Gate for controlling oncoming traffic on a roadway

Abstract

A gate for controlling oncoming traffic on a roadway (e.g. a highway). The gate comprises an arm movable between an extended position in which the arm extends into a given portion of the roadway to inform the oncoming traffic that the given portion of the roadway is closed and a retracted position in which the arm does not extend into the given portion of the roadway and thus leaves open the given portion of the roadway for the oncoming traffic. The gate also comprises a control system comprising an actuator and configured to support the arm and move the arm between the extended position and the retracted position. The arm may be quite long and vertically wide to close more of the roadway and be clearly visible to the oncoming traffic, while the gate may be crash-tested (i.e., compliant with crash-testing criteria), the control system may be compact, and the gate may be reusable and easily repairable if crashed into.

1 .- 107 . (canceled) 
     
     
         108 . A gate for controlling oncoming traffic on a roadway, the gate being mountable to a traffic barrier for the roadway, the gate comprising:
 an arm movable between an extended position in which the arm extends into a given portion of the roadway to inform the oncoming traffic that the given portion of the roadway is closed and a retracted position in which the arm does not extend into the given portion of the roadway; and   a control system comprising an actuator and configured to be disposed on top of the traffic barrier, support the arm such that the arm is cantilevered at the control system in the extended position, and move the arm horizontally between the extended position and the retracted position.   
     
     
         109 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the control system is dimensioned such that a footprint of the gate on the traffic barrier is contained within a width of the traffic barrier. 
     
     
         110 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the control system is dimensioned such that a footprint of the gate on the traffic barrier is contained within a top surface of the traffic barrier. 
     
     
         111 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein a ratio of a dimension of the control system in a longitudinal direction of the arm in the extended position over a length of the arm in the extended position is no more than 15%. 
     
     
         112 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein a ratio of a dimension of the control system in a longitudinal direction of the arm in the extended position over a length of the arm in the extended position is no more than 10%. 
     
     
         113 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the traffic barrier is a median barrier between opposite traffic directions for the roadway. 
     
     
         114 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the arm comprises a beam extending along a longitudinal direction of the arm and a plurality of visible members that extend obliquely to the beam. 
     
     
         115 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein the visible members are disposed to point towards where the oncoming traffic is to be directed when the arm is in the extended position. 
     
     
         116 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein respective ones of the visible members intersect one another. 
     
     
         117 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein each of the visible members is less stiff than the beam. 
     
     
         118 . The gate of  claim 117 , wherein a modulus of elasticity of a material of the beam is greater than a modulus of elasticity of a material of each of the visible members. 
     
     
         119 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein the beam includes the fiber-reinforced material. 
     
     
         120 . The gate of  claim 119 , wherein each of the visible members includes polymeric material different than the fiber-reinforced material. 
     
     
         121 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein the beam includes metallic material and each of the visible members includes polymeric material. 
     
     
         122 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the gate is MASH crash-tested. 
     
     
         123 . The gate of  claim 122 , wherein the gate is compliant with at least one of (i) MASH evaluation criteria of Test Level 3 Support Structures test matrices and (ii) MASH evaluation criteria of Test Level 3 Work Zone Traffic Control Devices test matrices. 
     
     
         124 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein a height of the beam from a surface of the roadway when the arm is in the extended position is greater than a height of a passenger car complying with MASH crash-testing. 
     
     
         125 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein a height of the beam from a surface of the roadway when the arm is in the extended position is no less than a height of a pickup truck complying with MASH crash-testing. 
     
     
         126 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein: the roadway includes a plurality of lanes; and the arm is configured to span the lanes. 
     
     
         127 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein a length of the arm is at least 20 ft. 
     
     
         128 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein: the arm comprises a longitudinal member extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm and spaced from the beam in a widthwise direction of the arm; and the visible members extend between the beam and the longitudinal member. 
     
     
         129 . The gate of  claim 128 , wherein the longitudinal member is disposed in the widthwise direction of the arm where respective ones of the visible members intersect. 
     
     
         130 . The gate of  claim 128 , wherein: the arm has a thickness-wise direction that is normal to the longitudinal direction of the arm and the widthwise direction of the arm;
 and the longitudinal member is offset from the beam in the thickness-wise direction of the arm.   
     
     
         131 . The gate of  claim 114 , wherein: the arm has a thickness-wise direction that is normal to the longitudinal direction of the arm and a widthwise direction of the arm;
 and a dimension of each of the visible members in the thickness-wise direction of the arm is less than a dimension of the beam in the thickness-wise direction of the arm.   
     
     
         132 . The gate of  claim 108 , wherein the arm comprises segments extending in a longitudinal direction of the arm and interconnected by connectors. 
     
     
         133 . A gate for controlling oncoming traffic on a roadway, the gate being mountable to a traffic barrier for the roadway, the gate comprising:
 an arm movable between an extended position in which the arm extends into a given portion of the roadway to inform the oncoming traffic that the given portion of the roadway is closed and a retracted position in which the arm does not extend into the given portion of the roadway, the arm comprising a beam extending along a longitudinal direction of the arm and a plurality of visible members that extend obliquely to the beam; and   a control system comprising an actuator and configured to be disposed on top of the traffic barrier, support the arm such that the arm is cantilevered at the control system in the extended position, and move the arm horizontally between the extended position and the retracted position, the control system being dimensioned such that a footprint of the gate on the traffic barrier is contained within a width of the traffic barrier.   
     
     
         134 . A gate for controlling oncoming traffic on a roadway, the gate being mountable to a traffic barrier for the roadway, the gate being MASH crash-tested and comprising:
 an arm movable between an extended position in which the arm extends into a given portion of the roadway to inform the oncoming traffic that the given portion of the roadway is closed and a retracted position in which the arm does not extend into the given portion of the roadway; and   a control system comprising an actuator and configured to be disposed on top of the traffic barrier, support the arm such that the arm is cantilevered at the control system in the extended position, and move the arm horizontally between the extended position and the retracted position, the control system being dimensioned such that a footprint of the gate on the traffic barrier is contained within a width of the traffic barrier.