I-12 cable barriers put to the test

By Anne Lautzenheiser
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, June 26, 2009 8:33 AM CDT

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When an SUV crossed the median into oncoming traffic on Interstate 10 in Slidell last week, many residents were wondering how the accident might have been prevented.

The drivers of both vehicles sustained moderate injuries but the outcome could have been much worse.

The accident came almost on the heels of the completion of the $5.2 million cable barrier project on Interstate 12, which has been called the most dangerous road in the state. The project finished slightly ahead of schedule on Friday, according to Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokesman Mark Lambert.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokesman Mark Lambert said the Interstate 12 cable barrier project, shown here between Slidell and Lacombe, finished slightly ahead of schedule. (Staff Photo by Anne Lautzenheiser)

“There is still some tensioning to do, but otherwise the project is completed,” said Lambert.

The three-foot tall barriers, mounted in cement along the sides of the grassy median, are strung with several strands of high-tension metal cable bound together. Designed to deflect vehicles that leave the roadway, the barriers stretch for 32 miles through St. Tammany.

Since the project began in February the barriers have been struck eight times.

“I’m not saying those incidents would have become crossover accidents, but the barriers surely prevented them,” Lambert said.

This is the second project of its kind in the state. Another set of barriers stretching for 6.8 miles along Interstate 10 through St. John Parish was completed in December, and has been struck 45 times.

Lambert said the state is considering whether to install them in other areas of the state, but limited funding means they must pinpoint the next location carefully.

Not all areas are good candidates for the barriers, said Lambert. In Acadiana Parish, for example, the medians are heavily wooded, and the potential for crossover is significantly lessened.

“We want to put them where they will do the most good,” said Lambert.

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Comments

8 comment(s)

headless horseman wrote on Jul 5, 2009 11:39 AM:

" Since the cables are attached to pipes that are sitting inside larger pipes, low profile vehicles will be lifting those pipes up just high enough to decapitate everyone inside the passenger compartment.
Every year hundreds of vehicles enter the median without injury, rarely do they make it to oncoming traffic, These government garrotes have the potential to increase the number of people killed on this stretch of road. A better system for equal or less money could have been installed. "

ridiculous wrote on Jul 3, 2009 2:59 AM:

" imagine if an 18 wheeler hits it. "

lel410 wrote on Jun 28, 2009 2:47 PM:

" I agree with what "Johnny" wrote - but still, something is better than nothing at this point. "

johnny wrote on Jun 28, 2009 5:12 AM:

" if ya going to do it correctly build a 10 ft. stone or masonary wall.
then you would havesomething then. "

Matt wrote on Jun 27, 2009 8:21 PM:

" I was riding my motorcycle down I-12 today. I wonder who the first motorcyclist will be that gets "sliced and diced" by those cables?

I guess it's worth it to save people in cages and a motorcycle could be taken out by a cage crossing over the median.

We'll see what happens first. "

I-12 Avoider wrote on Jun 27, 2009 10:35 AM:

" The cable fence is a joke and a half-assed attempt at best. It did nothing to stop that utility truck from crossing over the median near exit 74 last week. Why do other areas use Jersey barriers while our poor, poor little parish has to go the cheap route? Eventually Jersey barriers will be put in anyway, so why was $5.2M wasted? "

hey wrote on Jun 26, 2009 4:55 PM:

" R.I.P M. Jackson "

Joseph wrote on Jun 26, 2009 9:59 AM:

" I guess people don't know how to drive these day's. "

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