Guardrail Program

Guardrails increase safety by preventing vehicles from running off the road. These barriers help keep vehicles on the shoulder instead of on the side of the roadway.

The 2025 / 2026 Guardrail Preservation Program has a budget of $750,000. The program's focus is to install new guardrail to current standards near steep slopes or other roadside hazards.

Please report damage to guardrail to our 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100 or toll-free at 800-527-6237, or you may email maint.roads@kingcounty.gov.

Guardrail is installed by driving posts into the soil which makes them more stable. In some cases where underground utilities or drainage is close to guardrail, holes are created using a large vacuum. Then the post is placed and the soil is compacted around it.

King County's contractors usually decide how they acquire guardrail materials. The county provides contractors with the necessary requirements.

A clear zone (also called crash zone) is the area near the road where a driver can safely stop their vehicle. Some roads use paved shoulders as a clear zone, while others use the unpaved public right-of-way. King County and WSDOT standards require all public roads to have adequate clear zones.

Installing new sections of guardrail is based on many factors like the surrounding landscape and roadside hazards. The speed limit and how windy a road is are also important.

We look at the five-year crash history focused on run-off-road collisions. All traffic crash and collision data is reported and stored at the Washington State Transportation Data, GIS, and Modeling Office. This office is the source for the most complete and up-to-date information regarding any location in Washington State. It is the source we use for crash and collision information. For information on crashes on your roadway, submit your data request here.