BASt/STUVA – Considering the Requirements of disabled Persons for the Furnishing and Operation of Road Tunnels

Assuring and (permanently) improving safety in road tunnels represents an important and generally approved goal in Germany. This is reflected especially through the provision of corresponding funds as well as the legal regulations and technical standards. Essential safety measures including improvements undertaken recently – permanently manned tunnel control centres for instance – are of particular significance for people who are disabled or restricted in their mobility.
As a result of amendments to highway legislation in accordance with the law providing equality for the handicapped consideration of the requirements of “disabled and other persons with impaired mobility are paid heed to with the aim of attaining as much freedom from barriers as possible” for federal highways including road tunnels.
On behalf of the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) the Research Association for Underground Transportation Facilities (STUVA) examined the prior conditions and possibilities for increasingly considering these requirements for furnishing and operating road tunnels in a research project (FE-project 03.0405/2005/FRB). The Institute for Barrier-free Design and Mobility GmbH (IbGM) was involved as subcontractor.
On the basis of emergency scenarios numerous alternatives evaluated for the (further) improvement of the safety level are observed and systematically assessed for requirements of disabled motorists and passengers. Part of the recently concluded research project relates to lending more consideration to the requirements of handicapped persons in the “Guidelines for the Furnishing and Operation of Road Tunnels” (RABT). As the outcome of the project proposals for practice-related and effective measures for new structures and modifications for existing tunnels have resulted such as:
– Barrier-free accessibility and utilisation of emergency exits and emergency call facilities
– Mobile communication including automatic tracking
– Flanking measures (e.g. training of emergency services, provision of information on “correct behaviour in emergency situations” etc.).
The modified closing report entitled “Considering the Requirements of the Disabled for Furnishing and Operating Road Tunnels” has just been published as Heft B 69 of the series “Reports from the Federal Highway Research Institute”.
The proposed measures that have been developed are to be examined by the BASt in conjunction with the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS) and then gradually put into force.
In the corresponding construction technical codes of practice as well as the related reference drawings work has started on including measures that have already been approved.
This will be dealt with in detail in one of the next editions of your journal tunnel.