source: Google Earth

Complementary SSA Strategies

• Centerline Buffers
• Increase Use of Roadside Barriers and End Terminals