Modeling Wolf Creek Pass Combination of Layers of Barriers

In the mountainous regions with rugged terrains like in Colorado and adjacent Rocky Mountain states, having sharp turns of roadways and passes to go around the terrain are common features with inherent extra safety concerns beyond ordinary consideration. A prominent example is one of spots along Wolf Creek Pass where there were multiple severe or fatal vehicular accidents. That spot features not only a small radius of turn but also a downward gradient which often leads to speeds higher than the posted speed limit and warning to the incoming vehicles and trucks. Despite the fact that numerous safety measures have been installed to warn drivers, in the past couple of years, Wolf Creek Pass has experienced a slight increase in vehicle accidents that have resulted in loss of lives and property damages in this area. Additional safety measures are therefore required to mitigate the severity of future incidents. The purpose of this research study is to examine one possible solution that may prevent future loss of lives in this area. The expected outcomes of this study shall include a development of effective layers of barriers design to reduce the danger of roadway bend conditions such as those at Wolf Creek Pass where accidents can be fatal for heavy vehicles and trucks with a high center of gravity running into it at high speed. These outcomes shall be achieved by using the advanced 3D nonlinear dynamic computer modeling and analysis of a combination of layers of barriers to absorb, redirect the kinetic energy and stop the momentum of heavy trucks as they approach at high speeds down the slopes toward the bend as well as prevent heavy freight vehicles from flipping over.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Programmed
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Colorado Department of Transportation

  Applied Research and Innovation Branch
  Denver, CO  United States  80204
• Managing Organizations:

  Colorado Department of Transportation

  Applied Research and Innovation Branch
  Denver, CO  United States  80204
• Project Managers:

  Tran, Thien

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Colorado, Boulder

  130 Academy Building, 970 Aurora Avenue
  Boulder, CO  United States  80309
• Start Date: 20250501
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Computer models; High risk locations; Highway safety; Mountains; Trucking safety
• Geographic Terms: Colorado
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01930446
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Colorado Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 16 2024 8:56AM