LIBERTY Ostrava, the biggest producer of safety barriers in Czechia, has delivered over 9 km of single- and double-sided guard rails, made from micro-alloyed steel worth millions of crowns, to the recently opened section of D6 highway between Prague and Karlovy Vary.

„Most of the Czech primary routes and highways are fitted with guard rails from the Ostrava mill and we are proud to have supplied so many to this new section of motorway too. Our specialist guard rails are a crucial safety feature that helps reduce the number of fatal and serious traffic accidents every year,” said Tomáš Hamalčík, sales specialist for safety barriers & mine supports at LIBERTY Ostrava.

The Czech national highway authority has put into operation another section of D6 highway connecting Prague and the industrial area in the northwest and the spa resorts such as Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, Jáchymov and Františkovy Lázně. The new bypass is nearly 5 km long and is lined on both sides with safety retention systems from LIBERTY Ostrava. The company has delivered 3.8 km of double-sided and 5.4 km of single-sided guard rails of micro-alloyed steel for this new part of the highway.

“Micro-alloyed steel has a higher strength than basic carbon steel, which is why we can produce thinner guard rails that are up to 30% lighter. Thanks to the lower weight of particular components, especially beams, they are easier to handle during installation and less demanding in terms of transport and storage capacities. At the same time, the guard rails are just as safe,” added Jan Pudich, director of flat steel rolling mill at LIBERTY Ostrava.

The Ostrava steelworks has produced road safety guard rails for more than 50 years, producing more than 58,000 km of them since 1968. It is one of the few mills in the world which has almost 100% integrated (Inhouse) production of safety barriers, ensuring highest level of reliability. More than 50% of guard rails from Ostrava are used in the domestic market. LIBERTY Ostrava manufactures five types of guard rails: single-sided and double-sided guard rails; bridge and parapet guard rails; and guard rails with enhanced protection for motorcyclists. It produces 33 separate retention systems[1] in total. Over the last few years, the company has designed a number of new or innovated retention systems while the material of which barriers are made is also being constantly innovated, including the use of micro-alloyed steel.

A recent innovation is the ʾmotorcyclistʿ barrier, which is equipped with a lower beam. This prevents the motorcyclist from slipping beneath, which often causes serious injuries, and at the same time mitigates the consequences of the biker’s impact into the barrier in the event of an accident by absorbing part of their kinetic energy.

The Ostrava safety barriers are the elementary safety feature on most Czech roads. According to the Czech Police statistics, they have contributed to decrease in number of fatal accidents by 38% and accidents with serious consequences by 49% on the roads in the Moravian-Silesian region over the last 15 years.

[1] The retention system consists of beam, posts, distance parts, transitional or dilatation parts etc.

Further information:

LIBERTY Ostrava is an integrated steel business with an annual production capacity of approximately 3.6 million tonnes per annum serving primarily construction, machinery and oil & gas industries. The company is a domestic leader in the manufacture of road barriers and tubes. In addition to the Czech market, it supplies its products to more than 40 countries around the world. Together with its subsidiaries in Ostrava, the company has 6,000 employees. The company manufactures its products with a minimum possible environmental footprint. The mill is part of LIBERTY Steel Group.

LIBERTY Steel Group is part of GFG Alliance, a collection of global businesses and investments owned by Sanjeev Gupta and his family. The Alliance is structured into three core industrial pillars: LIBERTY Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group, independent of each other yet united through shared values and a purpose to create a sustainable future for industry and society. GFG Alliance employs c.35,000 people, across 30 countries and has revenues of >USD $20bn.

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