October 12, 2005

Refer to: HSA-10/WZ-177 Amendment 1

Mr. Randy L. Warner
V.P. Purchasing/Product Development
Protection Services Inc.
635 Lucknow Road
Harrisburg, PA 17110

Dear Mr. Warner:

Thank you for your email message of August 12, 2005 requesting the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of your company's vertical panel for use in excavations adjacent to open travel lanes. We initially accepted this device for use in 8-inch deep excavations via the FHWA acceptance letter WZ-177 dated December 2, 2004. The vertical panel, framed with 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 14 gauge, perforated Telespar tubing was found acceptable by virtue of the similarity of that framing material to generic barricade designs, and because it was to be placed in a location essentially inaccessible to traffic. Although our letter limits the use of the device to 8-inch deep excavations, we consider it also acceptable in any depth excavation 4 inches or deeper. The length of the vertical framing elements may be altered in order to maintain the height of the retroreflective vertical panel at the proper height above the pavement.

As with most portable work zone traffic control devices, we consider the use of a nominal number of sandbags placed on the skids of this device acceptable to prevent the device from being overturned by wind gusts.

Please note that the FHWA has not accepted any other portable work channelizers such as vertical panels, specifically for use in excavations of any depth adjacent to open lanes of traffic. If you wish to conduct crash tests on your company's vertical panel in order to qualify it for use on flat pavement as well as in excavations up to 4 inches in depth, we will consider your device provisionally acceptable for one year from this date pending successful completion of the crash testing.

Finally, note that the other conditions and restrictions found in the FHWA acceptance Letter WZ-177 remain in effect.

Sincerely yours,

John R. Baxter, P.E.
Director, Office of Safety Design
Office of Safety

Safety Home | FHWA Home | Feedback