CASE FOR REMOVING BRIDGE OR CULVERT RAILS ON LOW-VOLUME RURAL ROADS

Concrete or masonry bridge rails, parapets, or hubguards (if more than 4 in. higher than the roadway surface) on a narrow bridges and culverts on low-volume (ADT less than 400) rural (LVR) roads are dangerous roadside obstacles. Based on the current state of knowledge it is suggested that, in many instances, striking the end of a rigid bridge-culvert rail is more hazardous to the motorist than traversing the adjacent stream bed or drainage area when rails have been removed. The case for rail removal is supported by the effective widening of the roadway due to rail removal, convenience to farmers in moving wide, low farm equipment, and benefit/cost ratios. The benefits are estimated reductions in annual accident costs and were calculated by using current published data on estimated collision frequencies, accident severity indices, and accident costs. The costs are the estimated costs of all rail removal. There is a need for roadside hazard research aimed specifically at the problem of quantifying the hazard of vehicles that strike bridge-culvert rails versus the hazard of vehicles running off the road after rail removal. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1982/875/875-009.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=CASE+FOR+REMOVING+BRIDGE+OR+CULVERT+RAILS+ON+LOW-VOLUME+RURAL+ROADS&author=B.+Smith&publication_year=1982
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309034620
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Low-Volume Roads. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Smith, Bob L
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 50-53
• Monograph Title: DESIGN AND UPGRADING OF SURFACING AND OTHER ASPECTS OF LOW-VOLUME ROADS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 875
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Culverts; Guardrails; Hazards; Highway bridges; Low volume roads; Roadside; Rural highways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Removal
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Pavements; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00371742
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309034620
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 177
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 29 1983 12:00AM