JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Highway officials are crediting steel median cables for a significant drop in fatal crossover accidents last year.

The Missouri Department of Transportation installed almost 500 miles of guard cable on Interstate 70, I-44, I-55 and I-29. That project started in 2004 and ended in 2006.

In 2007, the year after the project was completed, just two crossover deaths were reported on the four intestates. That compares with 55 such deaths the year before.

The guard cables are three bands of steel cable designed to block vehicles from crossing over into oncoming traffic.