No Boundaries

Transportation Maintenance Innovation

Katie Johnson

FHWA Highlights Innovations from No Boundaries Members

The May/June 2024 issue of Innovator, the bimonthly newsletter of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), recognized the efforts of two No Boundaries member states for their work with unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

The Ohio Department of Transportation was recently granted approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to test the feasibility and benefits of incorporating live drone footage into its statewide traffic management program.

After taking part in FHWA’s international study of UAS innovations, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was inspired by Germany’s “drone-in-a-box” docking system and plans to test the technology in the state. Caltrans is also developing a digital products catalog, modeled after one developed by the United Kingdom National Highways Bureau, to streamline the agency’s project delivery process.

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Image source: FHWA

Highlights from No Boundaries’ May 2024 Peer Exchange

No Boundaries members gathered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from May 7-9 for a peer exchange on maintenance issues. Hosted by the Louisiana DOTD, the event included a showcase and demonstration of the innovative maintenance tools and equipment developed by the agency’s field staff, as well as a visit to a state-owned bridge that’s being replaced by a Louisiana DOTD maintenance crew.

The peer exchange also featured roundtable discussions on hot-button transportation maintenance topics such as balancing vehicle idling with battery drain, and alternative ideas for configuring and maintaining a public right of way.

Featured presentations included an overview of the role of artificial intelligence in public works by the No Boundaries subject matter expert, while Indiana DOT shared insights for encouraging an agency’s culture of innovation.

Finally, No Boundaries’ always-popular Innovation Show-and-Tell provided a forum for members to share the new tools and practices their agencies have found for making maintenance work easier and safer in the field.

Additional information, photos and the full agenda are available on the meeting page. Details about No Boundaries’ next peer exchange, to be hosted in the fall of 2024 by North Dakota DOT, will be coming soon!

Image source: No Boundaries

Missouri Develops Detection System to Reduce Backing Accidents

When maintenance crews on the ground are working near heavy machinery, backing accidents and strikes can occur.

To increase worker safety in busy, noisy and low-visibility conditions, the Missouri Department of Transportation developed a user-friendly and portable warning system. Featuring a lightweight sensor that a worker outside can wear paired with a detector and alarm inside the vehicle, the system quickly notifies those at risk when a vehicle gets too close.

Read the research summary: Developing a Hazard Detection and Alert System to Precent Incidents, April 2024.

Image source: Missouri Department of Transportation

Minnesota Develops Mobile App For Reporting Work Zone Intrusions in Real Time

Highway maintenance workers – and all road users – can be seriously injured or killed when drivers fail to follow instructions around work zones.

Having detailed information about when and where incidents occur can be valuable for making changes that keep everyone safe. To make it easier for workers to report when a vehicle enters a work zone, the Minnesota Department of Transportation developed a new mobile phone app that can be used for onsite reporting and improving safety for all of the state’s work zones in the future.

Read the Research Summary: A Mobile App to Report Driver Intrusions into Work Zones, January 2024.

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

NCHRP Report Highlights Maintenance During Winter

Extremely cold temperatures, freeze-thaw cycles and other conditions can make repairing and maintaining pavements during the winter season a challenge.

A new synthesis report from the National Cooperative Highway Research (NCHRP) documents the practices states use during the winter months to keep their roads operational.

Forty states contributed to the report, including most No Boundaries member states. The practices of both the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Idaho Transportation Department were even included as case studies.

Read the report: Wintertime Pavement Maintenance Practices, April 2024.

Image source: Idaho Transportation Department

Advancing Safety for Maintenance Crews in Work Zones

In honor of National Work Zone Awareness Week, which will take place next week from April 15-19, we’ve rounded up a few of the innovative solutions that transportation agencies around the country have used to make working in and around traffic less hazardous for their highway maintenance workers.

  • iCone. This technology sendswork zone data directly to Waze navigation systems to help keep drivers and maintenance workers in North Dakota’s work zones safer. Learn more.
  • Hi-Viz Gaiters. The California Department of Transportation has added high visibility gaiters for highway workers to wear to improve safety at night or when visibility is low. Learn more.
  • Barrel Truck Protection. Wisconsin’s Marathon County Highway Department turned an old sign truck into a new tool that can lift and load barrels automatically. Learn more.
  • Automated Flagger Assistance Device. Missouri DOT field tested this device on a two-lane work zone and found that drivers behaved better than with a traditional flagger. Learn more.

Share your agency’s innovative products and ideas and explore others’ solutions on No Boundaries’ searchable Innovations Database.