Newly opened net truck arrestor ramp first of its kind in Virginia

A new net truck arrestor ramp has opened in the state of Virginia, making it the first to be built in the state. 

The new arrestor ramp was constructed on Rockfish Gap Turnpike on Afton Mountain in Nelson County. 

The ramp cost $5.5 million to build and features 10 stainless steel nets designed to safely stop a tractor trailer weighing up to 98,000 pounds traveling at 98 miles per hour down the mountain. The first net alone is strong enough to stop a passenger vehicle, reported ABC 8 News.

The following nine nets are designed to slow down a runaway tractor trailer at a rate that will avoid injury to the trucker. A final, heavy duty net capable of stopping semi trucks weighing more that 98,000 pounds is located at the very end of the arrestor ramp. 

The state has also installed “Runaway Truck Ramp” and “Runaway Vehicle Only” signs preceding the ramp to alert drivers of its presence.