May 14, 2009
Contact: Meg Mincolla
Phone: (775) 888-7172
Rumble Strips Installed on Northeastern Nevada Roads for Safety
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is installing centerline rumble strips for enhanced safety on certain state highways in northeastern Nevada through summer 2009.
Consisting of 12-inch wide parallel grooves cut into the centerline of a roadway, tires running over the strips produce sound and vibration when drivers veer out of their lane. By alerting and allowing motorists to correct their vehicles, head-on crashes can be reduced.
“NDOT’s installation of edgeline rumble strips has thus far helped reduce run-off-the-road crashes by up to 42 percent, and these new median rumble strips are expected to also help save lives,” NDOT Director Susan Martinovich explained. “But, in the end, safety is the responsibility of every driver, and we urge motorists to always drive safely.”
The majority of work will be performed during weekday daytime hours with up to 20-minute delays and single-lane closures in effect to safely guide motorists through work areas. Motorists are advised to drive at posted construction speed limits, or slower as necessary for conditions. Information on all state road construction is available by dialing “511” or logging onto www.nevadadot.com.
The work, performed by MKD Construction, is part of an approximately $2 million contract to install rumble strips on over 1,300 miles of two-lane rural state roadways throughout Nevada with high fatality and injury rates or concerns.
The use of centerline rumble strips was developed as one cost-effective way to reduce fatalities and increase safety in the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The plan brings law enforcement, transportation agencies and safety advocates together to define ways to reduce Nevada traffic fatalities. NDOT offers driving safety information on-line at www.nevadadot.com/safety.
