Barriers to increase security at main gate Published Sept. 9, 2007 By Senior Airman Sonya Padilla 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Security at Andersen's main gate is about to get beefed up as construction of new security barriers is underway. Construction began Aug. 29 and should be completed by the end of September. "It's an added layer of security; I hope we never have to use them," said Mr. Bob Darlow, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron. "It's built to stop heavy vehicles weighing in at over several thousand pounds for both unauthorized entrance or exit from the base." The barriers have been used at many other military installations throughout the Air Force and are known for their effectiveness, said Jerry Brown, GSA construction worker "The 501 pop-up barriers are becoming a popular source for added protection, not only on military installations, but also on other facilities such as airports that take those extra security measures, as well," he added. One reason for their popularity is the barrier's quick reaction time. "The system is designed to go off within a moment's notice for security violations requiring the use of these new protective measure," Darlow said. "The added safety benefit of these barriers is that it has sensors so it won't flip a car." While construction is on-going, the speed limit has been reduced from 25 mph to 15 mph, according to Lucio Iglesias, an Akal security officer. "It's a minor inconvenience." Drivers are encouraged to use the Santa Rosa gate during rush hour to avoid traffic from 6 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays.