Motorway changes

[rov1200]

Why have the central crash barriers been replaced by what seems to be 3' walls. I thought the old barriers absorbed some of the crash.

[Buenchico]

See here:
http://www.highways.g.../knowledge/11569.aspx

Chris

[AlBags]

Steel barriers cost a lot more to repair and maintain long term.
Concrete less forgiving to cars and drivers, though.
If you were a Local Authority, which would you use?
Say no more.

[vulcan]

A good link Chris, as always, however it doesn't explain one thing.Where they've introduced this new style why have they done away with access points for emergency vehicles ? I realise these are weak points in the system but now the vehicles have to travel extra miles to the nearest exit and then travel back, time consuming and potentially life threatening to the accident victims.

[Panic Button]

Some of the worst carnage is caused when a vehicle actually breaks through the barrier and hits oncoming traffic.

Vehicles are much less likely to get onto the opposite carriageway with a concrete central reservation.

I don't think they have had access through the central reservation for many years Vulcan, because Sod's Law dictated that such a weak point was bound to be the site of a crossover crash.

[boxtops]

we've got the movable barrier on the M20 near here so they can instigate operation stack when the ferries are not running - seems there is a extra lane coned off all the time at the moment.

[rov1200]

Yes I suppose there have been some ghastly accidents when lorries have careered through the central reservation. As was pointed out above you can no longer implement a 180% turn but just sit and wait it out.

I'm surprised while they were at it why they did not increase the height of the barrier to prevent rubber-knecking from the opposite side of the motorway which is a major cause of traffic holdups.