Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) maintained roadways are getting safer thanks to a statewide limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program managed by VDOT Central Office’s Traffic Operations Division. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), guardrails are safety barriers intended to shield motorists who have left the roadway.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 103,000 crashes involved guardrails as the first harmful event. Unfortunately, several factors can compromise the reliability of a guardrail. Poor maintenance, the use of mismatched materials, and erosion can all contribute to a guardrail potentially doing exactly the opposite of its original intention: absorbing shock and protecting a driver.
Every day, VDOT assumes the serious responsibility of maintaining these guardrails so they remain intact and reliable for the public using Virginia’s roadways. Over the past 15 years, Timmons Group’s guardrail experts have supported VDOT professional staff in this effort through guardrail-related consultation.
Our subject matter experts helped lead VDOT’s transition to Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) standards in 2016 and later guided the development of VDOT’s Strategic Guardrail Management Program (SGMP), which prioritizes and funds the replacement of obsolete guardrail terminals throughout the state. The SGMP’s success was recognized nationally in 2019 when VDOT won the National Roadway Safety Award for Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation, as well as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President’s Award for Performance Excellence, Data, and Technology.
In early 2023, following the success of the SGMP, VDOT began developing the limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program. This initiative involves a “boots-on-the-ground” limited-scope inspection of every guardrail terminal in the state, covering more than 7,400 miles of guardrail and approximately 150,000 terminals statewide.
The limited scope program focuses on identifying potential mix-and-match products (combinations of conflicting proprietary guardrail components), installation issues, rust, damage, obsolete products, and other noticeable deficiencies. Timmons Group worked closely with VDOT and a small focus group to determine the appropriate inspection checklist. Ultimately, the inspection items were narrowed down to allow inspections to take place in less than 15 minutes, minimizing traffic pattern interruptions and costs while maximizing the number of guardrails inspected for public safety.
In addition to developing the “pocket guide,” the team also collaborated with VDOT and its consultants to create a worker safety manual specifically for the limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program. Over the past three years, our team members played a key role in providing classroom and field-based training for dozens of inspection teams.
Working alongside VDOT, Timmons Group has inspected over 34,000 terminals as part of the program. Virtually all of the 150,000 terminals in the state have been inspected, including all interstates and U.S. routes. Approximately 5% of guardrail terminals have been identified as misinstalled or containing mix-and-match products, a leading concern of the limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program. As issues are identified, our team continues to support VDOT in prioritizing the design and replacement of those terminals through the SGMP.
Our transportation team brings specialized expertise in guardrail design guidance for VDOT, helping improve the reliability of guardrails and support safer roadway impacts throughout the Commonwealth. While Timmons Group has assisted VDOT with guardrail-related efforts for more than 15 years, our leadership and technical expertise over the last several years have been instrumental in implementing MASH guardrail standards across the state and developing the limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program.
Timmons Group remains committed to the safety of Virginia motorists and to supporting VDOT as it completes the limited scope guardrail terminal maintenance inspection program.
To understand the full breadth of Timmons Group’s traffic and transportation services, see our projects here.
