Florida's Turnpike To Get Barriers Along Canals, Ponds
91 Died On Turnpike In 2004
POSTED: 3:48 pm EST March 3,
2005
UPDATED: 4:10 pm EST March 3,
2005
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Cable barriers will be installed along Florida's Turnpike next to canals and ponds to help keep out-of-control vehicles out of the water, state officials announced Thursday.The barriers will be installed in Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Miami-Dade counties first, at a cost of $30 million, followed by the rest of the Turnpike System, which includes the Sawgrass Expressway and toll roads in central Florida and the Tampa Bay area.
Turnpike Crash Images:
Feb. 8: Mom Pleads For Rails On Turnpike After Canal Plunge
Jan. 7: Aaron Carter Survives Fiery Crash
Nov. 30: Six Killed In Fla. Turnpike Crash
Nov. 24: Accident Causes Massive Delays On Turnpike
Aug. 31: Tanker Overturns, Spills Fuel On Turnpike
Aug. 10: 18-Wheeler, Car Collide On Turnpike
Aug. 9: Church Bus Crashes Into Canal
July 7: Two Die In Turnpike Crash
The barriers will be put along the Turnpike anywhere a canal or body of water is deeper than three feet, said Turnpike Deputy Executive Director Christopher Warren. The barriers are made of steel cables and posts anchored in concrete foundations.In August, a church bus returning from a field trip in Orlando ran into a canal after being bumped by a sport-utility vehicle on the Turnpike in Boca Raton. Three children died in the crash.There was no highway guardrail in the spot where the bus, which held 24 children, plummeted into the canal. The rail ended about 100 yards from where the vehicle entered 20 feet of water."Our goal is to have the safest roads in the world," state Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, said in a statement.In January, state officials announced plans to install 160 miles of guardrails along Florida's Turnpike by the start of the heavy driving season in late May.While the steel guardrails don't necessarily prevent accidents, they can prevent head-on crashes by out-of-control vehicles.In 2004, 91 people were killed in crashes on the 312-mile turnpike system from Florida City to Wildwood, including a record 54 crossover-crash fatalities.
Turnpike Crash Images:
Previous Stories:
- February 8, 2005: Mom Pleads For Rails On Turnpike After Canal Plunge
- January 10, 2005: More Guardrails Going Up On Turnpike
- January 7, 2005: Aaron Carter's Vehicle Erupts In Flames On Fla. Turnpike
- January 3, 2005: State Pushes For Speedy Installation Of Turnpike Guardrails
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