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The March/April 2024 issue of Innovator, the bimonthly newsletter of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), recognized the efforts of a number of No Boundaries member states.

Innovative solutions in Louisiana, California and Virginia were honored in 2023 by the Roadway Safety Foundation. The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development used crash data to identify crash-prone locations and installed targeted mitigation strategies that reduced risks by 50 percent or more. The California Department of Transportation piloted a program to install proven safety countermeasures more quickly than through traditional funding mechanisms. Finally, the Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) used a systemic analysis to proactively identify factors that contribute to crashes and implement countermeasures at high-risk sites.

Other notable state innovations in this issue include Michigan DOT’s system of adaptive signal control technologies that allows the agency to monitor traffic and make adjustments as needed, Mississippi DOT’s new highway roundabout that will be the first of its kind in the state, and Ohio DOT’s use of variable speed limits that will enable traffic management staff to make quick decisions in response to adverse weather conditions.

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Traffic loads, environmental conditions and other factors can make concrete bridge decks susceptible to cracking. But exactly why some types of cracks form – and how to diagnose and treat them – is not well understood.

The Illinois Department of Transportation sought to better understand the different kinds of cracks that can occur in concrete bridge decks, as well as determine which sealant would be most appropriate and cost-effective given the bridge’s regional climate and other considerations.

Read the report: Concrete Bridge Deck Crack Sealing, March 2024

Image source: Illinois Department of Transportation

There are a number of maintenance and preservation options available to help concrete pavements perform better and last longer, but choosing the treatment that will be most cost-effective and sustainable for a particular project can be a challenge.

To help maintenance teams identify appropriate treatments, the Transportation Research Board’s Standing Technical Committees on Design and Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavements will sponsor a webinar on March 18 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

View details about this webinar, and sign into MyTRB.org to register.

Image source: North Carolina Department of Transportation

Seasonal maintenance of roadside rights of way often overlaps with pollinator activities.

The New York State Department of Transportation initiated a research study to determine how modifying the state’s traditional mowing practices can affect pollinator populations and plants along the roadway.

Read the final report: Effects of a Modified Mowing Regime in NYSDOT ROWs on Pollinators and Vegetation, September 2023.

Image source: Texas Department of Transportation

No Boundaries has published a listing of technical sessions and papers related to maintenance for the 2024 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The compendium includes each poster and lectern session’s title, authors, identification number, and a link to find the work on TRB’s Online Program portal. Note: TRB requires a login to access full papers and presentations. If you are having trouble accessing the papers, check with your DOT or other transportation library.

Download the compendium: 2024 TRB Annual Meeting: Technical Sessions and Papers Related to Maintenance.

A polymer overlay can extend a bridge deck’s service life by making it more waterproof and resistant to chlorides. These treatments are also known to improve surface friction, increasing skid resistance and driver safety.

While polymer overlays have many advantages over traditional concrete overlays, they tend to cost more upfront. To better understand how the treatments compare in durability and cost-effectiveness, the Montana Department of Transportation installed polymer overlays on four of the state’s bridge decks and monitored the structures’ performance for several years.

Read the report: Evaluation of Thin Polymer Overlays for Bridge Decks, December 2023

Image source: Montana Department of Transportation