On July 1, the Texas Department of Transportation opened the state’s very first mechanical runaway truck ramp; infrastructure designed to “catch” runaway freight trucks suffering from brake failure along westbound Loop 375 – also known as “Transmountain Road” – near the I-10 interchange outside of El Paso.
[Above photo by TxDOT]
The system is designed to safely stop a 90,000-pound tractor-trailer traveling 90 miles an hour using a series of eight energy absorbing net stations bolted into reinforced concrete walls, TxDOT said.
After each use, the system requires a reset, which can be done in as little as four hours, the agency noted.
“Unlike other runaway truck ramps on Transmountain, this truck arresting system was constructed in the median due to the narrow footprint available at that location,” said Tomas Trevino, a TxDOT El Paso District engineer, in a statement. “It detains vehicles in tight roadway geometry, such as the area closer to I-10.”
While this is the first mechanical ramp system in El Paso, it will be the fourth runaway ramp on Loop 375. This stretch of road has three existing gravel truck runaway ramps, one westbound and two eastbound.
Project designers explained that similar ramps exist in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, but are typically constructed on mountainsides – making the “flat-plain, in-median” design of the new El Paso system unique.
TxDOT added that this particular area of I-10 has witnessed several runaway truck incidents in recent years, and while the ramp was constructed with tractor-trailers in mind, it is open for all vehicle types. Drivers who need to use the system are encouraged to stay centered on the ramp for optimum results, TxDOT said.
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