Katie Johnson

Several No Boundaries member states are featured in the September/October 2022 issue of Innovator, the bimonthly newsletter of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

South Carolina and Colorado DOTs are working to advance how digital as-built data are collected, managed and applied to ongoing maintenance and operations. South Carolina DOT’s online database contains more than 2.5 million plan sheets dating back nearly 100 years, and Colorado DOT’s program has expanded to include data on utilities in the right of way.

Virginia DOT was lauded for its use of Traffic Incident Management data to analyze and improve incident response times and evaluate how road project affect operations, and Michigan’s State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) was noted as being the first in the country to sign a charter 10 years ago.

In other innovation news, a planning and environmental linkages study earned the Idaho DOT a 2022 Environmental Excellence Award from the FHWA, and Maine DOT was recognized for using a variety of innovative tools and techniques to construct and increase public awareness of a complicated bridge project. In addition, Ohio DOT applied smarter work zone technology to an urban area to reduce traffic congestion and potential hazards, Mississippi DOT has increasingly employed restricted crossing U-turns, or J-turns, to make highway intersections safer, and Missouri DOT has used concrete overlays to complete road paving projects quickly and safely.

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Image source: FHWA

Roads can be dangerous places for amphibians, which are often slow-moving and too small for drivers to see and avoid.

To make it safer for vulnerable populations to move freely in their natural habitats, the Nevada Department of Transportation initiated a research project to better understand amphibians’ migratory behaviors and the effectiveness of road and fence design options for funneling the animals to designated passageways.

Read the final report: Research to Inform Passage Spacing for Migratory Amphibians and to Evaluate Efficacy and Designs for Open Elevated road Segment (ERS) Passages, July 2022.

Image source: Nevada Department of Transportation

For state transportation agencies that rely on contractors to mow and landscape highway roadsides, identifying and prioritizing workloads – and evaluating performance after a job is done – are critical to keeping these green spaces healthy and functional. However, visual inspections can prove challenging and labor-intensive as these areas are often large, steep and difficult to access.

To simplify and automate the process of conducting highway roadside assessments, the Georgia Department of Transportation initiated a research project to evaluate the use of camera-equipped drones for monitoring and verifying maintenance work. Applying GIS data and newly developed image processing techniques, researchers were able to successfully differentiate between mowed and unmowed areas and determine the condition of the vegetation remotely.

Read the final report: Development of Drone-Assisted Highway Mowing Operations Planning, Monitoring, and Verification Capabilities, May 2022.

Image source: Georgia Department of Transportation

While maintenance costs can add up over the course of an asset’s life, these costs aren’t routinely considered as part of the design process. To make better-informed design decisions, the Utah Department of Transportation investigated the long-term maintenance needs and associated costs of a variety of road, bridge and drainage infrastructure designs and features.

With a more comprehensive understanding of the life-cycle costs of different types of barriers, cross-section elements, temporary control measures and other features, the agency is better positioned to make cost-effective maintenance decisions during the design stage.

Read the report: Incorporating Maintenance Costs into Highway Design

Image source: Utah Department of Transportation

As a result of budget shortfalls, higher materials costs and the ongoing pandemic, many of Minnesota’s local governments have had to postpone their road maintenance work. But by delaying activities in the short-term, asset conditions will continue to deteriorate as maintenance and repair becomes more expensive.

To help local transportation agencies make better-informed expenditure decisions and understand the impacts of deferring maintenance on state roads, the Minnesota Department of Transportation investigated the road maintenance needs, challenges and funding gaps for 31 local agencies in the state. The effort led to a series of recommendations to help Minnesota’s local transportation agencies secure and maintain sufficient funding.

Read the technical summary: Guidance to Help Local Agencies Address Deferred Maintenance

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

Safety is a top concern for highway maintenance crews working alongside fast-moving traffic. Work zone intrusion alarms are designed to increase worker safety by detecting when a vehicle has breached the work zone and alerting crews.

With several systems available on the market, the California Department of Transportation will test the effectiveness of several options under real-world conditions. This will be discussed during a free webinar on Thursday, September 29 from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Pacific.

Learn more and register.

Image source: California Department of Transportation