Road workers get ready to rumble
Building trades road workers, get ready to rumble.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced March 28 it is starting a three- year, $8 million safety initiative involving the installation of centerline rumble strips on 5,700 miles of rural, non-freeway roads across the state.

MDOT also will add approximately 1,700 miles of shoulder rumble strips. Rumble strip installation will begin this construction season and will be completed in 2010. MDOT will improve about one-third of its selected inventory during 2008, beginning in April; one-third in 2009; and the remainder in 2010.

"We expect to save lives and reduce the number of serious crossover crashes by adding the centerline rumble strips," said MDOT Director Kirk T. Steudle "This safety initiative supports Michigan's strategic objective to increase safety for the traveling public."

Centerline rumble strips differ slightly from the more common shoulder rumble strips, because they have a different pattern and are not as deep. Several other states have successfully launched similar safety efforts aimed at saving lives on rural roads. MDOT reviewed all two- and four-lane rural highways with a posted speed of 55 mph or higher, in order to determine where centerline and edge line rumble strips could be installed as a low-cost, high-benefit improvement.

Since the 1990s, MDOT has systematically installed rumble strips on freeway shoulder. MDOT says the new centerline rumble strips on rural non-freeways are proven as a cost-effective countermeasure to "lane departure crashes" brought on by driver drowsiness, distraction, and/or inattention.

Let's talk trade, union chief says
Building trades road workers, get ready to rumble.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced March 28 it is starting a three- year, $8 million safety initiative involving the installation of centerline rumble strips on 5,700 miles of rural, non-freeway roads across the state.

MDOT also will add approximately 1,700 miles of shoulder rumble strips. Rumble strip installation will begin this construction season and will be completed in 2010. MDOT will improve about one-third of its selected inventory during 2008, beginning in April; one-third in 2009; and the remainder in 2010.

"We expect to save lives and reduce the number of serious crossover crashes by adding the centerline rumble strips," said MDOT Director Kirk T. Steudle "This safety initiative supports Michigan's strategic objective to increase safety for the traveling public."

Centerline rumble strips differ slightly from the more common shoulder rumble strips, because they have a different pattern and are not as deep. Several other states have successfully launched similar safety efforts aimed at saving lives on rural roads. MDOT reviewed all two- and four-lane rural highways with a posted speed of 55 mph or higher, in order to determine where centerline and edge line rumble strips could be installed as a low-cost, high-benefit improvement.

Since the 1990s, MDOT has systematically installed rumble strips on freeway shoulder. MDOT says the new centerline rumble strips on rural non-freeways are proven as a cost-effective countermeasure to "lane departure crashes" brought on by driver drowsiness, distraction, and/or inattention.