North Dakota DOT Unveils Autonomous Protection Truck
March 11, 2021
In 2019, 234 work zone related crashes occurred on North Dakota highways, resulting in 64 injuries and two fatalities. To combat the issue, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) used a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to improve work zone safety with an “autonomous impact protection vehicle.” Impact protection vehicles are usually driven......
Recycled Roadways Paving the Future
March 11, 2021
We often hear about using recycled plastics to create containers, furniture, even art – but what about roads? The California-based company TechniSoil Industrial has succeeded in creating a new type of polymer-based binder, known as Neo, which creates a road that lasts 2-3 times longer than traditional asphalt. Neo is used in a Cold In-Place......
Arizona’s I-10 Incorporates First-of-its-Kind Dust Detection
March 11, 2021
Drivers traveling through a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson are often met with severe dust storms, the result of Arizona’s summer monsoon season. These storms play a significant role in crashes and fatalities. The Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT’s) recently-finished $72 million improvement project looks to aid drivers through these storms......
Sensors Tell Construction Crews Exactly How Long to Let Concrete Cure
March 11, 2021
Those in the mid-west like to joke that there are two seasons: winter and construction! While closed lanes can cause headaches, it’s important that concrete is given enough time to cure before it accommodates traffic. To better understand exactly how far along concrete is in the maturation process, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) sought......
Hawaii DOT Uses Heat-Resistant Panels to Protect Highways From Lava
July 10, 2020
After Kilauea Volcano erupted in May 2018, the Hawaii Department of Transportation scrambled to find a way to protect Highway 130, a primary mode of transportation for Puna District residents. Cracks had begun to form in the road due to intense heat from volcanic activity, forcing officials to temporarily close the road. HDOT officials used......
Portland Scooters, Taxation that Supports Transit
July 10, 2020
Scooters are nearly ubiquitous in most metropolitan U.S. cities. If integrated into a metropolitan area properly, electric scooters can offer a low-cost solution to the “last mile” challenge, a vexing problem where the nearest transit stop is too far away to walk from a final destination. Portland, Oregon recognized the role scooters can play in......
Wyoming Key State in Connected Vehicle Pilot Program
July 10, 2020
The future of autonomous vehicles has arrived in Wyoming, one of three locations for a connected vehicle pilot program funded by the USDOT. Wyoming’s section of I-80 runs along the southern border and is heavy laden with adverse conditions, making it perfect for this pilot program. Connected vehicle technology is being installed into semi-trailers to......
May 19, 2017
Engineers have known for a long time that the presence or lack of certain features can have a serious impact on the number and severity of crashes on a road. To help governments make better investments in their roadways and improve safety for all road users, the U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP) serves as an......
May 19, 2017
The Ray, a 16-mile stretch of I-85 in Georgia, is challenging the idea that roads are just for driving on. It is the country’s first solar-paved road, with 5,400 square feet of solar panels capable of producing 7,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. The solar panels are placed on top of the asphalt road surface and......
Montana DOT Debuts Software to Unify Statewide Traffic Management
March 07, 2017
The Montana Department of Transportation is using new software and radio-based technology integrated with existing traffic management systems. The program helps coordinate traffic light times across systems, and communicates work orders and generates system overviews directly to technicians, speeding up the repair process. It also streamlines the management of the state’s various traffic management systems,......
