# Examples of Steep Grades and Runaway Truck Ramps



## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

A similar thing on the Ghat railway in India (obviously track switches lead to the incline, and change towards the main track only when the train is stopped in the station):


CATCHSIDING AT THULL GHAT di arzankotval2002, su Flickr

Description on Flickr:

CATCHSIDING AT THULL GHAT
Photo of a steep catchsiding taken onboard Bareilly LTT Express. Venue is Thull Ghat. Railways should install a couple of rollercoasters & giant wheels here to set up an amusement park & enhance their profitability.
Photo by Arzan Kotval

*****

Such "escape tracks" are common on railways, also in Europe, but usually lead to nothing so the train stops derailing.



Penn's Woods said:


> ^^I meant the fact that the signs were in English and Italian, in France.


Italian? "via de socorro" is Spanish.


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## Penn's Woods (Apr 8, 2010)

^^Ah.

In that case (since a later post said that French and German appear on another sign), the question I have is why is Italian not there? If you're going to go to four languages in Corsica, I'd expect Italian to be one of them.


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## Puležan (Apr 19, 2009)

Nikom said:


> In Portugal I only know this one, in A8 Loures, near Lisbon


There are several others on A4:



Alberto C said:


> Lote 6 troço Macedo -Romeu
> ...


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

How frequently are they actually used? I've never seen one used.


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

Penn's Woods said:


> ^^Ah.
> 
> In that case (since a later post said that French and German appear on another sign), the question I have is why is Italian not there? If you're going to go to four languages in Corsica, I'd expect Italian to be one of them.


I suspect "Via de socorro" could be Corsican language.



italystf said:


> I think there's only one in Italy, on the A18dir near Catania. It is 6% steep, quite a lot for a motorway.


It's not the only one. There is at least another one on A22 near Vipiteno/Sterzing:
https://maps.google.it/maps?q=vipit...piteno,+Bolzano,+Trentino-Alto+Adige&t=h&z=18

Just before the toll barrier. There should be another one farther south, but can't remember exactly where.


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

There are a few dotted around the UK, mostly on non-motorway roads i think and usually shorter and filled with gravel.

On holiday a few weeks ago I was driving along the A39 in North Somerset/Devon which has a long straight 25% gradient at Porlock. It has several short escape lanes. I think it would be quite a challenge for a truck or bus!

http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A39_route


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## beto_chaves (Aug 10, 2007)

Puležan;94955540 said:


> There are several others on A4:


Emergency exists are quite common in the north of Portugal, where we have more mountain roads. Today you can find them in motorways (eg. A4, A24, A25, A7, A8, A11...) and non-motorway roads (eg. IC5).
The youngest emergency exists have also electronic devices that allow the drivers to know in advance if the exit is empty or not.


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## Calvin W (Nov 5, 2005)

There are a few in Perth, Australia and plenty more across the country. This one is on the Great Eastern Highway.









Photo courtesy of Wikipedia


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## Zagor666 (Feb 20, 2011)

ChrisZwolle said:


> How frequently are they actually used? I've never seen one used.


no?remember that one truck that was on the news as he used such a ramp and catapulte himself into orbit


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Apparently the 25% gradient I posted earlier is the steepest 'A' road in the UK.

The steepest roads of any classification are around 30-33%, both in Northern England, one in Yorkshire and this one in Cumbria.

http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/hardknott-pass.htm

Looks like a great drive, I'll have to try it some day....


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

Steepest road I drove was in Endine Gaiano, province of Bergamo, to reach the hamlet of Fanovo:

https://maps.google.it/maps?q=Fanov...KJCoj6B9eHq7r9NarPoW5g&cbp=12,282.08,,0,20.64

Don't know its grade, but in first gear my car barely made it.


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

and there are a few even steeper gradient streets in villages etc rather than open roads that are marked 'unsuitable for motors' although cars still use them.

This 40% gradient in the village of Harlech, Wales is supposedly the absolute steepest road in the UK.


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## Nikom (Sep 24, 2005)

beto_chaves said:


> Emergency exists are quite common in the north of Portugal, where we have more mountain roads. Today you can find them in motorways (eg. A4, A24, A25, A7, A8, A11...) and non-motorway roads (eg. IC5).
> The youngest emergency exists have also electronic devices that allow the drivers to know in advance if the exit is empty or not.


Never though that there were so many in the north, thanks for the information, and also thanks Puležan for the pics kay:


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## seem (Jun 15, 2008)

We dont have anything like this on a motorway and I only know about one at Donovaly pass. 










However there is one in Czech rep.


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

^^What's that DNA-like bridge?


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

That's D8.


D8-23 by Chriszwolle, on Flickr


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Runaway Truck Ramp on I-80 just east of Salt Lake City in Utah.


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## beto_chaves (Aug 10, 2007)

Nikom said:


> Never though that there were so many in the north, thanks for the information, and also thanks Puležan for the pics kay:


You're welcome Nikom! 
Can you image to drive the Marão, the Alvão or Serra da Estrela without this kind of emergency exists!? :nuts:


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## verreme (May 16, 2012)

We have a lot of them in Spain. Here's one descending El Bruc pass on A-2, another one here in A-35 and yet another one in Fraga (N-II). We call them "zonas de frenado de emergencia".



ChrisZwolle said:


> How frequently are they actually used? I've never seen one used.


I've seen trucks (and cars) stuck there more than once. There are a lot of pictures (from Spain) on the Internet, so I guess it happens from time to time.


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## Nikom (Sep 24, 2005)

beto_chaves said:


> You're welcome Nikom!
> Can you image to drive the Marão, the Alvão or Serra da Estrela without this kind of emergency exists!? :nuts:


Makes sense due to the rugged terrain, but as they are rarely used i thought that was only one or two in all country :lol:


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