Alabama Safety Edge Open 

House Demonstration

and Final Report

Submitted by:

Garry Havron

Alabama Local Technical Assistance 

Program Auburn University May 27, 2015
Background

Nationally, 56 percent of fatal crashes involve roadway departures. Maintaining safe pavement edges is

critical to providing an opportunity for drivers to recover safely from a roadway departure, the number 

two goal in the Federal Highway Administration’s(FHWA’s) Roadway Departure Strategic Plan. 

Research has shown that crashes involving pavement edge drop‐offs are sometimes up to 4 times as

likely to be fatal as other crashes. Other research shows that installation of a 30‐degree wedge during 

the paving operation can reduce to almost zero the likelihood of a fatal crash related to the edge. 

Now, as one of FHWA’s Proven Safety Countermeasures, the goal is for local agencies to make it part of

their normal paving processes. The Alabama Technology Transfer Center (T2), Alabama’s Local Technical 

Assistance Program (LTAP) center, accepted an invitation from the FHWA Safety Edge Team to provide 

technical assistance in showcasing the safety and pavement benefits of the Safety Edge in Alabama. 

Alabama Technology Transfer Center (T2) partnered with the Safety Edge Team, the FHWA Alabama 

Division, Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), The National Center for Asphalt Testing 

(NCAT) and LEE COUNTY to develop a demonstration event that would showcase the simplicity and 

benefits of this paving technique to a wide audience of local agencies and roadway safety stakeholders. 

The Safety Edge Demonstration Event

Alabama Technology Transfer Center (T2) Technical Assistance Coordinator Garry Havron worked with 

FHWA Alabama Division Safety Engineer Linda Guin to identify a suitable location for the open house and 

demonstration event. After several unsuccessful attempts to locate a suitable site and and several 

emails back and forth. A site was selected in LEE COUNTY Alabama. The road was called Pierce Chapel 

Road, and it was to be the first Safety edge put down in LEE COUNTY. 

The Alabama Technology Transfer Center sent an email announcement and invitation to participate in

the Safety Edge demonstration event to hundreds of in‐state contacts in mid May. Online registration 

quickly climbed to more than 40 participants, equaling the capacity of the meeting room at the 

Hampton Inn Suites in Opelika,AL. On the date of the event, 47 individuals were on‐hand to participate 

in the event. This total included 13 local agency representatives, 21 state agency representatives, 10

private sector representatives, 1 federal agency representatives, and 2 (T2) representatives. This 

diverse group includes not only the local 
agency officials who comprise the primary target audience for the event, but also a mix of engineering 

consultants, contractors, state transportation officials, and FHWA staff members whose work will be

vital to increasing the overall use, availability, and acceptance of the Safety Edge in Alabama. A 

complete listing of Safety Edge Demonstration participants, and Flyer for advertisement is included in

Appendix A.

Participants were welcomed at the beginning of the open house portion of the event by Alabama (T2) 

Administrator Garry Havron. The first presentation was made by FHWA Alabama Division Safety 

Engineer Linda Guin Mrs. Guin’s presentation addressed the need for the Safety Edge and addressed 

several technical issues which are keys to successful implementation. A second presentation was made 

by Dr. Buzz Powell, The National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. Dr. Powell 

emphasized the research that has been done and its effects on the test track at The National Center for 

Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. Key messages from both presentations included: 

 Roadway departure crashes are a significant problem on our nation's roadways. These crashes

result in an average of one fatality every 29 minutes, or 50 per day.

 The Safety Edge creates a 30‐degree pavement edge profile that can be safely traversed by a

wide variety of vehicles even with relatively high drop‐offs.

 Several vendors offer commercial Safety Edge devices that can be added to existing paving

equipment. Other agencies, including the North Carolina DOT, have developed in‐house

solutions that can be duplicated by other organizations. Commercial Safety Edge shoes range in

cost from $700 to $3,000.

 When using the Safety Edge, shoulder clipping should be performed prior to paving to achieve

optimal results.

 Use of the Safety Edge results in minimal project cost increases. The National Center for Asphalt

Technology at Auburn University estimates that the Safety Edge requires only 0.1 percent more

pavement material than conventional paving processes.

 The Safety Edge is not suitable for some pavements and roadways. Examples of unsuitable

project characteristics include open‐graded surface mixes, "mill and fill" operations where the

shoulder is not repaved, roadways with curb and gutter, and locations where the shoulder drops

off at an angle greater than 30 degrees.

 The Safety Edge can be utilized on thin overlays. Lift thickness does not correlate with edge

depth.

 The Safety Edge results in a more durable pavement edge because the shoe increases density by

up to 2%.

 More than 40 states routinely evaluate the Safety Edge for use on paving projects.
APPENDIX A

FLYER  
FHWA, ALDOT, NCAT, Alabama LTAP, 

and East Alabama Paving, will host an 

Open House to showcase the Safety Edge 

for managing pavement edge drop-offs.

 Project Description

 Safety Edge Overview

 Site Visit

 Paving Demonstration*

* weather permitting

The Safety Edge is created by a shoe 

installed on the paver to create a 30- 

degree consolidated wedge. 

At minimal additional cost, the Safety Edge 

provides a roadway edge that allows errant 

vehicles to return to the roadway safely. A 

stronger transition with the graded material 

can also reduce the level of maintenance 

required. 

What:

Road Safety Edge Open House

Pierce Chapel Road

Where:

Hampton Inn Suites 

3000 Capps Way

Opelika, AL, 36804, US

Phone Number: (334) 745-4311

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

The Safety Edge Open House and 

Demonstration is open to staff and 

administrators from county highway 

departments, municipal public works, 

street, or engineering departments, 

and other agencies that may benefit 

from use of the Safety Edge. 

When:

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Time 9:00AM

Register online at: 

https://register.uce.auburn.edu/CourseSt

atus.awp?&course=C150527se

This is a Free Demo with Lunch Included

For More Information please contact:

ghavron@auburn.edu