A not-always-popular way of alerting drivers who have crossed double yellow lines on local roads is being planned for a popular, well traveled suburban thoroughfare.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation proposes installation of centerline rumble strips on Route 10, also known as Waterville Road, in Farmington and Avon, work on which is expected to begin next year.
“Centerline rumble strips are a low-cost, proven safety countermeasure that alert drivers when they drift out of a lane, reducing head-on collisions and roadway departure crashes,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Project Manager Balazs Szoke, in a statement. “We encourage the public to attend this meeting to share their feedback with the CTDOT project team to incorporate into the design.”
Some towns have objected to installation of the rumble strips because of concerns about noise from vehicle tires driving over them.
But according to the state DOT, about 30 deaths and 2,000 injuries occur each year here from “head-on and sideswipe opposite direction crashes.” The agency notes that such crashes occur “when a vehicle crosses over the centerline and impact a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.”
Further, according to the DOT, nationwide data shows “18% of non-intersection fatal crashes are caused by two vehicles colliding head-on and that 75% of these head-on crashes occur on undivided two-lane roads.” The DOT did not say how many miles of Route 10 would have the strips.
The strips consist of rips of grooves within “the double yellow centerline that produce noise and vibration when the tires of a vehicle come into contact with them,” according to DOT, and the noise and vibration at that time “alerts the driver that they have departed from their lane, and give the driver an opportunity to recover.”
Wealthy, almost rural CT suburb sees bitter clash over proposed 96-unit apartment complex
Centerline rumble strips also can help drivers navigate during “poor weather conditions such as fog, snow, and rain.”
The centerline strips are similar to shoulder line rumble strips used on Connecticut’s limited access highways since 1994, but are narrower, shallower and spaced further apart, according to DOT.
“The Federal Highway Administration has identified centerline rumble strips as a proven safety countermeasure to head-on and sideswipe opposite direction crashes,” according to the Connecticut DOT.
According to the DOT, for a location to qualify for rumble it must meet these guidelines:
“Speed: The speed limit is 35 mph or greater.
Traffic Volume: The average daily traffic on the road is at least 2,000 vehicles per day.
Pavement: The pavement should be in good condition and has been overlaid in the last three years.
Roadway Width: The location is to have a minimum of 14 feet of width from the centerline to the edge of pavement.
Length: The length of the proposed centerline rumble strips segment should be at least a half mile.
Density: Low residential density with residences preferably 100 feet from edge of road.”
According to Connecticut Children’s, more than 310 people were killed in crashes in 2023 in Connecticut, “at least 64 of whom were pedestrians and bicyclists.” Also, as of Nov. 1, preliminary results indicate Connecticut has already lost 217 people to traffic crashes, at least 59 of which are pedestrians and bicyclists.
To Register for the meeting: portal.ct.gov/DOT2026CLRS-Farmington