The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $497,050 grant to the Ohio Rail Development Commission to test a safety device that blocks all lanes of traffic at a high-risk highway-rail grade crossing.

The device is comprised of a single, long gate arm that extends across the entire width of the roadway. Once lowered, the far end of the gate arm is secured in a locking device on the opposite side of the road making it nearly impossible for a vehicle to drive around it.
The gate arm is designed to be energy absorbent, using galvanized steel cables to “catch the vehicle” and prevent it from entering the crossing. It can effectively stop a two-ton truck traveling at 45 miles per hour.
This technology has been used as a traffic safety device at drawbridges for over 30-years, but only recently is it being tested for use at highway-rail grade crossings.