A New Safety Feature is Coming Soon to Transmountain Road

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)- A new safety feature is coming soon to Transmountain Road: a mechanical runaway truck ramp. TxDOT El Paso says this is the first of its kind in Texas, making it a completely new addition. Recently, TxDOT El Paso teams met on-site to learn about the system and get maintenance training. Michael Beecen of Beecen, Brackin and Associates, who helped design the ramp, said, “This is probably the most unique trap that we’ve designed. First, it is the first mechanical system installed in Texas, but it is in a median, and we have never done a median application. This is the first of its kind in the nation.”

TxDOT El Paso says this new ramp gives drivers a safety option if their brakes fail, letting them keep going westbound on Loop 375 in the left lane. The ramp was built in the median because there was limited space. While this is the first mechanical ramp system on Transmountain, it will be the fourth runaway ramp on the road. The ramp is built to stop a 90,000-pound truck going 90 miles an hour, using energy-absorbing nets attached to reinforced concrete walls. Beecen said, “We’ve had an excellent in-service record for this system, and many lives have been saved where drivers have lost their brakes. As a design engineer in roadside safety, there’s nothing I could ask for more than a system that works and saves lives.” TxDOT El Paso says crews still need to add finishing touches, such as reflectors, flashing warning signs, overhead sign bridges, and striping. The ramp is expected to open and be ready for use this summer.