Topeka — In response to a fatal crossover traffic accident, the state transportation department on Friday announced approval of a bid to install cable median barriers along Kansas Highway 10 in Douglas and Johnson counties.
“It is being put out there for safety,” said Kim Qualls, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Transportation.
The project entails installing 2.3 miles of cable barrier in the median on K-10 near Eudora, and 2 miles of cable barrier near the K-10 and Kansas Highway 7 junction in Johnson County.
Gray Beal Construction Co. of Topeka has been awarded the $1.15 million project. Construction is expected to start in mid-August and be completed in late November.
In May 2011, Gov. Sam Brownback ordered the formation of a committee of citizens, elected officials and KDOT officials to look at how to improve safety along the K-10 corridor.
That was prompted by the April 2011 death of 5-year-old Cainan Shutt when an impaired driver crossed the median and struck the minivan driven by Cainan’s grandfather.
Earlier this year, Cainan’s mother, Ali Shutt, was honored by KDOT for her work in getting the agency to approve the cable barriers.
KDOT spokeswoman Qualls urged motorists to be careful while workers are installing the barriers.
She said there may be times during construction when a lane is shut down briefly but that most of the work will be confined to the median and shoulders.
Comments
Ignignokt 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Must be some pretty awesome cable at $51.85 per foot
_PJ_ 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Construction projects aren't bid like that, it isn't that simple.
parrothead8 10 months, 3 weeks ago
It's able to deflect a 5000+ lb. vehicle traveling 65+ mph, so yes, I'd say that's pretty awesome. Besides, the cable installs itself, so I'm sure none of that money is spent on workers.
Joe Hyde 10 months, 3 weeks ago
It will be interesting now, to apply statistical analysis to accidents in these cabled zones, to compare the severity and disposition of post-cabling crossover accidents to the disposition of pre-cable crossover accidents.
Sure hope this project makes K-10 safer in those zones; every little bit helps.
Next blip to appear on our radar screens: fatal accidents happening on the high speed Ottawa/Lawrence US-59 Freeway. Buckle up for safety, amigos.
The_Big_B 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I about got killed on the detour yesterday by an SUV driver who wasn't paying attention when the car in front of me slowed, and ultimately stopped for oncoming traffic to clear, in order to make a left turn. The freeway will give me some choices for an escape route that weren't available on the US59 detour.
Curtis Lange 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Pros and cons to this just as with everything else in life.
crazyredneckmomma4 10 months, 3 weeks ago
your car....$10,000 a persons life-PRICELESS!!!!!
Ron Holzwarth 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Concrete barriers like the ones on the turnpike would be better, but a cable is better than nothing. The problem with a cable barrier is that in many cases, a vehicle can hit one of the posts with disastrous results, whereas with a concrete barrier in many cases the result is only a minor sideswipe with no injuries.
But, concrete barriers cost a whole lot more money.
ksjayhawk74 10 months, 3 weeks ago
I see the cable barriers being more dangerous than not having nothing there. People are going to clips the posts causing serious trouble. Concrete barriers would at least jut deflect their car.
The roads need to be much farther apart to really stop cross over accidents.
Michael Stanclift 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Now when drunken driving idiots cross the median and kill themselves, they're less likely to cross over and hit oncoming traffic and take innocent lives. I'd rather people didn't drink and drive, but I'd also like to use that road without fear of getting hit by an oncoming car.
weiser 10 months, 3 weeks ago
I like that girl's shirt.
oletimer 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Too bad there is not this much energy to fix the real problem. Drinking, drugs and driving. But when you read another article about a drunk that was freed on a technicality, fixing that problem will never happen. The courts will see to that. While I feel for all traffic victims, this is just a band-aid for the problem.
cheeseburger 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Amen!
Cant_have_it_both_ways 10 months, 3 weeks ago
+1
wyattearp2 10 months, 3 weeks ago
I am always amazed at the idiots who blog here......Yes I did say IDIOTS......I didn't see you lobbying for anything to help save a life whether its your child or spouse, mom or dad you get the message.....
.If you end up in the median its because you weren't paying attention to your driving and you created the mishap.....by texting, drugs, alcohol, cell phone, unreasonable speed, applying makeup, reading a book or newspaper or just being a complete F**K up behind the wheel in a hurry....... I know the truth hurts doesn't it.
So hats off to you Ali as I am very proud of you! If this saves one life it was well worth the fight. I am always praying for the both of you, as well as Mom (Carrie) and Dad (Chuck)....
In your prayers, don't forget to ask GOD to forgive these IDIOTS as they haven't a clue as to what its like to lose a child.
none2 10 months, 2 weeks ago
What a selfish post. Do you have any clue to the number of traffic fatalities in Kansas over the last several years? Let me give you a clue: (from http://www.ksdot.org/burtrafficsaf/fatalities/fatalitydetail11.asp)
Yearly Fatalities Year ----------- Deaths 1998---------493 1999---------536 2000---------461 2001---------494 2002---------507 2003---------469 2004---------459 2005---------428 2006---------464 2007---------416 2008---------385 2009---------386 2010---------431 2011---------382
Do you think they were all killed on the K-10 Autobahn in Eudora? I think not. What about people killed on US-24, US-40, US-59. Did they not have friends and family who cared about them? Do you think THEIR lives are worth less? Yet they weren't on roads nearly as good as K-10. Are you going to petition to have all those roads upgraded to four lane with a grass median, let alone get a cable barrier?
That isn't even taking into consideration more dangerous roads that can be found all over the state such as two lane roads with hardly any shoulders and few and far between places that can be passed with heavy semi-truck traffic.
So if people need to pray, they need to pray to GOD to forgive your selfishness for all those people that get killed in ALL 105 counties throughout this state, and not just on K-10 where the problem is the drivers, not the quality of the road.
captz615 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Personally, I think that its gonna be a waste of taxpayers money. Either way you are still gonna cause problems with or without the cable and I agree with the person over the snow. Let's see how well our state officials keep the road so it doesn't become hazardous in the winter. One life to lose is horrible but if we worked to solve the problem of drinking and driving wouldn't it be a better use of money instead of pretending that cables will solve the problems...maybe they should do all the roads that way.
ssakcaj 10 months, 3 weeks ago
It seems the price is inappropriate. I pulled some info from Minnesota and here are their numbers:
Cost (material and installation) Concrete median barrier - $400,000 to $500,000 per mile Cable median barrier - $140,000 to $150,000 per mile There are restrictions in where cable median barrier can be installed.
So it seems like we are overpaying by about $850,000.
Then from Dave Olson, WSDOT Design Policy, Standards & Research Manager:
We have heard that one European country has banned the use of cable barrier, over complaints from motorcycle users. What is not clear to us is whether the ban was implemented as a result of actual crash experience or over fear (perception) of what might happen. A 2006 study in New Zealand published a paper that concluded "...whilst WRSBs [wire rope safety barriers] have the potential to cause serious injury to errant riders, so do all road safety barriers." They went on to say "there is no reliable evident to indicate the WRSBs present a greater risk or less risk than other barrier types, or indeed, no barrier at all." In January 2008, an international meeting of the Transportation Research Board was convened with a focus on motorcycle safety. There were at least 15 presentations on motorcycle safety. Cable barrier was discussed, and this committee concluded that "there is no clear proof that cable barrier systems are cheese cutters."
The_Big_B 10 months, 2 weeks ago
If you are afraid of the median barriers, you might want to slow down and pay attention.
snap_pop_no_crackle 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Didn't a poster on this award-winning website recommend planting corn in the median to solve this problem? ( from a SOURCE )
jesse499 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm for the cables but that's not going to stop people from driving like idiots on the phone, texting,reading books,driving in left lane when not passing the highway patrol and so have to inforce the laws and get peoples attention not just on 10 but every where. but then some of them I've seen drive just as bad.( BRING BACK DRIVERS ED.IN SCHOOL WOULLD HELP TO SOME MAY EVEN LEARN THE LAWS )
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