Develop Enhanced Protection of Median Openings between Parallel Bridge Structures
When divided highways span a hazard, engineers often design two separate bridges with the bridge rail ends protected by guardrail installations, leaving an opening between the parallel bridge structures possibly resulting in a gap in roadside protection. The combination of the sloped median ditch and the approach guardrail can direct errant motorists between the two bridge structures and into the underlying hazard. The risk increases when the spanned hazard is another roadway with motorists traveling below the parallel bridges. Unfortunately, these median openings have fatal crashes in Texas and across the country. The original project, 0-7021, developed the Median Opening Protection System (MOPS) and began the crash testing. The research team will address this safety issue as follows: (1) Identify characteristics of high-risk locations that can benefit from implementation of a MOPS, and (2) Evaluate the MOPS with full-scale crash testing.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Continuation of TxDOT Research Project 0-7021
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $159,730
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Contract Numbers:
0-7021-01
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Sponsor Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Managing Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Project Managers:
Dassi, Martin
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Performing Organizations:
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX United States 77843-3135 -
Principal Investigators:
Kovar, James
- Start Date: 20211214
- Expected Completion Date: 20230831
- Actual Completion Date: 20230831
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridge design; Crash tests; Hazard mitigation; High risk locations; Median barriers; Medians; Safety
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01841998
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Texas Department of Transportation
- Contract Numbers: 0-7021-01
- Files: RIP, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Apr 7 2022 11:15AM