Unusual turn on the Taraz - Shymkent highway raises questions among Kazakhstanis
Social media users have taken notice of a peculiar exit ramp that appeared on the Taraz–Shymkent highway.
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Users suggested that it is intended for emergency vehicle stops.
"If a loaded truck's braking system fails, the driver can turn in there to avoid plunging down or causing an accident," one user wrote.
KazAutoZhol told Tengri Auto that this section was built at the 549th kilometer of the Taraz–Shymkent highway. It is designed for vehicles experiencing brake failure or overheating.
"Emergency escape ramps are built on autobahns and expressways, primarily on long and steep descents. Their main task is to safely stop a vehicle whose brakes have failed," the company's press service stated.
As a rule, such ramps are located on sections with long descents. They are covered with special material that creates high rolling resistance and helps to quickly reduce the vehicle's speed. In some cases, the ramp also features an uphill incline to further assist in stopping the vehicle.
These emergency exits are primarily needed for heavy trucks and buses, as stopping them can become a serious problem if brakes fail or overheat.
In such a situation, the driver must steer the vehicle onto the emergency ramp. This allows the vehicle to stop without entering the main traffic flow and avoiding potential collisions with other road users.
Notably, new cameras have been activated on the Shymkent–Taraz highway to monitor average speeds.
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Similar infrastructure is used in the USA, Australia, South Korea, Morocco, and other countries.
@interesting.always Runaway truck ramps are one of highway engineering’s most dramatic yet lifesaving features - built to safely stop trucks that have lost braking power on steep grades. Often seen along mountain passes or long descents, these ramps use physics and friction to convert a vehicle’s kinetic energy into resistance, bringing it to a stop without overturning. There are several types of ramps, but the most common are gravel arrester beds, which use deep layers of loose gravel or sand to slow heavy vehicles as the wheels sink and drag. Others, like mechanical-arrestor systems, use steel nets or cable barriers to catch the vehicle in a controlled stop - similar to aircraft arresting systems on aircraft carriers. The concept dates back to the 1930s and 1940s, when early highway systems began to see an increase in heavy commercial traffic and brake-failure accidents on mountain grades. By the 1960s, runaway truck ramps had become standard design features in mountainous regions of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with strict placement criteria governed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines. Modern ramps are equipped with warning signs, escape lanes, and engineered gradients, with materials chosen based on regional weather conditions (gravel in dry climates, sand or pea stone in snowy ones). Maintenance crews regularly level and replace the material after each use - a small price to pay considering that these ramps save hundreds of lives each year. Follow the backup @Interesting.Always.1 #trucking #truckinglife #interestingthings #runawaytruck #highway ♬ original sound - Interesting.always
In the US, such sections are called runaway truck ramps or truck escape ramps. They are most often installed on long, steep descents where heavy trucks may experience brake overheating or total brake loss.
Depending on the design, a vehicle may stop due to an incline, a deep layer of gravel, or a specialized mechanical system. The main goal of such an exit is to give the driver the opportunity to leave the main road and stop an uncontrollable vehicle, preventing collisions with other motorists.