Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
There is some new scenery for travelers on Highway 26.
From Longmire Road in Adams County to Dusty, the Washington State Department of Transportation has installed 45,000 linear feet of new guardrails along the highway.
The original rail had 12-feet of spacing between the posts. The new rail has six feet. It has higher posts and the end points are impact-attenuating.
“We’re bringing the guardrail up to current standards on State Route 26,” said Al Gilson, Spokesperson for D.O.T., Eastern Region.
The impact-attenuating rails absorb energy at the end of the guardrail, within a piece called the extruder head, preventing a rail from spearing into a car or truck. On impact the metal rail curls up like a can-opener.
“It’s quite an appliance,” said Tom Stewart, president of Frank Gurney Co. of Spokane, contractor on the project. “Now Highway 26 through these areas is a much safer place to drive.”
The $1.3 million project began in mid-June and was finished Sept. 8.
The old wrap-around style guardrails were not impact-attenuating. The new style was developed by the National Highway Research Council.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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