Location and type of emergency crossovers should be made a part of the PS&E as a contract item and should be installed as such.

When ending a run of cable barrier, the cable barrier terminals should be located, when possible, behind some protection such as the MBGF, leaving adequate distance to allow an emergency vehicle to maneuver around if necessary as shown in .

The terminals can be placed in locations with no protection, but since they provide the anchorage for the cable barrier system, protecting them from possible hits is recommended. These terminals are also gating (meaning they will not prevent a vehicle from going through).

When switching the cable barrier from one median side to the other and the terminals are not protected, overlapping the runs of cable barrier is recommended to provide adequate protection from possible crossovers if the median is wide enough to allow emergency vehicles to utilize it as an effective emergency crossover (see ). The cable barrier anchor terminal should be protected behind guard fence or other barriers from potential impacts. An exposed cable barrier anchor terminal will render the cable system ineffective if damaged by an impact.

Another typical layout for emergency crossovers is shown in . Emergency crossovers should be an all-weather surface. It is recommended that they be constructed with a surface treatment that does not invite use. Grade 1 or 2 aggregate or bladed recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) has provided an adequate low-cost surface in some applications.

Emergency crossovers should be approximately 20-ft with return radii of 10-ft. Wider crossovers invite non-emergency use and should only be constructed after an engineering study of the site.

To be inconspicuous to main lane traffic, the surface should be depressed below the shoulder level, if possible.