American Traffic Safety Services Association
10
POSITIVE
PROTECTION
BarrierGuard 800 steel barrier,
by Highway Care USA
Highway Care USA
, located in Las Vegas, Nev., keeps traffic moving safely across the United States
with BarrierGuard 800 steel barrier. The company’s motto is “Saving time, money and lives,” which it
demonstrates daily, providing positive protection for hundreds of work zone and bridge rehabilitation
projects across the country.
BarrierGuard 800 was chosen when an emergency response was necessary after a train derailed,
damaging a bridge overpass in Texas recently. It was a scene from a nightmare when a Union Pacific
train pulling 127 cars derailed near Highway 6, south of Navasota, Texas. One of the derailed cars
slammed into an overpass support pillar, causing concern for traffic on the bridge above. By looking
at the destruction, the extent of the damage to the overpass structure couldn’t be determined.
N-LINE Traffic Maintenance
was called by the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) to handle the emergency traffic control since positive
protection would be required. Another concern of the TxDOT was that placing
heavy concrete traffic barriers (CTB) weighing 500 pounds per foot onto a
damaged overpass wouldn’t be the best option. However, BarrierGuard 800
steel barrier weighs only 60 pounds per foot.
With one huge problem resolved, another remained. One of the overturned rail
cars was carrying 73,000 gallons of diethanolamine, which the Environmental
Protection Agency considers a hazardous material. A rapid response was needed,
and N-LINE Traffic Maintenance came through by reducing the emergency
response and installation time by more than 80 percent. One truck can carry
600 feet of BarrierGuard 800 steel barrier compared to only 100 feet of CTB.
Installation was 1,000 feet of positive protection per hour.
The TxDOT found numerous reasons to select BarrierGuard 800 steel barrier.
It succeeded and exceeded by being a cheaper and quicker alternative to CTB.
In New England, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, which services the Portsmouth
Naval Shipyard with an average of 15,000 vehicles crossing daily, had become
structurally deficient. The bridge is part of the strategic preparedness
infrastructure as it allows the transportation of spent nuclear submarine fuel rods
and heavy freight to and from the naval shipyard. Because of its age and
exposure, the bridge railing began to deteriorate.
The only other crossing option was the Memorial Bridge, which was closed.
The area couldn’t survive without two bridges to service the population. Now,
the Maine and New Hampshire departments of transportation (MaineDOT and
NHDOT) needed an immediate fix to keep the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge
from closing, too.
Careful study and in-depth discussions led to the decision to place a new,
innovative, lightweight steel barrier across the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge
to keep it open while a new bridge was being built. The proposal for the job
called for a steel barrier to be installed in less than 30 days after the project was
awarded, which was a tall order. With the bridge already listed as structurally
ATSSA Member Companies Feature
Positive Protection Products to
Enhance Worker and Motorist Safety
After a train derailed, damaging a bridge overpass
in Texas, BarrierGuard 800 was chosen for
positive protection. N-Line Traffic Maintenance
handled the emergency traffic control.
When the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge became
structurally deficient, BarrierGuard 800 was
awarded the contract to place a new, innovative,
lightweight steel barrier across it to keep it
open while a new bridge was being built.
