Rumble Stripes to be Installed at Dead Man’s Curve
March 24th, 2015 by Joe Burgess
According to AHTD, rumble stripes will be added to the roadway at Dead Man’s Curve, on HWY 278 in Drew County, this week.
The curves have been the site of several lane and roadway departure crashes in recent years, especially for drivers less familiar with the highway.
A fatal accident in August brought additional attention to the area. A civil engineering student from Alabama lost her life when her car crossed the centerline of the highway on a rainy morning. The student was living in Monticello for the summer while working as an intern at a nearby mill. Her death caused the adult Sunday School class at FUMC to start a petition to improve the hazardous driving area.
The first stage of these improvements occurred in December of last year when the top two inches of asphalt from this section of highway was removed and replaced. The new driving surface and the associated painted striping along the route have provided an increase in traction as well as increased visibility through the area.
This week, (weather permitting) crews will install rumble strips along the shoulders and rumble stripes along the centerline through the curves at this location. Both are uniform grooves cut into the pavement that make a noise when a tire rolls over it, alerting drivers when their vehicles begin to depart the travel lane.
The work will be accomplished using a rolling lane closure, and periodic flagging operations will be used to control traffic. Drivers are urged to use caution in this area while the work is being performed.
Later this summer crews will install a High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) through the westernmost curve of the route. The HFST is a relatively new process that has yielded good results in reducing the number of wet pavement crashes in areas where it has been installed.
Drivers should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through all highway work zones. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ArkansasHighways.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @AHTD.
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