There are many solutions in use world-wide to the problem of getting traffic-flow past motorway crash-sites. For example I’ve read that in some places a helicopter arrives in minutes and photographs the site from several angles to get number-plates, skid-marks etc. This leaves the arriving emergency crews freedom to do their vitally important jobs without ‘don’t move anything’ legalities. Quickly vehicles can get past the site, albeit slowly, but city-wide gridlock is avoided. But I know of at least one country which insists that no vehicles may be moved until some very strict anti-crime regulations have been adhered to. Traffic often has to wait hours to pass. Hence the following possible solution. A half of a mobile arched bridge approaches from each side of the crash and bolt together. One half would have to move up against the flow unless the bridge arched over the berm diagonally. But I’m no engineer so my ideas in this area are not even ‘half’ baked. Could such a bridge support a very heavy vehicle for example?-- rayfo, Aug 12 2000 They use portable bridges for taking 60 ton tanks over obstacles. I'm sure something could be put together. Not necessarily in two halves, it would probably be easier to make it folding and deployed from one side. Only problem is that something like that, allowing enough room for fire trucks and so on is going to have to be -huge-, maybe a quarter mile long, and at least 15-20 feet high, maybe more if it's necessary to use a crane for some reason.
I've spent four hours sitting in traffic with no way to get anywhere before <In a black car, in a part of the world where 98 degrees / 98% humidity is 'warm'> and it is not in any sense of the word fun. I'd love to have these things available. Or possibly, have a bunch of pierced steel planking brought in and set up a temporary bypass around it, if there's room.-- StarChaser, Aug 12 2000 The stress and confusion on some scenes can be very hard to deal with and for an officer to be able to accurately collect the information he/she sometimes needs to stop through traffic to remove some of the added confusion (and danger) which people driving by can produce. Sometimes conditions are extremely bad and its safer and more economical closing the roadway and redirecting traffic on detour routes around the accident. The first priority is to investigate a serious accident as fast as possiable, sometimes that may take up to 8 hours, trust me i have worked many 8 hour road closures. Keep in mind normally when this is the case we are dealing with a fatal and its surprizing how many people get irate just because we have to detour them around a scene, and cause them to spend an extra 3 minutes of driving time because someone was killed and we have to investigate it.
to erect a bypass would take many man hours of work and cost tons of money. You couldnt just haphazardly pop a bypass up, without following safety codes and IIHS certifications for safety, and a ready made bypass would not work for all applications, i.e. what if it was on a curve of a roadway or up a steep grade.. in my opinion it would not be worth the taxpayers money to construct a bypass for a tempory road closure. and it would be quite foolish. If you can't figure out a way around a road closure, by going "around the block", then you shouldn't be driving. Its amazing how many people come up to a road closure with looks on their faces like the look of a deer in headlights.... what do I do now? well turn around, and if you don't know the area find a local gas station and ask him how to get around... but don't just sit there because your holding up traffic and emergency vehicles need to get in and out of the scene...
besides errecting and taking apart a bypass would take a long time, and i am sure you would atleast have to close the road anyways for a few hours to set up and take apart a bypass if one could be constructed and deployed within 10 minutes of the accident occuring... (something that big would take hours to deploy realistically)-- Roadwolf611, Nov 11 2003 modify one of those quick erect bridges the army uses. if it's designed for 60 odd ton tanks, rafyo, it,ll take any HGV you chuck at it and ask for more.-- Herbicide, Apr 14 2004 random, halfbakery