Vol. 538 No. 3
256 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if the provision of central barriers are part of modern motorway safety standards; and if there are any plans to provide them in future motorway plans or to retro-fit existing ones. [17738/01]
The present standard applied by the National Roads Authority for use of median barriers is that central barriers are provided on medians which are less than eight metres in width, and barriers are not provided on medians in excess of this width. This standard is under review at present, and the review by NRA will be completed by end of summer.
A study of design options for major road projects carried out for the NRA in 1996-98 recommended that the standards of the UK Highways Agency, Design Manual for Roads and Bridges be adopted for national roads and that the existing national road guidelines, RT 180 and RT 181, should be replaced with a simple condensed design guideline. Consultants were subsequently appointed to prepare the NRA Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and the NRA Road Geometry Handbook, which, inter alia, address the use and positioning of crash barriers. These documents have now been submitted to my Department by the NRA for my approval, as required under the Roads Act, 1993. This will be addressed by my Department following the further review by NRA of the standard for central barriers referred to above.
