During
a ceremony at the I-24 welcome center in Hopkinsville Thursday, Gov. Steve
Beshear announced that work has begun on the $3.1 million, 24-mile
installation project.
“Early
in my administration, we had a serious problem – crossover crashes –
and a shortage of money, but we were determined to do something about
it,” Gov. Beshear said.
“The solution we chose was cable barriers. We aggressively began
deploying cable barrier systems, and the result has been a dramatic
reduction in crossover crashes. That also means fewer medical expenses
and liability, and most importantly, fewer funerals
and heartbroken families.”
Placement
of cable barriers is determined by traffic volume and crash data.
Kentucky has more than 240 miles of barrier installed or in the process
of installation
– most of it along interstates and highways in urban areas. More rural
areas have qualified to receive barriers under the federal Highway
Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) due to the increase of those data
factors.
This
year, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has budgeted $6.1 million for
median barrier installation. The cost per mile averages $140,000 to
$150,000 per mile.
The
current median cable barrier installation is in two sections along
I-24. The project in Paducah starts near the Ohio River and continues past the
U.S. 68 Exit 16 interchange in Marshall County.
In
Christian County, the project begins near the U.S. 41-Alternate Exit 86
interchange and extends to the Kentucky-Tennessee
line. This particular section is a continuation of a nearly 16-mile
installation project completed in July 2014.
The project was awarded to the George B. Stone Co. of Sharpsburg. Completion is expected in October 2014.
Over
the last 3 and a half years, there have been 27 crossover collisions, four
resulting in fatalities, recorded near the McCracken-Marshall
County project area. Comparatively,
the Christian County stretch has witnessed 25 crossover collisions,
four of which resulted in fatalities.
