Cable barriers will be installed in the median of E-470 along the site of a double-fatality accident, toll road officials said Thursday.
In November, a road-rage accident between South Parker and Gartrell roads caused a Toyota 4Runner to tumble across the median and land on a Ford Explorer in the opposite lanes, killing the drivers of both vehicles.
Five miles of the toll road between South Parker and East Smoky Hill roads – including the site of the accident – have an above-average accident rate and were selected to get the first median barriers.
Even though the toll road has a better safety record than the average four-lane divided highway in Colorado, a new E-470 study found that accidents could be reduced by cable barriers in the median at key locations. E-470 has earmarked $1 million a year in each of the next five years for cable barriers, said Ed DeLozier, the highway’s executive director.
After the Parker-to-Smoky Hill segment is done later this year, E-470 is expected to construct the safety medians along another 5-mile stretch of the highway north of Smoky Hill.
Cable medians cost up to $200,000 a mile to construct.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has been installing cable medians on sections of Interstate 25, Interstate 70, C-470 and other state-operated highways, and agency officials said they’ve significantly reduced the number of crossover accidents.
Unlike more-rigid concrete and steel barriers, cable medians can stretch and absorb some of a vehicle’s energy. The cables act almost like a net that can reduce the violence of a collision, said Matt McDole, E-470’s chief engineer.
The safety study also identified an unusually high cluster of loss-of-control accidents on the toll highway between Chambers and Jordan roads.
E-470 is adding reflective markings to help delineate bridge rails and other structures in the area.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
