13 Years, 130 Impacts: Smart Cushion® Delivers Long-Term Savings in Reno

Installed in the median of US-395 at Exit 68A in Reno, Nevada, the
Smart Cushion® crash attenuator protects motorists from direct contact with the concrete barrier at the I-580/I-80 split. Over a 13-year period, the same attenuator was impacted approximately 130 times, averaging 10 incidents per year.

Smart Cushion’s reverse-tapered, reusable design helps minimize damage after impacts, particularly side impacts, which rarely require repairs. When resetting is required, the system uses a dual-stage pull-out process and replacement of only two 1/4-inch shear bolts, helping reduce repair time, worker exposure to traffic, labor, replacement parts, and traffic-control costs. The case study reports an average repair cost of $289 per impact and an estimated $57,570 total cost over 13 years, compared with $650,000+ for a sacrificial cushion.