For weeks now, several breaks in the cable system on Interstate 20 have gone unrepaired.

The system is planted in the center median of the freeway which runs through Parker County to keep vehicles from traveling into oncoming traffic.

According to emergency response officials, the cable has been beneficial in saving lives in accident scenarios.

Weatherford fire authorities reported last year the system kept numerous cars and 18-wheelers from crossing the median into oncoming traffic, avoiding head-on collisions.

Weatherford Fire Lt. Jonathan Peacock said he highly agrees that the system saves lives.

“We’ve worked the first dump truck with a rock hauler and tandem trailer [accident involving the cable system],” Peacock said. “We weren’t sure how well it was going to work. It was one of those things that you don’t believe it until you see it. It was really amazing.”

Though the system was not tested for two 18-wheelers, it managed to stop both trucks from crossing over into oncoming traffic. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident.

Peacock said without the cable, the drivers would have likely died.

“That would have been horrible with two trucks of that size,” Peacock said.

Alan Donaldson of Texas Department of Transportation said the system has worked very well and road crews are currently working on getting the posts repaired or replaced.

“The weather had a lot to do with it,” Donaldson said, speaking of the recent ice storms and rain. “We get about four hits weekly.”

Donaldson added the only fatality reported on the Interstate since the installation of the cable was where a man who was not wearing his seat belt flipped his vehicle over the cable, but did not actually hit the system.

Another accident was reported where a 16-year-old male who had just got his driver’s license, rolled his vehicle near the 20-30 split, taking out seven posts and landed on top of another car, but no injuries were reported.

“Nothing that I know of has gotten through [the cable],” Donaldson said.

The Democrat drover the Interstate from the Parker County line at Linkcrest Drive to the 402 mile marker in Brock.

In 22 miles, 175 damaged or missing posts in the system were counted.

Glynis Rodriguez, TxDot contract specialists and former contract inspector, said there are actually 50 hits on the system which need repair or replacement.

“It was slowed due to the rain and ice,” Rodriguez said. “Every time we would inventory, we would have to wait until it’s dry enough in the area. Then we would have to reinventory and reassess. It was just too hazardous for the road crews to get out there. Our first priority is to make sure our workers are safe. [The work] just keeps getting pushed back.

Monday, contract crews were out repairing the system.

Parker County is rated as being one of the counties in the state to have the longest stretches of the life-saving cable.

“It’s become a massive installation,” Rodriguez said, after many counties heard of the benefits of the system and wanted it installed in their area. “And it’s cheaper than the concrete barrier. I think it’s a better system. There’s usually more damage to the vehicles with the concrete barrier. It gives them more of an impact force. The rope will give with the vehicle.”

Rodriguez added the system has worked wonderfully and has paid for itself.

“It’s amazing what that rope can do,” she said. “It’s prevented so many accidents from being worse.”

Each post is about 10 feet apart, marking almost 600 posts per mile, with an average of three cables connecting the posts to catch vehicles as they travel beyond the median.

One to three road crews are contracted daily to repair the system after a car or truck damages a post or the cable.

About two months ago, TxDot repaired the system with local crews, but negotiated guardrail contracts which included the system repairs.

Currently, crews are working on FM 2421, 920 and 3028 with various maintenance contracts ranging from guardrails, reflective buttons, striping, litter pickup, debris removal, mowing, tree trimming and bridge repair and replacement projects.

A TxDot upcoming project includes mailbox support posts where, if hit by a vehicle, the post will bounce back.

Rodriguez said the local current crack seal project should be finished this weekend.

“And that’s just an idea of what we do on a regular basis,” she said.

As Parker County grows, it’s harder to keep up with the work. We’re adding more contracts and road crews due to the growth, along with the crews already set in place by the state.”

John Cordary, TxDot assistant area engineer, said crews began installing the system in Oct. 2005. The project ended in July 2005, placing 20 miles in place of the system, from Highway 820 in Fort Worth to South Main Street exit, at the 409 mile marker.

A second contract began at South Main, stretching to Spur 312, which included installing five miles of the post.

The project began Sept. 2005 and ended this month.

“We’re one of the first counties in the state to use the system.,” Cordary said. “It has been used a case history to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. It’s performing well.”