Annual Report 2010.pdf - Mississippi Department of Transportation

Landmark Greenville Bridge Completed
A ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 2010 marked the completion
of the U.S. 82 Mississippi River Bridge at Greenville—a dramatic
cable-stayed structure that greatly improves safety for motorists
and also marine traffic. The bridge is wider and straighter than
the 1940 structure it replaces, making it safer, easier, and more
comfortable to drive across. The bridge can now readily accommodate
the wide loads such as farm equipment that are common
in that part of the state. Ample shoulder room allows disabled
vehicles to pull out of the travel lanes. The new bridge is located
on a straight stretch of the river, making it much easier for barges
and other marine traffic to navigate between its piers safely and
smoothly.
Preventing Head-On Crashes
Keeping vehicles in their lane helps prevent accidents, especially
head-on crashes. Though driver attention is a major factor, highway
improvements can help. MDOT is installing more than 200
miles of cable median barrier on divided highways throughout
the state to help prevent vehicles from crossing into oncoming
traffic. Cable barriers are cost effective and help absorb the
energy of vehicle impacts, as opposed to unforgiving concrete
barriers. On about 350 miles of rural, two-lane highway, MDOT has
installed centerline rumble strips to alert drivers who drift toward
the center of the road.
Getting a Clue about Crashes
Seeing is believing, and MDOT’s trio of simulators—ROVER, The
Convincer, and SIDNE—get the attention of young people. They
demonstrate why wearing a seatbelt is so important, and why
impaired driving is so dangerous. In FY 2010 MDOT conducted
safety demonstrations at elementary, middle, vocational, high
school, and college presentations; school district Safe & Drug Free
Awareness Day events; Teen Driving Summits; the Department of
Public Safety’s 3-D (Drunk and Drugged Driving) Safety Fair; camp
and youth group programs; public library presentations; county
safety fairs and events; sheriff’s office-sponsored safety days;
fire department events; EMT conferences; Wal-Mart Safety Week
events; and the Mississippi Summer Transportation Institute.
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