Smart Cushion® Earns Nebraska DOT Approval (January 2026)

Hill & Smith is proud to share an important milestone for SMART SAFETY FIRST: Smart Cushion® has received Nebraska DOT approval (January 2026) for use on qualifying projects statewide.

When a work zone or roadside hazard is exposed to live traffic, the goal is always the same—reduce severity, protect people, and keep crews out of harm’s way as much as possible. Smart Cushion® was engineered with that mission in mind. It’s a speed-dependent crash attenuator that varies stopping resistance during impact and is fully re-directive, helping manage energy in a way designed to protect both motorists and roadside workers.

How Smart Cushion supports SMART SAFETY FIRST

Smart Cushion helps agencies and contractors support safer work zones and roadside environments by:

• Reducing impact severity through controlled energy management
• Helping protect crews by mitigating the consequences of errant vehicles entering protected areas
• Supporting a safety-first approach that can also help reduce downtime through proven attenuator performance and established reset/repair guidance (project-dependent)

Nebraska DOT maintains an Approved Products process for prequalified materials used on construction and maintenance projects.

Talk to our team about Smart Cushion configurations, applications, and guidance for Nebraska projects—because when it comes to work zones, SMART SAFETY FIRST isn’t just a tagline. It’s the standard.