Khaberni - The Ministry of Public Works and Housing announced the completion of the project to construct three escape ramps on the Adasiya – Dead Sea road, in the direction towards the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. This is part of their ongoing efforts to enhance traffic safety elements on roads with steep declines and heavy traffic from trucks and heavy vehicles.
The project included adding a dedicated lane to guide trucks before the escape ramps, alongside excavation, backfill, sand, and gravel layers, and constructing the necessary retaining walls to form the body of the ramps.
Protective barriers and light reflectors were also installed to isolate the ramps from the main road, and traffic safety measures were executed to ensure safe use in emergencies.
The Dead Sea road extends through rugged terrain starting from heights of more than 1000 meters above sea level to more than 400 meters below sea level in a distance of no more than 25 kilometers, making it one of the steepest roads in the kingdom.
This steep decline has previously led to repeated incidents of control loss and truck deterioration, making the construction of escape ramps a pressing necessity to reduce these accidents and save lives.
The ministry confirmed that the cost of the project implementation amounted to about one million Jordanian dinars, noting that the design of the ramps was done according to the highest international technical specifications, allowing for trucks that are broken down or have brake failures to stop safely without causing human or material damage.
Escape ramps are among the most crucial infrastructure elements for mountainous and sloping roads, providing an effective solution in emergencies when trucks and heavy vehicles lose the ability to stop due to brake system failures or excessive loads. The concept of the ramp involves creating an inclined lane covered with layers of sand or gravel that absorb the vehicle's energy and gradually stop it in a safe manner.
Traffic studies indicate that the presence of escape ramps contributes to reducing deteriorating accidents by more than 80% on roads that experience significant declines, and also enhances the confidence of drivers and the safety of other road users.
The completion of this project reaffirms the Ministry of Public Works' commitment to implementing sustainable projects that enhance traffic safety and reduce accidents on vital roads in the kingdom, within its national plan to improve the transport network and roads.
