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D&S Technology's new roadblock boosts mobility in road emergency
D&S Technology's new "transforming" roadblock remains closed, left, and opens to lower its broadsides down to the ground during emergencies. Courtesy of D&S Technology
By Ko Dong-hwan
D&S Technology has unveiled its new "transforming" roadblock offering unprecedented convenience during road emergencies by allowing vehicle access from both directions, according to the country's security equipment and system developer, Thursday.
The key feature of the 17-meter-long roadblock is that it splits in half to lower its two broadsides to the ground so that vehicles can move over them. Each broadside comprises a series of 14 decks connected and moving in unison. The 16-ton roadblock takes 30 seconds maximum to either open or close and can be triggered either remotely or manually.
The contraption becomes particularly helpful at times when ambulances or other vehicles in an emergency are met by traffic congestion and want to cross to the opposite side of the road to keep moving.
Durability is another forte of the roadblock made of 100 percent steel. In a demonstration on Thursday, a 14-ton truck rammed it at 85 kilometers per hour. Other than scratches and dents, the road barrier remained intact. The invention withstood a crash by a sedan coming at 120 kilometers per hour as well.
D&S Technology was financed by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA) under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and state-run Korea Expressway Corp. (EX) to develop the road barrier. With 2 billion won ($1.52 million) invested starting in 2021, the project was completed earlier this month.
The patented technology was first unveiled during a joint counter-snow storm drill organized by the ministry and EX on Thursday on the Saemangeum-Pohang Highway near Wanju Service Area in North Jeolla Province.