Engineering Commons^™

Evaluating The Cost-Effectiveness Of Roadside Culvert Treatments, Francisco Daniel B. De Albuquerque, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Roadside cross-drainage culverts have been found to affect vehicle accident injury levels. As a result, highway designers have commonly used three safety treatments to protect errant motorists from striking culvert openings. These safety treatments have included: culvert extension, guardrail installation, and the application of safety grating. However, the identification of the most appropriate safety treatment for roadside culverts may be challenging; accident costs may dramatically change under different road and traffic characteristics. The purpose of this study was to estimate accident costs for a wide range of road and traffic scenarios and then define the safest treatment (i.e., treatment with …