State To Install Median Guardrails Along I-75

BROOKSVILLE - Driving along Interstate 75 is about to get safer.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Friday kicked off its "Guard Your Life - Drive Alert On I-75" safety campaign aimed at reducing deaths and crashes along that busy road.
To that end, the agency plans to install median guardrails along I-75 from County Road 577 to the Pasco-Hernando County line and from north of State Road 50 to the Hernando-Sumter line.
It is hoped the guardrails will reduce head-on crashes and "make I-75 a safer corridor for everyone," said Don Skelton, District Seven secretary of transportation.
The statistics would seem to bear out Skelton's concerns.
From January 2004 through May 2007, there were 4,702 crashes with 3,160 injuries - with 66 fatalities -- on I-75 from Hillsborough-Manatee to Hernando-Sumter counties, according to the FDOT.
Out of those crashes, 36 were head-on collisions, resulting in one fatality and 26 injuries.
Guardrails are made of ridged metal and help prevent vehicles from veering off the median and into oncoming vehicles in the opposite lane.
That's a common factor in many of the crashes Florida Highway Patrol troopers respond to on I-75, said Lt. Frank Troffo. With a speed limit of 70 mph along most of the road, even a slight tap can knock a car out of control.
"The faster you go, the harder it is to control the car, especially if you're trying to take evasive action," Troffo said.
When a car or truck hits the guardrails, the ridges absorb the impact along the metal, effectively stopping the vehicle and redirecting it in the lane the motorist is traveling.
FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said the state agency awarded the project to Bun Construction Co. Inc., which should begin work in the fall. It should take two or three months to complete.
Total estimated cost for the project is $2.1 million, with funds coming out of the Federal Highway Administration budget.
The Hernando section, which will cover 3.8 miles of roadway, will cost about $1.3 million, Carson said.
In that section alone, there were 274 crashes, 247 injuries and 12 fatalities from January 2004 through May 2007.
Carson said FDOT was moved to act on this project after viewing the crash statistics. She stressed that, just because the rails will be installed, motorists need to exercise caution when driving.
Hitting a guardrail can still cause substantial damage to a car and cause injury to the occupants, she said.
Carson said the guardrails will be continuous along the Interstate with a few gaps allowing safety and emergency vehicles to cross the median.
Motorists will soon start seeing ad campaigns touting the rails and a safety campaign advising people to drive safer on I-75. People will be able to pick up promotional safety bumper stickers at government offices.
The FDOT is also working with the Florida Highway Patrol for increased enforcement along I-75.