Road Safety Audit Report:

Ball Road at CR700W

Noble County, Indiana

April 2019

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Table of Contents

RSA Background ............................................................................................................................................ 2

RSA Observations .......................................................................................................................................... 3

RSA Team Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 4

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

Vicinity Map .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Site Photographs ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Crash History ............................................................................................................................................... 11

THIS DOCUMENT IS PROTECTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 23 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 409 AS FOLLOWS:

Title 23 U.S.C. § 409

Discovery and admission as evidence of certain reports and surveys Notwithstanding any other provision of law, reports, surveys, schedules, lists or data compiled or

collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, or planning the safety enhancement of potential

accident sites, hazardous roadway conditions, or railway-highway crossings, pursuant to sections 130,

144 and 148 of this title or for the purpose of developing any highway safety construction improvement

project which may be implemented utilizing Federal-aid highway funds shall not be subject to discovery

or admitted into evidence in a Federal or State court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any

action for damages arising from any occurrence at a location mentioned or addressed in such re-ports,

surveys, schedules, lists or data.

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RSA Background

Location: Ball Road/CR700W curve, ½ mile east of Rochester Road RSA Date: March 27, 2019 RSA Team Participants: Rick Drumm, PE – Federal Highway Administration Jennifer Sharkey, PE – Steuben County Highway Department Mike Siffer, PE – GAI Consultants Laura Slusher, PE – Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program Other RSA Participants and Resources: Richard Rogers, Noble County Highway Department Road Superintendent Zack Smith, Noble County Highway Department Highway Engineer Brian Walker, Noble County Sherriff’s Department Max Webber, Noble County Sherriff’s Department Existing Conditions: Audit Type: Existing Roads Road Owner: Noble County Road Type/Classification: Rural Local Adjacent Land Use: Farmland, Residential Terrain: Rolling Climatic Conditions - Cold winter (freezing, icing possible); snow in winter RSA Limits: This Road Safety Audit investigated Ball Road and CR700W in the vicinity of the horizontal curve where these two roads meet. A vicinity map is included in the Appendix. Crash History: Since 2014, there have been a total of four reported crashes at this location. All of these crashes involve a single vehicle traveling southbound on a snow-covered roadway, losing control at the curve and running off the road. One of the crashes resulted in a multiple fatality; one crash resulted in injury. 75% of these crashes ended up partially or totally in the river. 75% first struck a tree after leaving the roadway. 50% occurred in periods of darkness. While this location is not a high-crash location for Noble County due to its relatively low volume of traffic, the pattern of crashes is distinct. A detailed crash history is included in the Appendix. Traffic Characteristics: Typical rural traffic is seen at this location, including farm equipment, trucks, and school buses. This roadway is used by residents, delivery drivers, farmers, and drivers heading to/from the school campus located southwest of this location. Ball Road/CR700W is not a main thoroughfare through the County, but a low-volume roadway.

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Noble County Highway Department provided a traffic count taken north of this location of approximately 150 vehicles per day. No classification or speed data was available. There is an active Amish population living in Noble County. There was no evidence of regular usage by buggies, bicycles, or pedestrians; however, the potential exists for these road users. Roadway Characteristics: The roadway is approximately 20 feet wide throughout the curve and its approaches. There is no posted speed limit in either direction on the study roadway, so the rural statutory speed of 55mph applies. The curve is located 1.5 miles south of the main thoroughfare, CR900N. Drivers are not required to stop for that 1.5-mile distance prior to the curve; however, an at-grade, protected railroad crossing 0.3 miles north of the curve would potentially slow drivers down briefly or stop them altogether if a train is passing. The study curve is located near the bottom of a slight downhill grade in the southbound direction. The eastbound approach to the study curve is level and is ½ mile from Rochester Road. Eastbound drivers encounter two, more gradual horizontal curves approximately 0.4 and 0.1 miles prior to the study curve. The Elkhart River runs adjacent to the study roadway on the south side.

RSA Observations

The following observations were made by the RSA team on their site visit to the study roadway. The County has done a good job signing this curve in both directions. Curve warning signs (W1-1) are present in both directions at the appropriate height and distance prior to the curve. The curve warning signs are located at 370 feet southbound and 352 feet eastbound, which exceeds the minimum advance placement requirement of 250 feet in the Indiana Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The sight distance to the southbound curve warning sign is 792 feet, even with the presence of a slight vertical curve. There are two chevrons located on the outside of the curve in both directions. The easternmost chevrons have been set back off the roadway approximately 27 feet, which is too far off the roadway in relation to the other chevron. Both of these are also currently at a height lower than standard. The westernmost chevrons are at an appropriate height and location. Recent additions to both curve warning signs include 10mph-advisory speed plaques, spinners and retroreflective strips to the sign posts. All signs have retroreflective sheeting and were installed no earlier than 2010. All appear to be in good condition by daytime assessment. Retroreflectivity was not measured. All signs are on breakaway posts.

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The field on the north side of the roadway, on the inside of the curve, will block sight distance when corn is tall. Drivers cannot see oncoming traffic around the curve. With a roadway width of 20 feet, drivers will use the center of the roadway through the curve, especially those in larger vehicles, creating a potential head-on or sideswipe crash if an unseen vehicle is approaching in the other direction. This was noticed during the field visit and evidenced on one crash report. Drivers may also be avoiding the inside of the curve where the pavement is broken down. There are no consistent, usable shoulders between Ball Road and the adjacent river. On the south side of the roadway are trees, vegetation, and a steep embankment to the river. The embankment is within three feet of the edge of roadway at one location just west of the study curve. The County has made an effort to stabilize the embankment at this location by installing riprap. There is very little recovery area and no traversable slope south of the roadway except right at the study curve, which is helpful for eastbound traffic, but not southbound. The north side of the roadway presents no potential roadside hazards and has a recovery area for errant vehicles. The pavement is a chip seal surface in fair condition. Patch repairs are evident in spots. The inside of the study curve appears to have broken down and been repaired. There are no pavement markings present. The superelevation is 7% on the inside of the curve and 5% on the outside of the curve. There is no roadway lighting along the study section. There is a buildup of sand from winter maintenance on both sides of the roadway. The County’s winter operations includes a 2:1 mix of sand to salt, with certain road segments, like the study curve, getting a second treatment pass. This is a common practice on rural, low-volume roadways in Indiana. In summary, the combination of the following factors is leading to the distinct winter crash pattern at this location:

Snow/ice-covered roadway

Driver error

Sharp curve at the bottom of a downhill grade

Proximity of roadside hazards and lack of recovery area

Mitigation of any of these factors can improve safety and potentially reduce crashes and improve safety at this location. The goal is to first keep vehicles on the roadway and second minimize the severity of leaving the roadway. To accomplish this, countermeasures should target the following areas: roadway improvements, traffic control device improvements, and winter maintenance operations.

RSA Team Recommendations

The RSA team came up with the following recommendations for Noble County to consider implementing in part or in whole to improve the safety of drivers on Ball Road/CR700W. Both short-term, low-cost and long-term, higher-cost improvements are listed for the County’s consideration based on their budget and overall need. Roadway Improvements Given the close proximity of roadside hazards to the south edge of Ball Road and the likelihood of errant

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vehicles striking a tree and/or ending up in the river based on past crashes, the County should consider the installation of guardrail. Slope stabilization will be needed to anchor guardrail and prevent further river encroachment to the roadway. Consultation with IN DNR is advised. Type and length of guardrail and length of guardrail posts should be determined in the design phase of any improvement project. Long-span guardrail may be a possible option to bridge the isolated area of substandard shoulder adjacent to the river. Length of need calculations should be based off the typical vehicle path in the center of the roadway and typical operating speeds through the curve. Unless measures are taken to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway, continued maintenance of the guardrail will be necessary. A long-term solution at this location would be to flatten the curve in order to move the roadway further from the river, creating a usable recovery area for errant vehicles. The radius of the curve can also be increased, making it easier to navigate and improve sight distance around the curve. A shift of the roadway north could potentially avoid riverbank slope improvements that require permitting. The County should consider improving the superelevation of the curve so it is consistent from top to bottom across both lanes. Creating uniform superelevation would allow for rounding of the shoulder alongside the river, increasing the recovery area for errant vehicles. Repairing the pavement on the inside of the curve should also be considered as part of any pavement project. Traffic Control Device Improvements In the short-term, the County should bring the chevron signs up to standard in terms of location, height, and number. The easternmost chevrons should be moved into line with the other ones, to properly show the curve of the roadway, and brought up in height to a minimum of 4’ from the level of the roadway. Signs should be on separate posts to follow IN MUTCD guidance. The County should also consider the addition of more chevrons throughout the curve, spaced at 40 feet per the IN MUTCD. An alternative to using the chevrons would be the placement of a one direction large arrow sign (W1-6) for each direction. Regardless of type of curve signs used within the curve, the addition of yellow retroreflective strips to the posts is advised. In order to better delineate the curve, the County can consider the addition of pavement markings (center and/or edge) throughout the curve and on each approach. Centerline pavement markings would remind drivers to stay in their lane through the curve. Edgeline pavement markings would delineate the edge of roadway, assisting drivers in staying on the pavement. Flexible delineators on the outside of the curve may also be helpful. Delineators can also be placed on guardrail, if that is installed in the future. All types of pavement markings and delineators will help drivers better visualize the curve, especially at night. Winter Maintenance Operations The County may want to consider modifying its winter maintenance practices at this location and any other similar locations where the consequences of a vehicle leaving the roadway can be potentially severe. Adjustments to the amount of road salt used and the timing of its application can help improve the roadway surface to keep vehicles under control and on the roadway. This is a low-cost countermeasure with a big impact. Indiana LTAP can provide consultation and resources in this area.

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Appendix

Vicinity Map

Site Photographs

Crash History

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Vicinity Map

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Site Photographs

Proximity of roadside hazards to roadway edge

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Broken pavement on inside of curve

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Easternmost sign installation at curve

Crash History

Collision Date

Collision Time

Vehicles Involved

Number Injured

Number Dead

Light Condition Surface

Condition Primary Factor

Manner of Collision

Dir of Travel

1st object struck

2nd object struck

10/1/2008 1432 1 1 0 DAYLIGHT DRY MC couldn't see approaching combine thru curve RAN OFF ROAD SB 9/13/2009 500 1 0 0 DARK (NOT LIGHTED) DRY UNSAFE SPEED RAN OFF ROAD SB Vegetation 7/8/2011 1925 1 1 0 DAYLIGHT DRY UNSAFE SPEED RAN OFF ROAD EB Fence Culvert

1/19/2014 2215 1 0 0 DARK (NOT LIGHTED) SNOW/SLUSH SPEED TOO FAST FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS RAN OFF ROAD SB Tree River

1/15/2016 735 1 1 0 DAWN/DUSK ICE SPEED TOO FAST FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS RAN OFF ROAD SB Tree River

1/13/2019 1347 1 0 0 DAYLIGHT SNOW/SLUSH SPEED TOO FAST FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS RAN OFF ROAD SB Tree 2/11/2019 950 1 0 3 DAYLIGHT SNOW/SLUSH SPEED TOO FAST FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS RAN OFF ROAD SB Embankment River