Cable Barriers Coming to 380 through Cedar Rapids

By Justin Foss, Reporter

Tools

By Justin Foss

Story Created: Feb 9, 2010 at 5:55 PM CST

Story Updated: Feb 10, 2010 at 7:26 AM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS – After city officials asked to make Interstate 380 a safer road to drive, the Iowa Department of Transportation is getting set to make improvements. But those safety measures come with trade-offs.

"We've seen at least a 30% increase in traffic in the last ten years and a 50% increase in truck traffic in the last ten years,” said Tom Welch, safety engineer for the DOT.

While overall traffic fatalities hit a near-record low last year, deaths from cross-median crashes grew; Welch said while cars are getting safer, drivers are paying less attention to the road.

To save the 15 lives lost in those cross-median crashes, Welch wants to add cable barriers in certain sections of Iowa roadways. Already, the cables stretch near Des Moines and on parts of I-80. This summer, the DOT plans to put the cables through Cedar Rapids, from Wright Brothers Boulevard to Blairs Ferry Road.

The cables have saved lives.

"Truly, if that had not been there, we would have got hit,” said Pastor Scott Jones of Ames, 55.

Jones and his wife were driving on Interstate 35 from Ames to Des Moines when a semi-truck crossed the median straight at them.

"Immediately they forced him back into the median, so that was a relief,” said Jones.

"Those people would not have survived that crash,” said Welch. “There's no doubt in my mind."

Welch said the cables are 90% effective in reducing fatalities from cross-median crashes.

But, for every fatal crash prevented, Welch said they cause 8 to 10 times more minor crashes - crashes where a person would have come to rest in the median, but instead hit the cables.

That’s what happened to Don Gunderson’s wife. Gunderson, 65, from Nevada, said his wife was driving on I-35 after a storm when she lost control and went into the ditch.

"Cable barrier caused $5,600 damage to the car,” said Gunderson.

Gunderson said that's a stiff price for a safety improvement that made his damage worse.

Welch said cables are one of the most cost-effective tools he has, at only $100,000 a mile.

Welch said they plan to install cables from north of the I-80 – I-380 interchange in the near future. He said that could happen very soon if the state gets another round of federal stimulus funding.

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