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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Wirt and Mercer Counties in West Virginia Use High Friction Surface Treatments to Reduce the Occurrence of Road Departure Crashes – West Virginia

Publication Year:

Original publication: Every Day Counts Project Case Study: High Friction Surface Treatments – West Virginia Department of Transportation (PDF, 814kB)

Key Accomplishments

West Virginia has a high number of run-off-the-road crashes. Their goal of applying High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) at these locations is to reduce the number of crashes. They intend to look at the total number of accidents 3 years after application.

Results

WV DOT officials will look at the total number of accidents 3 years after the application of these HFST treatments.

WV 14 in Wirt County is a typical two-lane road in West Virginia with an ADT of 3400. The site is located at a six-degree horizontal curve. Prior to application, this site had four wet weather crashes in a span of 3 years. No skid testing reading was available prior to the project, but it had a reading higher than 69 after installation. The project was completed in October 2012. The total linear feet of installation is 420.

WV 20 in Mercer County is a two-lane road in southern West Virginia with an ADT of 7200 compromising mostly of commuters. The site is located at a series of horizontal curves. Prior to the application, this site had four run-off-the road crashes in a span of 3 years. No skid testing reading was available prior to the project, but it had a reading higher than 69 upon project completion. The project was completed in August 2011. The total linear feet of installation is 2,200.

"Photograph of an HFST-treated horizontal curve of WV 14 in Wirt County"
Figure 1. Wirt County - WV 14 at MP 15.48

 

"Photograph of an HFST-treated section of WV 20 in Mercer County"
Figure 2. Mercer County - WV 20 at MP 16.42 between Princeton and Athens, WV

 

Contact

Donna Hardy
P.E., Mobility and Safety Engineer
WV Division of Highways, Traffic Engineering Division WV DOT
Donna.J.Hardy@wv.gov

Joseph Cheung
P.E., HFST Lead
FHWA Office of Safety
Joseph.Cheung@dot.gov