Safety meets flexibility

An innovative development in median crossing guardrails makes routing safer and more flexible

Words | Tianni Wei, Saferoad

The automobile is still the predominant means of transport in societies across the world, and the number of cars and trucks on the roads is increasing every year. The challenge in road construction is to make roads as safe as possible by enabling flexible road routing when maintenance work is necessary or when accidents occur.

On the approach to structures, such as tunnels and bridges, the combination of safety and flexibility is particularly important. Repair work often takes place at these locations, meaning that traffic needs to be diverted. Median crossings are therefore installed in front of such structures to allow for the necessary flexibility in management of traffic and road routing. The areas around tunnels and bridges are also typically prone to accidents. A median crossing with an emergency opening can provide quick access for emergency services and also enables the quick release of any trapped traffic, which helps to minimise the delays caused to other road users.

Above: Safestar emergency opening in place on Autostrada A18, in Sicily

Right: How to open the Safestar system (from top to bottom) 0: Initial situation 1. Lock the lifting device and rise the system 2. Disassembly of pin-wedge connection 3. Disassembly and hang up the socket posts 4. Open the emergency gate

Easy opening, easy maintenance

Saferoad’s SafeStar guardrails with the three-wave beams are widely used on European roads. Now the company has also added a median crossing to its product family. The new emergency opening with containment level H2 and working width W4 has a light and elegant design. The innovative system has a minimum opening length of 36m. It can be easily adapted to local conditions in 4.5m or 9.0m modular units.

The emergency opening can be opened within 15 minutes by only two people without specialist tools. The integrated 4.5m-long emergency gate can be opened in less than two minutes in an emergency, where time is critical.

The use of standard components from the SafeStar product family ensures easy connection to existing vehicle restraint systems and simplifies assembly, maintenance, and repair.

The SafeStar emergency opening is an open median crossing erected on posts. The open design reduces the risk of water accumulation and aquaplaning after heavy rainfall. Open guardrails also provide crossing opportunities for small

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The time in minutes it takes to open the SafeStar median guardrail

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animals. According to numerous studies, motorists prefer open systems because closed walls create uncertainty and increase the risk of accidents.

Commitment to safety

Saferoad is committed to the goal of Vision Zero. Therefore, we are constantly developing new products that make roads safer. Saferoad offers a comprehensive product range of vehicle restraint systems, covering all areas of use on roads and motorways, which can easily be adapted to local conditions and requirements. With leading product brands such as MegaRail, SafeStar, SafeLine, CrashGuard and Primus, to name but a few, it can offer CE marked solutions to overcome all design challenges its customers encounter.

Most of the product brands comprise several product families; offering systems with containment level from N1 to H4b. In addition, Saferoad offers a large number of transitions to enable connectivity within of all its systems.

Saferoad’s innovative approach combined with the company’s focus on customer satisfaction provides its clients with great flexibility and helps to facilitate planning for a uniform streetscape. ■

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Saferoad systems are based on a modular design. They are lightweight and easy to assemble. With our wide range of connectable systems covering all areas of use on roads and motorways, Saferoad offers a complete building set for vehicle restraint systems

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT