AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
In an effort to enhance safety while reducing short-term traffic
congestion in active work zones and at emergency scenes, the Texas
Department of Transportation and Mobile Barriers LLC are bringing
additional mobile barriers to Texas roadways.
Highly mobile, fully integrated and designed for rapid deployment,
Mobile Barriers MBT-1 has received numerous awards and international
acclaim for improving worker safety while reducing the number of
roadside vehicles, lane closures and time needed to return roadways to
their normal operating capacity.
“Under prior practices, it was often not practical to set up protection
and separate the workers and traveling public,” said Kevin Groeneweg,
CEO of Mobile Barriers. “To the extent there were only cones separating
the two, there were more distractions which all too often leads to
slowing and accidents. To compensate for dangers, crews often brought
out extra trucks and/or took extra lanes (‘buffer lanes’). Mobile
Barriers MBT-1 allows users to streamline the entire process. It simply
pulls in place and crews can go to work. Later, it allows users to
quickly reopen the road for rush hour – before most people even realize
we were there.”
“Safety is our top priority and with these barriers, our workers are
surrounded by a mobile, protective environment that allows them to get
the job done more quickly and safely than would be possible with just
cones,” said John Barton, TxDOT Deputy Executive Director. “There’s no
better way to reduce work zone accidents and improve conditions for
everyone than to safely complete the work as quickly as possible and
reopen the roadway to normal traffic flow.”
Considered a “game-changer” among safety and construction experts, the
MBT-1 barriers are mobilized using standard tractor-trailer trucks.
After arriving on site, the barriers are positioned as needed and shield
roadside workers from passing traffic. If needed, the barriers can be
pulled along the roadway in incremental lengths until work is completed.
In some cases, the mobile MBT-1 barrier has enabled crews to do in one
night what had otherwise taken three to five, with greater safety and
less time lost for setup and removal.
TxDOT acquired its first MBT-1 barrier last fall and recently ordered
six more. For additional information, see www.mobilebarriers.com.
Mobile Barriers LLCBridget Ostronic, [email protected]
Department of TransportationVeronica Beyer, 512-463-8588Director
of Media Relationswww.txdot.gov
Source: Mobile Barriers LLC
