The repair and maintenance of our road systems requires repairs in all traffic conditions, with the least amount of disruption in traffic flow. Highway departments and traffic engineers are looking for the ability to provide a safe work environment for repair crews, with the least traffic flow interruption possible.
Road repair crews face a risky environment. Even though they wear reflective vests and clothing, hard hats and steel-toe boots behind an assortment of safety signage, electronic arrow and message boards, they face the potential for serious injury or death with every passing vehicle. To avoid traffic interruptions, crews are often scheduled to make repairs at night when there is less traffic on the roads. However, while there may be less traffic delays there are tired, distracted or impaired drivers that only add to the problem. The need to be able to position work crews and equipment safely on the highway to provide a safe work area, with quick set up and take down is obvious.
New to Western Canada from the ATS Traffic Group is the Mobile Barrier unit, an innovative work zone barrier system. This barrier system is fully mobile and consists of a modular unit on wheels pulled by a standard truck tractor unit. The reversible axles of the mobile unit allow it to be easily reconfigured for either right or left applications in as little as thirty minutes. The mobile unit’s bright, construction orange color helps alert drives that road work is taking place. The unit also comes equipped with an approved truck mounted energy attenuator.
The mobile unit can be deployed in minutes and alleviates the need for road crews to use Temporary Concrete Barrier (TCB), allowing them to finish road work and re-open a highway lane in less time; an important factor.
The work zone barrier increases the safety of the maintenance construction crews and is customizable to suit the jobsite. By adding panels, the mobile barrier can be expanded from 13 M (42 feet) to 31 M (101 feet) in length. The unit is provided with a portable generator (120/240 volt) and work zone lighting kit as well as rear wheel steerable axle. A privacy barrier is also available as an option. The unit meets the TL-3 crash requirements and has received acceptance under NCHRP 305 and MASH.
The mobile barrier unit has been proven to provide a safe area for workers and has been positively received by highway and road departments, contactors, Labour Ministries, as well as police departments. It has been proven to be time effective, and construction crews easily adapt to working behind its 1,524 mm (5 ft.) barrier and feel very confident in the level of protection it provides.
Potential users and uses for the mobile barrier device are widespread. Applications include: providing work zone protection barriers for pothole filling; crack sealing; pavement testing; bridge repairs; investigations, and washing; accident scene investigations and cleanup, guard rail and barrier repairs; illumination repairs and maintenance; permanent signage and channelizer installations and pre-engineering activities.
The mobile barrier trailer unit provides the maximum protection for roadway crews while increasing production and often decreasing project times. In addition, while it decreases driver distraction and glare it often reduces the number of lanes needed for the work zone, since traffic can pass in the lane directly beside the unit. The solid wall also prevents debris from entering the work zone, which increases crew production.
The ATS Traffic Group divisions include, Alberta Traffic Supply Ltd., Guardian Traffic Services Ltd., Inprotect Systems Inc., Trafco Canada Ltd. and Work Area Protection Services Inc. For more information or to discuss rental opportunities for the Mobile Barrier, contact the ATS Traffic Group at 1- and ask to speak with an Impact Attenuation Protection Specialist; or visit www.AtsTrafficGroup.com
