AP reported that Minnesota Department of Transportation is installing about 100 miles of steel cable fences along freeway medians to keep out of control vehicles from driving into oncoming traffic.

MnDOT said that the cable barriers will be installed by the end of 2008 along the state's most crash prone freeways and interstates.

Mr Kent Barnard spokesman of MnDOT said that "Any time you can keep opposing traffic from crossing over, it's a vast improvement in safety. The barriers are one part of Minnesota's Toward Zero Deaths program, a multiple agency attempt begun in 2004 to reduce traffic deaths."

The department said that 57 people have died in cross median crashes since 2004. It added that while concrete medians go a good job at about USD 400,000 a mile, the cables are cheaper at about USD 145,000 a mile.