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CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NEWS RELEASE
2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546
NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546 |
| FOR RELEASE: April 9, 2014 |
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062
FAX: (860) 594-3065
WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot |
CT DOT to Install Centerline Rumble Strips on Four State-Owned Roadways to Improve Safety and Reduce Crashes
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing a pilot project to install centerline rumble strips on qualifying Connecticut roadways beginning in mid to late April. Centerline rumble strips are a longitudinal safety feature, located along the center line that divides opposite-direction travel lanes. They are a low-cost safety measure designed to reduce head-on and side swipe opposite direction crashes.
In Connecticut, approximately 30 deaths and 1,000 injuries occur every year from head-on and sideswipe opposite direction crashes. Centerline rumble strips are a proven safety countermeasure, and a 2009 study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that fatal and injury head-on and sideswipe opposite direction crashes in rural areas were reduced by an average of 44% after the installation of centerline rumble strips. At least 30 other states are using centerline rumble strips including New York and all of the New England States.
Centerline rumble strips are an innovative safety feature designed to save lives and prevent serious injuries by alerting the driver leaving the travel lane by producing an audible warning (rumbling sound) and physical vibration. The sound and vibration helps to combat distracted, inattentive, or drowsy driving and can also alert drivers to the travel lane limits in poor weather conditions such as heavy rain and snow.
The pilot project will install approximately 11 miles of centerline rumble strips on 4 roadways. The locations include sections of Route 6 in Hampton and Brooklyn, Route 12 in Groton and Ledyard, Route 34 in Derby, and Route 202 in Litchfield. These locations were chosen based on upon the following roadway criteria, which is consistent with national best practices:
• A speed limit of 45 MPH or greater
• The traffic volume is at least 2,000 vehicles per day
• The pavement is in good condition and should have been resurfaced within the last 3 years
• The combined width of the lane and shoulder should be at least 13 feet in each direction
• The length of centerline rumble strips to be installed should be at least 1 mile
Centerline rumble strips are similar to the shoulder rumble strips that have been installed on Connecticut’s expressways since 1994, with both being parallel grooves cut into the pavement. As compared to shoulder rumble strips, centerline rumble strips are 25% narrower, 25% shallower, and spaced every 2 feet apart instead of every 1 foot apart. This design change will reduce the excess noise created by vehicles hitting the rumble strip while providing a safety benefit.
The Department will evaluate the effectiveness of the centerline rumble strip pilot project prior to creating guidelines for future centerline rumble strip projects.