Two runway vehicles were saved from serious crashes on Teton Pass thanks to a truck arrestor system.
The first incident occurred on the morning of August 4th on Teton Pass in Wilson, Wyoming when an overweight semi truck lost its brakes. The rig was slowed down by four nets, which were reset and ready for use by the next day.
Then, on August 11th, the same system was used by a pickup truck hauling a travel trailer. The pickup was stopped after only one net, which was replaced and reset almost immediately, reported Buckrail News.
WYDOT describes the truck arrestor system as a “‘Catchnet’ system, the ramp works similarly to the way a jet plane is stopped on an aircraft carrier. The arrestor employs a system of cables and canisters of energy absorbing tape that expand to absorb the speed and force of a truck. The design allows less distance to catch a vehicle and allows placement where a typical runaway ramp would not, preventing trucks from having to cross head-on traffic to utilize the system.”