Iowa Evaluates Quarry Byproducts to Stabilize Granular Roads November 8, 2022 - Granular and unpaved road maintenance can require a significant investment in both time and resources.
In search of an economical and environmentally friendly way to keep the aggregates on its unpaved roads in place, the Iowa Department of Transportation sought to learn whether locally produced quarry fines – typically considered a waste product of the quarrying process – could be a viable option.
Louisiana Calculates Costs and Benefits of Maintaining Asset Data November 1, 2022 - While roads and bridges often receive the greater part of an agency’s maintenance budget, other assets – like culverts, guardrails, impact attenuators and pavement stripes – also need routine maintenance that can benefit from data-backed decisions.
To better understand the costs and benefits of collecting and maintaining data for any asset it owns, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development initiated a research project to develop a methodology and tool to make tracking costs and quantifying benefits easier.
No Boundaries October 2022 Peer Exchange Highlights October 26, 2022 - On October 18 and 19, No Boundaries members met in Indianapolis for the group’s second peer exchange of the year. Hosted by Indiana DOT, the event included roundtable discussions on hot-button transportation maintenance topics such as cost and supply-chain issues and successful strategies to prompt implementation of maintenance innovations.
Featured presentations from the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program and Indiana University’s Transportation and Autonomous Systems Institute (TASI) highlighted how the state’s partners are seeking to advance and implement creative transportation solutions, while Illinois DOT shared the importance of pollinators and how the agency is maintaining its roadsides with these delicate habitats in mind.
Oregon Develops Framework for Managing Coastal Assets October 18, 2022 - As rising sea levels and extreme weather events increase the likelihood and severity of storms, coastal highways and other infrastructure are at increased risk of landslides and erosion.
To improve its coastal asset management program, the Oregon Department of Transportation developed a data-driven framework to measure and analyze key indicators associated with slope and cliff failure. The results will help the agency identify short- and long-term maintenance needs and prioritize its resources more effectively.
Read the interim report: Coastal Landslide and Sea Cliff Retreat Monitoring for Climate Change Adaptation and Targeted Risk Assessment, June 2022.
Nevada Applies Smart Technologies to Bridge Assessment October 12, 2022 - Transportation agencies routinely monitor and inspect bridges to respond to immediate needs and to prioritize maintenance activities. For critical infrastructure or bridges in earthquake-prone locations, structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can be installed at key locations to measure a variety of indicators and alert authorities of potential problems in real time.
The Nevada Department of Transportation recently installed two SHMs on the largest bridge in the state. Sensors on and around the structure, combined with smart software, will provide a comprehensive report in the event of an earthquake. For maintenance staff, an extra benefit of the system may be the ability to more cost-effectively schedule and target routine maintenance on the bridge.
Read the final report: Galena Creek Bridge Health Monitoring Instrumentation, June 2022.
Minnesota Evaluates Fencing to Keep Small Animals Off Roadways October 5, 2022 - Small animals attempting to cross traffic can present a significant safety hazard for all road users. In Minnesota, two species of turtles are especially at risk.
To help keep the turtles off the roadways and out of harm’s way, the Minnesota Department of Transportation collaborated with the state Department of Natural Resources to create standardized plans and specifications for small animal exclusion fencing using readily available materials.
No Boundaries Fall Peer Exchange Planned for October 18-19 September 30, 2022 - No Boundaries’ members will be meeting soon for the pooled fund’s fall peer exchange and planning meeting. Hosted by the Indiana Department of Transportation on October 18 and 19 in Indianapolis, the event’s agenda includes an exciting variety of presentations and round-table discussions. The group will also participate in an on-site technical visit of Indiana University’s Transportation and Autonomous Systems Institute.
Other staff from No Boundaries member states are welcome to join remotely to listen to presentations. Please contact Brian Hirt if you would like a Zoom meeting invitation.
FHWA Features Innovations from No Boundaries Members September 21, 2022 - 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.
Nevada Evaluates Elevated Roadway Designs for Promoting Safe Wildlife Passage September 15, 2022 - 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.
Drones Show Potential for Assessing Highway Roadsides in Georgia September 7, 2022 - 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.