PUBLIC ROADS

LAVA ROADS

Hawaii eruption events create unique challenges

Also in this issue: 

• SBIR Continues to Advance 

and Support Innovation

• Restoring the Glory of 

Going-to-the-Sun Road

• Augmented Reality: 

New Age of Construction Solutions 

www.fhwa.dot.gov Summer 2020
Summer 2020 | Vol. 84, No. 2

Hawaii eruption events 

create unique challenges. 

PAGE 26

FEATURES

5 Can Augmented Reality Address Highway Construction 

Challenges?

by Hoda Azari and Kevin Gilson

FHWA conducted a study to explore the possibilities for AR technology 

in roadway construction.

11 CARMASM: Enabling Collaboration and Ensuring Safety in 

Freight Operations

by Hyungjun Park, Nicole Michel, and Kirk Claussen

FHWA-created CARMASM software supports the testing and advancement 

of automated driving systems in the commercial trucking industry. 

14 Going-to-the-Sun Road: Construction and Restoration 

by Doug Hecox

Glacier National Park is nearing completion of a major rehabilitation of 

one of its most popular features.

22 Everybody Wins

by Craig Thor and Sarah Cigas

FHWA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program is spurring marketready innovations to address transportation challenges. 

26 Facing Volcanic Challenges

by Richelle Takara

Hawaii’s natural environment places particular demands on its department 

of transportation, as exemplified by a 2018 lava flow event. 

PAGE 14 

Source: NPS.

DEPARTMENTS

Guest Editorial .................................................1

Innovation Corner ..........................................2

Along the Road .............................................30

Training Update ............................................33

Communication Product Updates .............36

COVERS and ABOVE—Lava pushes forward in the Puna district 

of the island of Hawaii on May 28, 2018. 

Source: Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Wheeler, State of Hawaii, 

Department of Defense.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 1

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

Elaine L. Chao, Secretary

Federal Highway Administration

Nicole R. Nason, Administrator

Office of Research, Development, and Technology

Kelly Regal, Associate Administrator 

Shana Baker, Director, Office of Corporate Research, 

Technology, and Innovation Management

Maria Romstedt, Editor-in-Chief

Lisa A. Shuler, Distribution Manager

Editorial Board: 

T. Everett, T. Hess, H. Kalla, M. Knopp, A. Lucero, 

G. Shepherd, C. Walker 

Editorial Contractor:

Arch Street Communications (ASC), 

Publication Management 

N. Madonick, A. Jacobi, A. Martinez, K. Vangani, 

C. Ibarra

Editorial Subcontractor:

ICF, Editorial 

C. Boris, J. Sullivan

Design Contractor:

Schatz Strategy Group, Layout and Design 

R. Nemec, K. Salter, C. Williams

Public Roads (ISSN 0033-3735; USPS 516-690) is published 

quarterly by the Office of Research, Development, and 

Technology, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 6300 

Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296. The business and 

editorial office of Public Roads is located at the McLean address 

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The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the 

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the public business required by law of this department.

All articles are advisory or informational in nature and should not 

be construed as having regulatory effect.

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This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the 

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The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufac

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purposes only and are not intended to reflect a preference, 

approval, or endorsement of any one product or entity. 

-

GUEST EDITORIAL

Investing in Small 

Businesses Fuels 

Transportation Innovation

E ntrepreneurs spur growth throughout the United 

States by starting small businesses and by creating 

new technologies. Small businesses are perfectly poised 

to rapidly research, develop, and commercialize technol

ogies that address the Nation’s most pressing transporta

tion challenges. Apple®, Amazon®, GoogleTM, Nest®, and 

Yahoo!® all started out as small businesses—and now they are household words.

-

-

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Business Innovation Research 

(SBIR) program, one of 11 Federal SBIR programs, is an engine of growth in the 

transportation economy. USDOT awards contracts to domestic small businesses in 

relevant research areas. The program provides funding for entrepreneurs to develop new 

transportation technology and associated applications. Over the past 5 years, USDOT 

has spent $50 million to fund small businesses. The Department’s operating administra

tions, such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration, are integral to supporting the Department’s SBIR awards activity. 

-

Entrepreneurs have notched impressive results from their participation in USDOT’s 

SBIR program. One company, Pulsar Informatics, developed a trucking fatigue meter 

that lets different users—such as trucking companies, individual drivers, and insur

ance firms—know how the risk of fatigue affects driver safety, performance, and cost. 

New infrared sensing technologies from Fuchs Consulting, Inc., can detect subsurface 

damage in concrete and measure steel stress levels in bridges, enabling faster detection of 

deterioration and repairs. Tool, Inc., developed prototype seatbelt locking mechanisms 

that reduce the risk of children getting trapped in their seat belts. 

-

“Everybody Wins,” on page 22 in this issue of Public Roads, focuses on two small 

businesses, Intelligent Automation, Inc., and ZKxKZ, Inc. Working with FHWA, they 

are taking different approaches to develop and deploy new technologies to improve 

highway operations and safety. Intelligent Automation, Inc., is using artificial intelli

gence to optimize traffic flows. ZKxKZ, Inc., is developing innovations in mini-roundabout installation and materials. 

-

Entrepreneurs excel in part because they have new ideas, they are free from bureau

cratic constraints, and their small size enables them to be nimble agents of change. 

USDOT is expanding its role in supporting innovation in the private sector. For exam

ple, this year the Department held a virtual “Pitch Day” in late May for small business 

owners who have applied to this year’s SBIR solicitation and were selected to present. 

Pitch Day is modeled on a similar Air Force event, where entrepreneurs can come and 

present their ideas, engage in a question and answer period with topic experts, and 

quickly hear about funding. For USDOT, this new process will result in contracts being 

awarded in weeks instead of months, so that small businesses can begin their work and 

receive funding sooner. 

-

-

The SBIR program has funded thousands of entrepreneurs, many of whom are 

working toward commercializing their ideas. Jacob Crossman, a senior research engineer 

at SBIR beneficiary Soar Technology, says, “Without SBIR, Soar Technology would 

not have been able to execute this level of research and development internally.” Soar 

Technology is working on a technology that can help solve the problem of handoff in 

limited autonomy vehicles.

The Department would like to give entrepreneurs more awards for promising 

technology. This Federal support of entrepreneurs helps expand research into new 

transportation technologies that can improve our lives, our transportation system, and 

our economy.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

for Research and Technology

U.S. Department of Transportation
2 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

INNOVATION CORNER 

From the Center for Local Aid Support

Building a Road to Success in the Age of Digital Learning

by TRINETTE BALLARD 

Partners of the Center for Local Aid Support offer more than 400 courses on transpor

tation topics such as pavement preservation and environmental protections. 

Source: FHWA.

When it comes to the benefits of digital learning, together everyone achieves more. The Center for Local Aid Support 

(CLAS) in the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Inno

vative Program Delivery built a support system to sponsor online 

learning opportunities for a changing transportation workforce 

and a fast-moving transportation industry. The center’s focus is 

on capacity building and ensuring that opportunities for profes

sional growth and development are available 24/7 to local agencies 

and Tribes.

-

-

“Learning never stops even when you are a seasoned profes

sional working in the transportation field,” says Victoria Peters, 

director of CLAS. “Today’s technology is not only enhancing our 

highway infrastructure; it is changing the way we learn. CLAS is 

integrating digital learning into our programs to help professionals 

keep pace.”

-

CLAS has established several partnerships that are making 

around-the-clock training available online to local agencies 

and Tribes to improve their transportation programs, policies, 

and processes.

“For decades, NACE has not had a more valuable Federal part

ner than FHWA,” says Kevan P. Stone, the executive director of the 

National Association of County Engineers (NACE). “The oppor

tunity for our members to continually build their skills and be 

introduced to cutting-edge innovation has been immeasurable and 

undoubtedly saved lives. The CLAS team represents the very best 

of FHWA, and the ever-changing local infrastructure landscape 

will make them a vital support source for years to come.”

-

-

Increasing Access to Continuous Learning

Capacity building is part of a continuous, long-term, strategic 

change process that can shift how transportation professionals 

think about and operate their highway system.

“Taking on a new job, trying a new process, or doing something 

new requires learning,” says Peters. 

The availability of online learning courses offers convenience 

and saves time for an industry that never stops. CLAS provides 

training on innovative practices and the latest advancements 

through its bimonthly Innovation Exchange webinars and encour

ages dialogue among the participants in the webinars.

-

In addition, CLAS sponsors online access to over 400 transpor

tation training modules through partnerships with the American 

Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the Institute 

of Transportation Engineers, and the National Highway Institute. 

-

“I am thankful for [these organizations’] willingness to partner 

with FHWA to make their online resources available to comple

ment the longstanding training and technical assistance provided 

by the Local Technical Assistance and Tribal Technical Assistance 

Programs,” says Peters. “We all have a commitment to making the 

local transportation workforce stronger.”

-

Despite having a small team with many partners, CLAS has big 

goals to improve transportation for its local and Tribal customers. 

“Our team is proud of the differences we are making in the 

transportation industry and we are even more proud that we 

are able to transform transportation as members of FHWA,” 

says Peters.

For more information on the Center for Local Aid Support and 

available online training, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas.

-

CLAS sponsors online training for local and Tribal transportation agencies, such as 

courses from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 

Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TC3). 

Visit https://youtu.be/pTMy29r5ICU for more information.

Source: FHWA.

TRINETTE BALLARD is a program manager with CLAS. She has worked for 

FHWA for 12 years.
© Zephyr18 / Shutterstock.com.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Do you have research results or a program success story to share? *

Are you using state-of-the-art technology or innovative methods that have had a positive effect on your 

program? Do you know of a good story that would be of interest to fellow highway professionals? If so, share your 

idea for a possible article in Public Roads. Promote your work while providing readers with valuable data, insights, 

and lessons learned.

Guidelines:

• Write a brief summary of your article idea (up to 1 page)

• Do not endorse specific products, companies, or manufacturers

• Include the primary author’s name, title, and affiliation, as well as the email address, 

phone number, and mailing address for all authors

• Submit your abstract to PublicRoads@dot.gov with “Public Roads Article Abstract” in 

the subject line 

For more information on requirements, submissions, and the approval and editorial processes, 

visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/author.cfm.

* Ideas submitted by FHWA and State DOT authors preferred. Other Federal agencies, local and Tribal DOTs, field researchers and 

practitioners, and academia are also welcome to submit ideas but are encouraged to collaborate with FHWA or State DOTs.
Collaborate with

FHWA’s software platform is facilitating a transportation 

transformation through automated vehicles.

These CARMA3 vehicles are equipped 

with the CARMA platform, which enables 

communication between vehicles and 

The Coope roadway infrastructure. Source: FHWA. rative Automation Research Mobility 

Applications (CARMA) platform equips vehicles with 

the ability to interact and cooperate with roadway 

infrastructure and other vehicles—ultimately improving 

efficiency and safety and transforming transportation 

systems management and operations. 

CARMA is an open source software platform that runs 

on a computer installed in a vehicle. The computer 

interacts with the vehicle’s devices to enable 

cooperative automated vehicle maneuvers.

FHWA created the platform to be vehicle and 

technology agnostic, enabling a wide range of 

participants in the transportation industry to test 

it on their own vehicles. CARMA’s innovative 

approach and design encourages collaboration with 

industry, academia, and other public agencies on 

cooperative automation applications.

For more information, visit https://highways.dot.gov

/research/research-programs/operations/CARMA or 

Join the Collaborative contact Taylor Lochrane at Taylor.Lochrane@dot.gov.

The CARMA Collaborative is a growing 

community of CARMA users invested in 

developing intelligent transportation solutions. 

Please share this information with your 

professional associates. 
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 5

CAN AUGMENTED 

REALITY ADDRESS 

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION 

CHALLENGES?

FHWA conducted 

a study to explore 

the possibilities 

for AR technology 

in roadway 

construction.

Portable hand-held devices with augmented 

reality capabilities have the potential to help 

with onsite highway projects. 

© 2019 Trimble.

by HODA AZARI and KEVIN GILSON

Field operations in the transportation sector present many challenges. Among 

them are the lack of real-time and integrated 

information, gaps between planned solu

tions and practical implementations, quality 

assurance, and communications among 

project participants. As a result of the rapid 

advancement in computer interface design 

and hardware, augmented reality (AR) may 

be a tool to help overcome some of these 

obstacles. 

-

AR offers an immersive technology 

that overlays virtual computer-generated 

information with the real environment 

in real time, enhancing the user’s percep

tion of reality and enriching the provided 

information content. This blending of 

project-specific information with the realworld site view can assist project managers and engineers with the delivery of 

their projects in a safe and timely manner 

and with greater efficiency and accuracy. 

In addition, with the ability to navigate 

through all phases of a construction project, 

managers can detect errors before they 

occur or change the design and construction 

details. 

-

“Considering AR’s benefits and suc

cess in the entertainment and video game 

industries, leveraging AR appears to be an 

opportunity in construction management 

for highway infrastructure assets,” says 

Dr. Kelly Regal, Associate Administrator, 

FHWA Office of Research, Development, 

and Technology.

-

Over the last year, FHWA conducted a 

comprehensive study to investigate available 

AR technologies, their reliability and practi

cal application, and how these technologies 

can be applied to construction management. 

The results of that study follow. 

-

Hand-held or Head-mounted?

There are two basic categories of display 

types in AR systems: hand-held mobile 

devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and head-mounted display (HMD) 

devices, such as headsets or glasses. Primary 
differences include the way each device 

displays imagery to users and how the 

devices track their position relative to the 

real world.

Hand-held devices are typically video 

see-through displays that use the back-facing 

cameras on the device to capture video of 

the real-world environment and display 

that image on the front screen. With these 

displays, the device needs to be held close to 

eye level and at arm’s length to capture the 

widest field of view—which can be difficult 

over long periods of time and challenging 

in a construction site environment. Handheld devices typically use a global navigation 

satellite system (GNSS) to determine the 

initial user location within a few meters, and 

then use the inertial movement of the device 

to change the view as the device is moved 

around. 

A user views a 3D bridge model, also projected behind him, using an AR head-mounted display. His hand gestures and 

finger movements enable him to navigate within the AR view. 

© 2019 WSP.

Some vendors have demonstrated 

prototype applications that optically track 

the imagery in the video feed to support 

registration with the real-world view and 

track movement. Many commercially available AR applications use a marker-based 

positioning tool, where a target is placed in 

the real world and viewed by the video feed 

to register real-world position relative to the 

virtual model. 

Several off-the-shelf AR applications 

enable the user to display a 3D model over 

the live video feed of a mobile device. The 

application is given a “target” image, either 

graphical (for example, a plan or rendering) 

or a photograph. The image is printed out, 

and the application on the mobile device 

recognizes the target image and displays 

the 3D model in alignment as defined in 

the application. The model view is locked 

to the position of the target image in the 

video feed. 

HMDs are typically optical 

see-through displays 

where the 

device’s view of the real world is overlaid 

by a virtual computer-generated image. 

These devices offer more immersive and 

realistic experiences than hand-held devices 

because the real-world view is direct and 

the virtual view is typically stereoscopic. 

The scene changes as the user’s head moves. 

Some HMD devices have built-in audio 

commands to change the view parame

ters. The audio controls help maintain 

hands-free operation. HMDs are typically 

outfitted with more sophisticated and 

accurate tracking technology than off-theshelf hand-held devices, as the blending of 

virtual imagery and the direct view out of 

the device requires more precise alignment 

of the imagery for true immersion and user 

comfort. Like hand-held devices, the user’s 

initial positioning with an HMD relies on 

GNSS tracking or a marker in the field. 

-

Some AR HMD devices can leverage the 

3D scanning hardware used for AR tracking 

to capture existing 3D data in the field. 

The user views these virtual model elements 

superimposed over the real-world view and 

can line up the model elements to identical 

elements in the real world. The precision of 

the data depends on several factors, includ

ing available site survey information and the 

scanning precision of the sensor hardware. 

-

“On a typical highway construction 

site with good survey targets and a robust 

3D-model-based workflow, this ability to 

capture accurate data in real time using only 

an HMD device can become an option 

for site inspections,” says Katherine Petros, 

leader of the Infrastructure Analysis and 

Construction Team in FHWA’s Office of 

Infrastructure Research and Development.

Tablet devices are making more rapid 

advances than HMD devices in the highway 

construction field because they have com

paratively fewer display and viewing limita

tions. The tradeoff is less accurate tracking 

technology, and therefore, less precision 

of the registration of virtual to real-world 

imagery. However, industry researchers 

are trying to develop tablet devices with 

integrated special hardware and software to 

provide greater precision tracking and better 

registration of virtual 3D data to the realworld view. 

-

-

6 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

AR applications can enable users to view 3D models 

overlaid on the real-world scene in front of the 

device. Here, a smartphone displays a 3D bridge 

model on top of a 2D map. 

© 2019 WSP.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 7

Challenges for AR Systems in 

Construction Environments

Construction sites—especially highway 

construction sites—are particularly chal

lenging for AR systems. Highway projects 

are typically made up of large, smooth, and 

flat objects lacking in fine details, making it 

more difficult for AR systems to track their 

location within the scene. Additionally, it 

is difficult for 3D modeling applications to 

represent these types of objects to be easily 

recognized by the user and the AR system. 

As a result, these elements require more 

preparation for their use in AR systems.

-

In addition, there are several technolog

ical barriers. AR systems require significant 

processing power and enough onboard 

storage to concurrently support tracking 

processes and the real-time display of the 

virtual 3D model. To be useful in a con

struction environment, AR devices must be 

standalone and portable, 

which means processing 

for tracking and display 

must be on board the 

device, not augmented by 

an external source. Some 

systems are tethered to a 

separate wearable com

puting device that reduces 

the necessary weight on 

an HMD. Larger 3D 

models, more accurate 

tracking, and increased 

display quality require 

more processing power. As 

AR systems evolve, there 

will be a tradeoff between 

performance of the system 

and the size, weight, and 

comfort of the AR device. 

-

-

-

The brightness of the 

real-world environment 

presents a key challenge with HMDs. 

Typical highway construction sites are outdoors and bright, which limits the quality 

and usefulness of most current AR HMD 

devices. Bright, open environments are 

more challenging for the tracking technol

ogy to follow. Hand-held devices control 

the real-world display on the screen—the 

video display and virtual displays are better 

matched in overall brightness, providing 

better quality and greater realism. 

-

“In the near term,” says Adrien Patané, 

a regional manager with an AR technology 

designer and manufacturer, “hand-held 

devices likely provide better opportunities 

for AR on outdoor construction locations.”

Another drawback of both hand-held 

and HMD devices is the limited field of 

view of the overlaid virtual model presented 

to the user. Users must pan around with the 

device or turn their head back and forth to 

view a large area, which could be prohibitive 

over long periods. 

Another technological challenge with AR 

systems is occlusion, or masking of hidden 

elements, which may be needed in com

plex construction environments. When the 

occlusion is ignored or displayed poorly, it 

negatively impacts the realism and immer

sive quality of the displayed scene. 

-

-

AR systems also present difficulties 

because of the safety risks on a construction 

site. Like any display device, some user 

attention will be focused on the device and 

not entirely on the surroundings. Handheld devices are held in front of the user, 

require the use of at least one hand, and can 

block visibility. HMDs can limit the user’s 

peripheral view and block ambient sounds. 

It may be possible to address this challenge 

in the future if devices could be designed to 

recognize safety issues and risks for the user 

by knowing the user’s precise location on 

the site.

Highway designers and builders can view design data overlaid on a real-world, existing construction 

site. Here, the overlaid lines show the wireframe and surface geometry from the design data. 

© 2019 Trimble.

AR Applications for Highway 

Construction 

Industry and technology manufacturers are 

developing AR applications for construction 

to display annotations and graphical infor

mation that enhance the understanding of 

real-world objects, combined with increased 

locational accuracy. In addition, 3D design 

and construction models can be overlaid, in 

their real-world position, in the view of the 

existing environment.

-

AR technology can display what is not 

yet constructed, enabling users to see 3D 

design models in the real-world context. 

It provides the user with the opportunity 

to compare design alternatives in context, 

check relationships between existing and 

future elements, monitor site logistics and 

equipment movements, and illustrate con

struction methods and sequencing. 

-

After construction, AR can overlay and 

compare 3D design models (design intent) 

onto the end result in the field to inspect 

the construction, monitor compliance with 

codes and standards, and check quantities 

and work progress.

AR also can display existing elements 

that are not visible to the user in the real 

world, such as buried utilities or structural 

components or other elements obstructed 

from the current view. AR can show abstract 

information, such as alignment information, 

easements, site and right-of-way boundaries, 

environmental boundar

ies such as flood levels or 

sea-level rise data, potential 

work zone hazards, and 

metadata tagged to realworld objects. AR can also 

display unsafe areas and 

risks or guide users securely 

through a construction site. 

-

AR systems prove useful 

for construction inspec

tion—for example, for 

measuring areas of newly 

installed concrete pads 

to calculate contractor 

payment amounts. The 

user can capture points 

with the AR device using 

finger gestures and a cursor 

placed over real-world 

points, and the device 

measures the areas of the 

surface enclosed. AR technologies can also 

be complemented by distance measurement 

capabilities, which enhance engineering 

and inspection functions by being able to 

observe distances between reality and proposed designs.

-

Most platforms for 3D design applica

tions support review and collection of data 

in the field through mobile devices. The 

field data are then synchronized with project 

models and data in the office. This provides 

an opportunity for collaboration between 

the field and office and ensures that the 

user with the device always has the latest, 

correct version of the model, which may 

also serve as a digital as-built to be used in 

future. While most of the tools offer ways 

of optimizing models and model display on 

-
8 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

mobile devices with more limited processing 

power and storage, this optimization will 

be even more important for AR devices and 

applications that require enough graphics 

performance to support real-time stereo

scopic rendering of the 3D models. 

-

UDOT’s Perspective

Since 2016, the Utah Department of 

Transportation (UDOT) has been awarding 

select projects using 3D models as the legal 

document (MALD). To date, UDOT has 

awarded 11 projects with MALD, and fully 

constructed 8 of them. Although most of 

these projects also have included paper plan 

sets for information only, UDOT inspectors 

and contractors have used survey rovers 

and mobile devices (with the 3D design 

model loaded) in lieu of the plans sets. In 

fact, while most construction crews began 

projects referencing the paper plan sets, all 

have stated that the use of mobile devices 

was easier and more efficient than using the 

plan sets. 

In 2018, UDOT awarded its first project 

with MALD only, without creating and 

printing plan sheets. That project success 

led UDOT to forgo cutting sheets on later 

projects with MALD. The success of using 

mobile devices in the field is a significant 

precursor to the promise of AR use. 

UDOT has used vendor apps on tablets 

in the field to inspect projects with MALD. 

However, these tools have not been userfriendly, and model authors have complained about added time when checking 

that their design information is transferred 

to the mobile device. 

UDOT’s geographic information system 

(GIS) group has developed user-friendly 

solutions that can be applied in the field 

with a phone or tablet. UDOT construction 

inspection crews have been pleased with the 

tools, which led to UDOT developing addi

tional workflows for GIS tools in the field. 

In addition, UDOT is experimenting with 

the ability of these tools to also write digital 

information to a central set of databases, 

expecting the practice to replace paper or 

PDF plan sheet as-builts. 

-

“Expanding the availability of 3D design 

models in the field with vendor apps or GIS 

tools will lead to a smooth transition to AR, 

likely on multiple platforms,” says George 

Lukes, a standards and design engineer with 

UDOT. 

UDOT has worked with vendors on con

struction projects with AR. The tool UDOT 

tested could extract all of the features in 

the 3D design model. While the user held 

a mobile device, the features were projected 

on the screen in real time as the user rotated 

or moved the mobile device. When the 

field demonstration was done in late 2018 

and early 2019, important attributes such 

as striping color, sign size, and draining 

box dimensions from the 3D design model 

were not yet available on mobile devices 

with the vendor’s AR app. Even without the 

attributes, crews commented on the value 

and were excited at the prospect of using AR 

with 3D design model attributes included. 

-

With an improved tool, UDOT expects 

to test out AR use again on a project in 

summer 2020. UDOT anticipates that 

most, if not all, of the 3D design model 

attributes will be included in the AR app. 

For UDOT, the most valuable use for AR 

will probably be for underground utilities 

during design, construction, and asset man

agement and operations. Although UDOT 

anticipates AR to be useful and valuable, 

there will be short-term gaps with most, if 

not all, information in 3D design models. 

Until a fully geospatial utility database is 

populated, the geospatial location of angle 

points, valves, and other details often will 

not be known during the design phase of 

the project. 

-

UDOT is currently working toward 

populating a utility database. One benefit 

of such technologies is that they can lead to 

the proper recording of utility placement 

during construction. Once the utilities are 

observed in the field by AR devices, their 

locations and attributes are recorded as digi

tal as-builts for future applications.

-

“Although it may take a significant 

amount of time to populate an underground 

utility database, the potential for substan

tial reduction or elimination of delays due 

to utility conflict is impressive,” 

says Lukes. “AR will 

undoubtedly increase 

construction effi

ciency with accurate 

representations of the 

underground utilities.” 

-

-

FDOT’s AR Modeling 

In Florida, AR is reshaping the how District 

Five of the Florida Department of Transpor

tation (FDOT) delivers projects. The agency 

uses the technology in almost every aspect 

of a project. Starting in the design phase, 

District Five is using AR to review 3D 

design models. The AR technology not only 

enables designers to identify errors, it also 

helps them to easily identify constructability 

issues with a design. 

-

For example, designers have used AR to 

identify conflicts between drainage struc

tures and existing utilities. While these 

conflicts can be seen in a computer-aided 

design and drafting environment, construc

tability of the inlet is not always as obvious. 

Nearby utility poles or other hard features 

can sometimes impact the constructability 

of the drainage structures. AR makes these 

conflicts easily visible. 

-

-

FDOT also uses AR technology to review 

and visualize a model and get feedback from 

stakeholders in the design phase. Instead of 

the stakeholders reviewing a project on a 

2D sheet of paper, they are able to view an 

AR model in the field. This visual overlay 

results in a faster review and a better overall 

understanding of the project. 

FDOT is moving into its first construc

tion project using AR. The team is using 

automated machine guidance to construct 

a majority of the elements. The project has 

no plan sheets and instead has a signed and 

sealed 3D model as the contract document. 

This puts additional emphasis on the model 

compared to other projects. AR will enable 

crews to quickly check constructed elements 

against the proposed model. The AR tech

nology will also enable contractors to review 

form work before concrete is poured. 

Any element that needs 

to be laid out during 

construction can 

be quickly checked 

against the proposed 

model with AR technology. 

-

-

AR devices can provide a 3D virtual view of underground utilities, such as this manhole access point and the surrounding 

piping, as well as text with associated data. 

© 2019 Trimble.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV

|9

After construction, the benefits of AR 

continue. FDOT’s maintenance offices will 

be able to use the 3D as-built record for 

future maintenance and rehabilitation with 

a high degree of accuracy.

Michigan and California

Other States are using AR technologies 

to improve their processes and outcomes 

as well.

The Michigan Department of Trans

portation used AR technologies for visual

ization of bridge replacements on the I–94 

Advanced Bridges Project in downtown 

Detroit. The ability to visualize the new 

bridge design over the existing aging bridge, 

including abutments and structural details, 

enabled the project team to review proposed 

design elements overlaid on reality. This 

provided the designers with unique perspec

tives and contextual placement of their 3D 

designs. Future applications of AR technol

ogy could include verifying that existing 3D 

models containing underground utilities 

are accurate, visualizing potential conflicts 

between the proposed design and existing 

facilities, and communicating the proposed 

design to affected project stakeholders. 

-

-

-

-

TOP: Michigan DOT tapped into AR to help visualize proposed design changes for the Second Avenue Bridge 

to share with the public and stakeholders.

CENTER: AR is proving beneficial to engineers in helping to 

locate underground utilities, enabling designers to verify 

location accuracy for its 3D modeling.

BOTTOM: Engineers used AR to propose design elements, 

overlaying the elements onto existing conditions on the 

bridge carrying Milwaukee Avenue over I-75. 

© HNTB. 
10 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

In Sacramento, CA, a recent construc

tion manager/general contractor study of 

new bridge construction incorporated AR 

technologies. The team could review the 

3D model in the office and then use the 

AR model onsite for visualization of bridge 

pilings, right-of-way, and structure compo

nents, as well as clearly identify an underground high pressure jet fuel line that ran 

parallel to the new bridge.

-

-

FHWA Research Findings

AR hardware, software, and applications are 

rapidly changing and improving. The find

ings of the FHWA research study of current 

technologies, opportunities, and challenges 

all point to potential future directions for 

AR use in highway construction. However, 

future applications will require investment 

in specific hardware and software frameworks. The FHWA study identified the 

following top five potential applications in 

terms of possible impact on transportation 

construction and feasibility of development:

-

1. Supporting right-of-way acquisition 

and providing project visualization to 

property owners to better understand 

project impacts and design options.

2. Visually annotating the schedule and 

quality variances in the field to ensure 

that all parties view the same issues.

3. Verifying proper installation by provid

ing the right information and format 

for inspectors in the field. 

-

4. Supporting training and certification 

for construction inspection.

5. Supporting automated compli

ance checks of codes and stan

dards for installed items through 

machine learning.

-

-

These identified potential applications 

can serve as starting points for transpor

tation agencies and developers to focus 

their AR development and implementation 

efforts in the near- and long-term future. 

The most important requirements for each 

application are the software development; 

the coordination of hardware as an inte

grated working solution; and the applica

tion for the user interface, data input and 

output, and 3D model management. The 

application and hardware should be seamless 

so that the users can focus on the tasks they 

need to accomplish.

-

-

-

The lack of information on return on 

investment to justify AR implementation 

is a challenge. This is a traditional barrier 

to new technologies; however, independent 

field trials have helped address the concern 

and further the development and imple

mentation of the technologies. Multiple 

objective field trials that examine the 

benefits and costs of AR based on empirical 

results will further alleviate this obstacle. 

-

“Just as innovations in automated 

machine guidance, inspection, and quality 

assurance using unmanned aerial systems 

are changing highway construction for 

the better, advancements in AR technolo

gies offer the potential to facilitate con

struction inspection processes,” says Hari 

Kalla, FHWA’s Associate Administrator 

for Infrastructure. “Innovations such as 

3D-model-based workflows that are being 

advanced through FHWA’s Every Day 

Counts initiative will provide opportuni

ties for using AR on highway construction 

projects in the future.” 

-

-

-

HODA AZARI is the manager of the Nondestruc

tive Evaluation (NDE) Research Program and NDE 

Laboratory at FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center. She holds a Ph.D. in civil engi

neering from the University of Texas at El Paso.

-

-

KEVIN GILSON is the director of design visualization 

in the project visualization group with an interna

tional transportation consultancy firm. He oversees visualization production, technology devel

opment and innovation, implementation of building 

information modeling, and 3D-model-based design 

processes within the firm. He holds an M.A. in 

design from the University of California, Berkeley.

-

-

For more information, contact Hoda Azari 

at Hoda.Azari@dot.gov.

A screen shot from the display of an AR headset shows the 3D wireframe view of surface data captured 

by sensors on the device and superimposed over a video view of the existing site. The overlaid numbers 

show the size of the area being scanned, 17.769 square meters (191.26 square feet). 

Screenshot © Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

AR headset photo © Dekdoyjaidee / iStockphoto.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 11

CARMA

SM: ENABLING COLLABORATION 

and ENSURING SAFETY in 

FREIGHT OPERATIONS 

FHWA-created CARMASM software supports 

the testing and advancement of automated 

driving systems in the commercial trucking industry. 

FHWA’s CARMA program has equipped four commercial motor vehicles to study connected vehicles 

and automated vehicle technology applications in freight. 

Source: FHWA. by HYUNGJUN PARK, NICOLE MICHEL, and KIRK CLAUSSEN

The primary mission of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities 

involving large trucks and buses. In 2019, 

there were 128,739 crashes involving large 

trucks and buses, which caused 3,543 fatal

ities and 68,851 injuries. Cooperative driv

ing automation (CDA) has the potential to 

increase the safety of the Nation’s roadways 

and achieve USDOT’s vision of safer roads 

and zero fatalities.

-

-

-

In a joint project, the Federal Highway 

Administration, FMCSA, U.S. Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), and USDOT’s 

Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint 

Program Office (ITS JPO) are using 

CARMASM software to develop CDA 

systems that can improve the transportation 

efficiency and safety of commercial motor 

vehicles (CMVs). CDA equips vehicles 

with the ability to communicate with other 

vehicles, infrastructure, pedestrians, cyclists, 

and other road users. 

Composed of the CARMA PlatformSM

and CARMA CloudSM, CARMA is an 

open-source software created by FHWA that 

enables researchers and engineers to develop 

and test CDA features on properly equipped 

vehicles across different travel scenarios. 

The CARMA Platform provides coopera

tive research functionality to an automated 

driving system (ADS) and, in tandem with 

the real-time traffic and weather informa

tion provided by CARMA Cloud, enables 

automated vehicles to interact and cooperate 

with other vehicles and infrastructure. 

-

-

“The CARMA ecosystem was architected 

with a flexible framework to advance emerg

ing automated driving technology that will 

enable CDA,” says Taylor Lochrane, a tech

nical program manager in FHWA’s Office 

of Operations Research and Development. 

“The framework enables seamless integra

tion with diverse vehicle models ranging 

from passenger cars to heavy trucks.” 

-

-

-

The latest version of CARMA is publicly 

available on the GitHub development platform at https://github.com/usdot-fhwa-stol 

/CARMAPlatform.

Freight and Research Focus

FMCSA’s Automated CMV Evaluation 

program focuses on research, development, 

and testing of CARMA-equipped commer

cial trucks, as documented in the agency’s 

Automated Truck Safety Research Plan. 

-
12 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

FMCSA is currently expanding its knowl

edge base in the areas of automated CMV 

inspections, operation of automated CMVs 

in and around work zone areas, and consid

erations for emergency response personnel 

when interacting with automated CMVs. 

FMCSA’s program supports the safe and 

timely deployment and operation of automated CMVs, expanding the knowledge 

base for automated CMV safety, and updat

ing inspection and enforcement practices for 

automated CMVs. 

-

-

-

MARAD, in conjunction with ITS JPO 

research programs, seeks to increase cargo 

capacity and reliability of freight moving 

through ports. MARAD is engaged in a 

multiyear research program that seeks to 

achieve two primary goals: 1) to identify 

opportunities to conduct research that 

addresses critical freight movement and 

ITS infrastructure gaps; and 2) to iden

tify opportunities for pilot projects and 

programs to be deployed including tech

nology transfer. The goal of the program 

is to use ITS to improve the performance 

of maritime ports and terminals along 

with the larger freight network, includ

ing to increase efficiencies and safety and 

decrease emissions.

-

-

-

CARMA equips vehicles with the 

ability to interact and cooperate with 

other vehicles and roadway infrastructure, 

which could facilitate freight operations by 

increasing cargo capacity and the reliabil

ity of freight movement through ports. 

FHWA, FMCSA, MARAD, and ITS JPO 

are conducting research using a fleet of 

four CARMA-equipped heavy trucks to 

demonstrate the benefits of connected and 

automated vehicle technology for loading 

and unloading chassis and containers, 

passage through inspection points and gates, 

and short-haul drayage. 

-

The CARMA freight research builds 

upon and extends research from CARMA 

Platform, CARMA Cloud, and CARMA 

simulation projects to support use cases 

for ADS transportation systems manage

ment and operations. The project will also 

provide recommendations for cybersecu

rity research areas, as related to CMVs, 

to expand the freight research framework 

found in FMCSA’s Automated Truck Safety 

Research Plan.

-

-

CARMA-equipped freight vehicles navigate the roads around FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. 

Source: FHWA.

Proof-of-Concept Testing

In spring 2021 at the U.S. Army’s Aber

deen Test Center in Aberdeen Proving 

Ground, MD, research teams will conduct 

a proof-of-concept use case application 

developed using agile Scrum methodol

ogy to demonstrate the ability to increase 

freight movement at ports through CDA 

interactions with port infrastructure. The 

CARMA automation will be limited to the 

forward motion of the trucks, and simulated 

operations will involve moving payloads on 

and off a single attached chassis.

-

-

The proof-of-concept testing will 

integrate cooperative ADS capabilities with 

freight mobility strategies, first on closed 

test tracks and then on public roads to 

evaluate cooperative automation for port 

management. In one testing scenario, heavy 

vehicles may be set on a route to navigate 

from a starting point lot to a location for 

loading and unloading chassis and contain

ers. Vehicles will stop at an inspection point, 

and those that pass inspection will continue 

onward while those that fail inspection will 

navigate to a holding area for further assess

ment. Vehicles will subsequently navigate 

gate passage, emulate a short-haul drayage, 

return to the starting location, and reverse 

or loop around into a loading and unload

ing area at the starting point lot. CARMA 

Cloud may be used to manage the rules of 

the fleet as the ADS-enabled heavy trucks 

progress through each activity.

-

-

-

Looking Ahead

A multiyear project, the FHWA CARMA 

freight initiative is performing critical 

CDA research in phases on automated port 

operations and automated CMV operations. 

Studies will demonstrate the role of ADS 

in increasing efficiencies and safety, while 

decreasing emissions, in a port environment. 

The research aims to advance technology 
implementation in the Nation’s ports 

and investigate a positive cost-to-benefit 

ratio for automated truck movement and 

port operations.

The CARMA architecture is designed for 

easy sharing and integration into different 

vehicle categories, supporting research and 

testing on ADS in CMVs. CARMA-enabled 

trucks introduce new avenues for innovation 

by expanding data collection opportunities 

and enabling shared expertise and pilot 

transportation technologies. CARMA truck 

programs seek to identify opportunities 

to conduct research that addresses gaps in 

freight movement, intelligent transportation 

systems infrastructure, and commercial 

vehicle safety. 

“Through this crit

ical research, USDOT 

hopes to harness CDA 

concepts in order to 

reduce large truck 

crashes and enhance 

freight mobility,” 

says Kevin Dopart, 

a program 

manager in 

USDOT’s ITS 

JPO. “We are 

working toward 

the ultimate goal 

of transforming the 

transportation industry.”

-

HYUNGJUN PARK is a highway research engineer 

in FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and 

Development, managing various CDA activities 

focusing on commercial motor vehicles and freight. 

He earned a B.S. in city planning from Hanyang 

University in Seoul, South Korea, and an M.S. and 

a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University 

of Virginia.

NICOLE MICHEL is a mathematical statistician in the 

Research Division of FMCSA’s Office of Analysis, 

Research, and Technology. She manages a variety 

of contracts and projects to enhance FMCSA’s 

missions to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities 

involving large trucks and buses. She earned a B.S. 

in mathematics from Loyola College in Baltimore, 

MD; an M.S. in statistics and finance from Towson 

University in Towson, MD; and an M.S. in engineer

ing systems from the Naval Postgraduate School 

in Monterey, CA.

-

KIRK CLAUSSEN serves in the MARAD Office of 

Ports & Waterways, providing guidance to ports 

on infrastructure investment, including for ITS. He 

leads the ITS program with a focus on planning, 

funding, and deployment of technology solutions 

to increase cargo capacity and reliability of freight 

moving through ports.

For more information, contact Hyungjun 

Park at hyungjun.park@dot.gov or visit 

https://highways.dot.gov/research/operations 

/Cooperative-Driving-Automation.

CARMA equips vehicles with the ability to interact and cooperate with other vehicles and roadway infrastructure. 

Source: FHWA.

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 13
G

—

oinG-to-the-Sun 

Construction

road

and Restoration 

:—

14 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

Glacier National Park is nearing completion 

of a major rehabilitation of one 

of its most popular features. 

by DOUG HECOX
Travelers encounter many spectacular views 

as they traverse Going-to-the-Sun Road in 

Montana’s Glacier National Park. 

© YinYang / iStockphoto.

Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana’s Glacier National Park attracts millions of visitors each 

year to enjoy a drive through its beautiful scenery of 

lakes, streams, mountains, and facilities. Established 

as the tenth park in the Nation on May 11, 1910, 

Glacier National Park covers more than 1 million 

acres (400,000 hectares), including 175 mountains 

and 26 glaciers, with the Continental Divide 

essentially cutting the park in half. The 50-mile 

(80-kilometer) Going-to-the-Sun Road runs along 

and over these steep mountains. The elevation at 

Logan Pass, located in the midsection of the road and 

the highest point accessible by car, reaches 6,646 feet 

(2,026 meters).

“The road is not just a way to travel, it’s a destina

tion in itself,” says Michael Traffalis, a project manager 

in the Federal Highway Administration’s Western 

Federal Lands Division. 

-

Its construction was a marvel of design and engi

neering in the face of unique challenges. Rustic stone 

masonry features include bridges, drainage structures, 

and horse underpasses. These significant features have 

led to Going-to-the-Sun Road being recognized as a 

Civil Engineering Landmark in the National Historic 

Register and as a National Historic Landmark. 

-

However, decades of rockslides and avalanches, 

severe weather, and heavy traffic left the road in 

urgent need of repair. Without aggressive action, the 

historic structures for which the road is so admired 

might have been lost. In 2007, the National Park 

Service (NPS) and FHWA embarked on a monumen

tal rehabilitation project, which is now 

coming to a close.

-

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 15
Collaborative Planning and Construction

The construction of Going-to-the-Sun Road launched a national 

cooperative agreement between the NPS and the Bureau of Public 

Roads (a predecessor of FHWA). At the time, it was the largest 

construction project ever undertaken by the two agencies.

In 1918, George Goodwin, the first NPS engineer, planned a 

route that became the guideline for the initial transmountain road 

construction in the early 1920s. Goodwin’s proposal was similar to 

the current road, except that it would have made a steep climb up 

Logan Creek using 15 switchbacks before reaching the Continental 

Divide at Logan Pass. A later adjustment, suggested by NPS landscape architect Tom Vint, adopted an alternate approach requiring 

only a single switchback.

During the early 1920s, Congress provided annual appropria

tions of $100,000 for construction of the road. With this money, 

the park signed contracts to begin construction at both ends of the 

road. In 1924, Glacier’s appropriation increased to $1 million for a 

3-year road construction program.

-

Frank A. Kittredge of the Bureau of Public Roads directed a 

1924 survey for the road. The project, which mapped out 21 miles 

(34 kilometers) over the Continental Divide, started in Septem

ber, and Kittredge raced to finish the survey before winter weather 

ended activity. He and his team of 32 men often climbed 3,000 feet 

(914 meters) each morning to 

get to survey sites. The crew 

walked along narrow ledges 

and used ropes to suspend 

themselves over cliffs to take 

many of the measurements. 

The work was too challenging 

for some, and Kittredge’s team 

suffered from a 300 percent 

labor turnover in the 3-month 

work period. 

-

The road was an early exam

ple of context sensitive design. 

While the Bureau of Public 

Roads provided road-building 

expertise, NPS landscape archi

tects, together with the Bureau’s 

engineers, created the specifica

tions for the road, working to 

blend it into the surrounding 

environment. The landscape 

architects required that the 

bridges, retaining walls, and 

guardrails be made of native 

materials. The engineers 

ensured that the integrity of the 

road and construction practices 

met the required safety stan

dards of the time. Most of the structures along the road consisted of 

rock excavated from the adjacent mountainsides during construc

tion. Contractors had to use numerous small blasts of explosives 

because large blasts would cause more destruction of the landscape. 

However, despite the architects’ recommendation to exclude the use 

of power shovels, workers employed them because the expense of a 

road built exclusively with hand labor was too great.

-

-

-

-

-

The engineers, landscape architects, and laborers faced sheer 

cliffs, short construction seasons, snow, and removal of tons of 

rock to open the road. After more than 12 years of engineering 

and construction, the first automobile traversed the full 50-mile 

(80-kilometer) roadway in late 1932. The NPS officially opened 

the road in a dedication ceremony on July 15, 1933, and named it 

Going-to-the-Sun Road. It has endured since as one of the park’s 

most popular features.

Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

By the mid-1990s, the NPS and FHWA worried that the road’s 

structural integrity was in such disrepair that the road might have 

to be closed to visitor traffic. This led to a rigorous planning effort, 

starting with a $1 million appropriation for studies and reports 

that led to the alternatives outlined in the Going-to-the-Sun Road 

environmental impact statement, completed in 2003. An advisory 

committee recommended a shared-use approach to reconstructing 

the road with short weekly delays, shoulder season closures, and a 

visitor bus shuttle service.

Project planners estimated that rehabilitation work would take 

7 to 8 years, pending funding. FHWA estimated the cost of the 

decision, including economic and visitor access mitigation, to be 

between $140 and $170 million. 

Even for modern road crews and equipment, Going-to-the-Sun Road presents challenges. 

Here, crews must dangle over the edge to repair the stone wall along part of the roadway. 

When the road was built, the task was so difficult that many workers quit. 

Source: NPS.

16 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020
During months when the park was open to visitors, FHWA 

and NPS had to plan the road work to enable access, such 

as for this park shuttle. 

Source: NPS.

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 17

As a first step, the NPS and FHWA’s 

Western Federal Lands Highway Division 

jointly developed and implemented the 

Glacier National Park shuttle system in the 

summer of 2007. This shuttle bus system 

provided alternative transportation access 

and maintained capacity to accommodate 

visitors during reconstruction. The system 

continues to provide a means to reach 

Logan Pass.

Construction Strategies

The project implemented a number of 

strategies to minimize the impact to park 

visitors and reduce costs. Strategies used to 

improve building efficiencies included more 

night work when the NPS could implement 

long public road closures. Engineers worked 

with contractors to modify or adjust details 

to increase effectiveness for weather condi

tions, adjusting seasonal construction limits 

to match production rates to maximize 

work days.

-

One of the major cost-reducing strategies 

concentrated existing funds on the alpine 

section, the area in most need of repair. In 

contrast, the lower sections were subject to 

less extreme weather and experienced less 

freeze-thaw damage, so their masonry fea

tures were in better shape and the pavement 

in better condition. 

-

To minimize gaps in construction time, 

crews moved from high elevations to low 

elevations based on weather factors. Spring 

construction work was done at lower 

elevations. The overall construction season 

stretched from April 1 to December 15, but 

work at higher altitudes took place from 

mid-June to mid-September when weather 

was not such a limiting factor. One complication was that these months account 

for the heaviest concentration of visitors, 

so the roadway had to remain accessible 

for tourists.

Overcoming Challenges

Construction began in 2007 and was 

substantially completed in 2019, with a few 

final efforts remaining, including masonry 

repair, vista clearing, staging area manage

ment, and construction of guardrails in iso

lated spots. The NPS and FHWA anticipate 

completing these final projects this fall.

-

-

The extensive project faced myriad 

challenges. In addition to the difficulties 

presented by the weather and the geog

raphy, these included maintaining shared 

use—limiting traffic delays to 30 minutes, 

accelerating shoulder season work, provid

ing transit service during rehabilitation, and 

improving visitor use—by providing visitor 

orientation, information, and interpreta

tion. The planners also needed to minimize 

effects on natural, cultural, and scenic 

resources; minimize impacts on local and 

regional economies; and limit the manage

ment of vegetation, all while completing 

the work within the planned timeframe and 

managing funding levels. 

-

-

-

-

“The most important objectives were 

minimizing economic impacts, getting the 

transit system up and running, and main

taining visitation,” says Traffalis.

-

Adjusting to Weather Conditions

The high alpine section had a tight weather 

window. Logan Pass can receive an annual 

accumulation of up to 80 feet (24 meters) of 

snow in the winter, and snow often contin

ues into the summer months.

-

Especially in the highest elevations, the weather presented a constant challenge to the rehabilitation project. 

The presence of wildlife, like the bear that left these tracks, can also be a complicating factor. 

Source: FHWA.
Construction relied heavily on the 

shoulder seasons, between the visitor peak 

of summer and the inaccessibility of winter, 

when the park closes its gates for snow 

plowing in the spring or winter preparations 

before the snow. This enabled construction 

to take place without public traffic. Snow 

runoff in the spring made construction dif

ficult. Culverts plugged up with ice during 

the winter, resulting in water sheeting 

down the shoulder of the road and flowing 

over historic masonry rock walls, causing 

damage and making erosion control critical. 

As part of the rehabilitation project, crews 

constructed a series of gutters to direct the 

runoff flow to designated areas to avoid 

erosion. 

-

The water flow also made paving in the 

spring difficult due to high water levels and 

runoff on the road. The surface had to be 

dry in order to pave, so the engineers typi

cally had to wait until fall to pave. The road 

also had to be drivable between mid-June 

and July, so the construction was phased to 

have at least a temporary hardened roadway surface in place by winter shutdown. 

The park needed this temporary surface 

to enable both spring snow plowing and 

anticipated summer traffic. These weather 

considerations combined with a significant 

drop in tourists after Labor Day created a 

short window in the fall before October 

snows arrived to pave the alpine section. 

-

Construction crews used a combination of heavy and light equipment, as well as handwork where 

needed, because of the geographic and physical limitations presented by the roads and tunnels. 

Source: NPS.

Geographical Challenges

The limited width of the road made it 

difficult to move visitor traffic around con

struction equipment. Some areas were only 

8 feet wide. Tunnels with restricted height 

clearance, such as Half Tunnel, meant that 

dump trucks could not completely lift to 

unload materials. Paving required a lot of 

handwork throughout the alpine section. In 

this area, paving had to be done up against 

guard walls and the exposed rock wall face.

-

On numerous occasions, ice and rock 

falls damaged construction equipment, 

workers’ personal vehicles, and government 

vehicles. Unstable slopes and rockfall above 

the roadway required limiting rollers to no 

vibratory compaction of the road surface for 

the safety of the workers and public. 

Rockfall mitigation work required 

completing a rockfall hazard rating system 

inventory along the entire roadway. The 

work included inventorying and rating 

rockfall-prone slopes to prioritize mitigation 

efforts. Engineers selected high-rated slopes 

for risk reduction and mitigation meth

ods with minimal visual impacts. These 

methods involved slope scaling within 

50 feet (15 meters) of the roadway, rock 

bolts with anchorage assemblies (bearing 

plates) removed, and sections of colored 

and textured shotcrete. The coloring and 

texturing preserved the historic appearance 

of the road. 

-

-

Snow accumulation along Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the resulting snowmelt in the 

spring, limited the available windows for construction and paving. 

Source: NPS.

The project used rock bolt reinforce

ment, the insertion of steel rods to provide 

support to a rock face, when scaling was not 

an option, usually when encountering large 

18 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 19

stone formations. The bolts were driven 

deep into the rock—15 feet (4.5 meters) 

or more—tensioned, then grouted solid. 

Engineers recessed the surface cover plates 

and covered them with colored masonry to 

match adjacent rock. 

Crews had to mitigate rockfall risks and support rock faces along the road while maintaining the natural look of the 

surrounding area. 

Source: NPS.

Assessing and Repairing 

Damage 

The rehabilitation and reconstruction 

project included permanent repairs for areas 

of the road that had temporary measures 

installed in the past, as well as wear-and-tear 

damage from heavy use.

In 2006, Glacier National Park saw 

one of the heaviest November precipita

tion events on record. The storm dropped 

approximately 11 inches (28 centimeters) 

of rain on top of 8 inches (20 centime

ters) of snow over a short period, causing 

severe erosion of the slopes and six major 

failure locations. The storm washed out 

120 feet (37 meters) of road, and FHWA 

used mechanically stabilized earth walls 

along with a temporary bridge to span one 

large erosional ravine along Going-to-theSun Road.

-

-

To permanently repair the damage, 

the reconstruction project installed stone 

masonry consisting of 582 square yards (487 

square meters) of veneer, 1,233 linear feet 

(376 meters) of ashlar, and 574 square feet 

(53 square meters) of random rubble. Engi

neers reinforced a stone masonry wall, show

ing signs of instability and located where 

access was prohibitive, using micropiles. The 

crew installed the micropiles down through 

the existing stone masonry wall and into the 

underlying bedrock. The cap stones were 

replaced following construction to conceal 

the repairs. 

-

-

The outboard lanes—those nearest the 

outer edge of the road—showed signs of fill 

slope settlement failures. The reconstruction 

stabilized the fill slope shoulders by placing 

flexible geogrid and select rock material in 

lifts under the surface. Pressure grouting 

stabilized the outside lanes, combined with 

underdrains, improved ditching, and culvert 

replacements. The project used a total of 

6,900 cubic yards (5300 cubic meters) of 

riprap in some areas for slope repair.

The bridges and tunnels of Going-tothe-Sun Road are subject to extreme weather 

conditions. Over their service life, they 

have all experienced extensive freeze-thaw 

damage to exposed edges of the bridges 

and portals of the tunnels. The assessment 

team found additional deterioration in the 

stone masonry railing and piers, widths not 

meeting current standards, poor conveyance 

of stream hydraulics, porous concrete, and 

rising stream bed loads. Stream beds rise 

due to glacial melt, which releases thousands of years of rock frozen within—a 

challenge throughout the entire Northwest. 

Along most of Going-to-the-Sun Road, existing rails and 

border walls needed repair. Here, a worker inspects a 

completed section of wall. 

Source: FHWA.
20 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

The work teams replaced all of the old guardrail, shown 

in this undated historic image, with removable steel-back 

timber guardrail. 

Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, 

Historic American Engineering Record, HAER MONT, 

15-WEGLA, 5—80.

As streambeds rise, the hydraulic capacity 

of existing culverts and bridges is negatively 

affected. 

All of the bridges and tunnels included 

historic features. Following the NPS mission 

of preserving and protecting structures, 

engineers were charged with restoring 

the bridges in lieu of complete replace

ments. To accomplish this task, the NPS 

and FHWA partnered with cultural and 

historic preservationists, landscape archi

tects, materials-testing firms, contractors, 

and resource biologists to develop custom 

solutions for each structure. 

-

-

These activities required fully assessing 

and documenting existing conditions, evalu

ating those elements of the bridge that were 

still contributing (historic) features, and 

then undertaking strategies of restoration 

to remove and replace freeze/thaw-damaged 

concrete, reseal porous concrete, repair 

masonry, and clean channels. Teams 

cleaned each masonry face using relatively 

low-pressure washing and scrubbing with 

nylon brushes to expose the masonry and its 

grouted joints. 

-

Innovating for Sustainability 

and Preservation

The project implemented several inno

vations to preserve the original features 

wherever possible and to minimize costs 

and labor.

-

In particular, the project reused existing 

asphalt concrete pavement in the structural 

pavement layers of the repaved roadway. 

The recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) was 

used throughout Going-to-the-Sun Road 

in two different forms. The first served as 

a direct one-to-one replacement for the 

aggregate base layer. This material was easier 

to maintain under traffic because it reduced 

dust and it required less maintenance and 

rework. 

For the second recycling method, the 

RAP was hauled from the project, mixed 

with an engineered emulsion, and brought 

back to the construction site as a cold 

recycled asphalt base. This process reduced 

emissions because no hot plant was used, 

only a pugmill with emulsion and water 

injected into the material. The cold recycled 

asphalt became a structural layer placed 

directly below the alpine concrete pave

ment. The RAP mixture is twice as strong 

as an aggregate base layer and provided an 

opportunity to use sustainable materials, 

reduce the need to produce virgin materials 

to use on the project, use existing materials 

that were already within the project limits, 

save time and money, and reduce the carbon 

footprint inherent in using traditional 

methods. The use of RAP enabled Glacier 

National Park to lead the recycling efforts 

applied by the NPS.

-

In addition to recycling material, sig

nificant efforts went into assessing existing 

guard walls and guardrails to preserve as 

much of the original work as possible. For 

the areas where repair was unavoidable, only 

minor structural work, underpinning, and 

repointing were needed. When replacement 

was the only option, project engineers used 

a combination of rebuilding the masonry 

rails or replacing them with log railings or 

avalanche-resistant masonry rail. 

-

These techniques alone could not solve 

the problem of yearly avalanche damage 

that would continue to occur. To address 

the issue, the NPS and FHWA developed 

a removable, crash-tested, log-guardrail 

system. These removable log rail sections 

have been installed within defined avalanche 

zones. The sections are taken out at the 

end of the tourist season and reinstalled the 

following year. 

“This innovative feature prevents costly 

avalanche damage to the guardrails and 

ends the cycle of yearly replacement costs 

to sections of the roadway damaged by 

avalanches,” says Traffalis. 

Project Successes

At a cost of more than $160 million, the 

completed road reconstruction, rehabil

itation, and repair project that began in 

2007 has been largely completed. The work 

included retaining walls, arches, bridges, 

and tunnels; guard walls and removable 

guardrails; other roadside improvements; 

drainage; slope stability; pavement; transit 

system (buses, transit stops, and transit 

center) enhancements; and two new visitor 

center entrance stations. 

-

Visitor improvements at pullouts 

included upgrading trails for accessibility 

and several construction upgrades to view 

points. Additional viewing areas were 
enhanced with “crow’s nests” to give visitors 

a true immersive experience. Turnouts were 

equipped with new interpretive panels, 

and the Sun Point visitor area adopted new 

interpretive messaging. 

Other than the addition of the transit 

stops for the park shuttle operation, project 

engineers and architects ensured that the 

roadway would retain its important and 

inherent historic character through atten

tion to fine details, such as using materials 

to match the historic character of the origi

nal road. The materials were salvaged from 

repair and construction segments, gleaned 

from roadside salvaging and sealing, or 

quarried and shaped from outside sources.-

-

The investment into Going-to-the-Sun 

Road is nearly complete, with one remain

ing cleanup contract scheduled for this 

summer to repair any features that sustained 

wear and tear since the rehabilitation began. 

The NPS and FHWA can now welcome 

the hundreds of thousands of visitors that 

Glacier National Park receives per month 

during the open season. 

-

“Today, Going-to-the-Sun Road is in 

better repair than ever before,” says Traffalis, 

“Ushering in the next 100 years of the NPS 

opening its doors to visitors from all over 

the world.”

DOUG HECOX is the senior career spokesman with 

FHWA’s Office of Public Affairs. He has a journalism degree from the University of Wyoming, has 

published two books, and teaches journalism and 

public relations writing at American University.

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV| 21

Major accomplishments include:

• Replacing the Rose Creek Bridge 

• Rehabilitating 2 historic tunnels and 19 bridges 

• Constructing more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) of 

new random rubble and ashlar guard wall

• Installing more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) of 

steel-backed removable guardrail 

• Repointing and repairing hundreds of walls over 

the entire road

• Hauling in and out more than 2,000 truckloads of 

material 

• Providing eight accessible trails to scenic points

• Constructing 14 transit stops and stations along 

the roadway

Thanks to the massive rehabilitation project, views like 

these will soon be much more accessible to park visitors. 

Source: NPS.
22 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

EVERYBODY

 WINS FHWA’s SBIR Program helps develop market-ready solutions from 

small businesses to address critical transportation issues. 

© deberarr / Getty Images.

FHWA’s Small Business Innovation Research program 

is spurring market-ready innovations to address transportation challenges. 

by CRAIG THOR and SARAH CIGAS

As part of its mission to enable and empower the strengthening of a 

world-class highway system that promotes 

safety, mobility, and economic growth 

while enhancing the quality of life of all 

Americans, the Federal Highway Admin

istration seeks out innovative solutions 

and technologies to address transportation 

challenges. However, FHWA often faces 

difficulties when trying to move poten

tially innovative solutions from laboratory 

testing and pilot studies to full market 

deployment. This challenge to deployment 

exists across all Federal agencies with large 

research programs.

-

-

In 1982, Congress passed the Small 

Business Innovation Development Act to 

encourage the initiative of the private sector 

and to use small businesses as effectively as 

possible in meeting Federal research and 

development objectives. The legislation, 

which has been reauthorized many times, 

created the Small Business Innovation 

Research (SBIR) program. SBIR requires 

Federal agencies with large research, 

development, and technology (RD&T) 

budgets to reserve a portion of those funds 

for awards to small business, encourag

ing domestic small businesses to engage 

in research and development addressing 

high-priority research areas. 

-

The mission of the SBIR program is to 

support scientific excellence and techno

logical innovation through the investment 

of Federal research funds in addressing the 

Nation’s critical priorities to build a strong 

national economy. FHWA’s SBIR program, 

which is part of the larger U.S. Department 

of Transportation program, favors research 

that has the potential for commercialization 

through products and applications sold 

to the private sector transportation indus

try, State departments of transportation, 

USDOT, or other Federal agencies. 

-

-

Source: USDOT.

SBIR at FHWA

The SBIR program is structured in three 

phases. The objective of phase I is to 

establish the technical merit, feasibility, 

and commercial potential of the proposed 

RD&T efforts. After successful completion 

of a phase I contract, awardees are eligible to 

submit a proposal for phase II, which looks 

to further advance and commercialize the 

project technologies. Funding for phase II 

is based on the results achieved in phase I 

and the scientific and technical merit and 

commercial potential of the project as proposed for phase II. Furthermore, a phase IIB 

option is available for particularly promising 

phase II projects that need additional fund

ing to meet their development or commer

cialization potential. Although rarely used 

by FHWA, a phase III contract, which does 

not include additional Federal funding, 

may also be awarded to pursue commercial

ization using objectives resulting from the 

phase I and II RD&T activities.

-

-

-

Given the specific focus on developing a 

commercially viable and market-ready prod

uct, not all RD&T activities or goals are a 

good fit under the SBIR program. 

-

“However, in the cases where there is 

a relevant topic and promising approach 

from a small business, FHWA has found 

the SBIR program to be a great option 

for advancing technologies and making 

problem-solving innovations available to the 

end user,” says Dr. Kelly Regal, Associate 

Administrator, FHWA Office of Research, 

Development, and Technology. “Of course, 

the small business benefits from the ability 

to pursue a good idea through Federal seed 

funding and, if successful, the sale of their 

innovative products and solutions. This 
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 23

creates a win-win-win opportunity for the 

Federal Government, the small business, 

and the traveling public.”

FHWA invests in the SBIR program 

through a set-aside of extramural research 

funding, including funding provided by 

the Intelligent Transportation System Joint 

Program Office. FHWA typically funds two 

to four new SBIR phase I projects annually 

covering a range of strategic topics. The 

topics may be submitted by FHWA staff 

or the public. FHWA evaluates all topic 

proposals to identify those that will advance 

research that supports the USDOT strate

gic goals and that would be best addressed 

through a market-ready product. After phase 

I, which usually lasts about 6 months and 

offers up to $150,000 in funding, the small 

business may submit a proposal for a phase 

II project. A phase II project typically lasts 

2 years and can receive up to $1 million in 

funding. An optional phase IIB 

may also be funded for another 

2 years with up to $1 million in 

funding. 

-

As with all research endeav

ors, not all paths lead to new 

innovations. However, the SBIR 

program can provide a unique 

opportunity for success. It pro

vides FHWA with a method of 

investing in specific innovations 

that can best address a strategic 

need. Additionally, SBIR gives 

creative and ambitious small 

businesses a chance to get a foot 

in the door and compete in a 

crowded marketplace. The small 

businesses also benefit from 

commercialization consultant 

services that are offered by the 

SBIR program, an area in which many small 

businesses may have very little experience. 

Finally, the intrinsic motivation of the small 

business is to produce a market-ready prod

uct that can be sold for a future profit. This 

blend of incentives, services, and oppor

tunity is not typically available through 

more traditional FHWA RD&T funding 

approaches. 

-

-

-

-

“Ultimately,” says Dr. Regal, “The 

FHWA SBIR program has proven to be a 

worthwhile investment with unique advan

tages for the Government, the small busi

ness community, and the traveling public.”

-

-

Artificial Intelligence in TMCs 

A transportation management center 

(TMC) is the hub or nerve center of most 

freeway management systems. Traffic 

and transportation data are collected and 

processed, fused with other operational 

and control data, synthesized to produce 

information, and distributed to stakeholders 

such as the media, other agencies, and the 

traveling public. 

The role of a TMC often goes beyond 

the roadway network and the particular 

responsible agency, functioning as the key 

technical and institutional hub to bring 

together the various jurisdictions, modal 

interests, and service providers to focus 

on the common goal of optimizing the 

performance of the entire surface transpor

tation system. Because of a TMC’s critical 

role in the successful operation of a freeway 

management system—and perhaps the 

broader surface transportation network—it 

is essential that the TMC be planned for, 

designed, commissioned, and maintained to 

enable operators and other practitioners to 

control and manage the functional elements 

of the freeway management system, and 

possibly beyond. 

-

Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning 

offer opportunities to address transportation challenges. 

© metamorworks / Getty Images.

While TMCs are critical to the operation 

of the current driving environment, changes 

are on the horizon. The introduction of 

connected and automated vehicles as well 

as smart sensors will increase the amount of 

data that are available for TMCs to process. 

These data will be available on a larger scale 

and with greater speed than ever before—to 

the point where humans will not be able to 

keep up. 

However, new advances in artificial 

intelligence (AI) may present a unique 

opportunity to address some of these chal

lenges and enhance the efficiency of freeway 

operations. AI can be used to automate 

TMC operations and can “learn” to better 

optimize the flow of traffic. In the near 

term, this may provide substantial benefits 

as more connected and automated vehicles 

and new smart data sources enter the highway environment. 

-

In February 1996, IBM’s Deep Blue 

computer made history when it defeated the 

reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov, 

in a game of chess. While others were 

also working on similar technologies, this 

demonstrated to the world that computers 

would soon be able to solve complex and 

evolving problems at a level that surpassed 

human capabilities. More recently, Google’s 

AlphaGo beat world-champion Lee Sedol 

at the game Go, further demonstrat

ing the abilities that computers have to 

solve increasingly difficult problems and 

scenarios. 

-

Successes like these inspired FHWA to 

consider what the possibilities 

may be for highway applications. 

Like playing a game of chess 

or Go, TMCs must respond to 

changes in the environment and 

decide what the next move is. 

Additionally, much like a chess 

grandmaster, the TMC must 

look ahead to see what the pos

sible down-field effects of those 

actions are and analyze a set of 

possibilities to find the optimal 

solution. 

-

“The highway environment 

will make the first ‘move,’ ” says 

FHWA researcher Dr. Peter 

Huang, “And it is the role of 

the TMC to decide what the 

counter-move will be and pre

dict how the environment will 

respond with future moves.”

-

For example, if there is a crash on a 

stretch of interstate, the TMC must decide 

if vehicles should be routed onto local 

streets. However, in order to avoid further 

complications on those roads, a TMC will 

need to consider whether to make other 

moves as well, such as adjusting signal 

timing or ramp metering. Each of these 

moves has its own corresponding outcomes 

and tradeoffs, all of which must be ana

lyzed by the TMC. In a traditional TMC 

environment, digesting this large amount 

of information in a short period of time to 

make complex and interdependent decisions 

can be difficult or impossible. However, 

as shown by systems such as Deep Blue or 

AlphaGo, computers—specifically AI and 

machine learning—present a unique oppor

tunity to find the right move.

-

-
24 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

Traffic management centers like this one in California are 

the nerve centers of highway management. 

© Peter Beeler, Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Technology company Intelligent 

Automation, Inc. (IAI), working with the 

Delaware Department of Transportation 

(DelDOT), piloted the Artificial Intel

ligence Traffic Operations and Manage

ment System (AI-TOMS) on a 10-mile 

(16-kilometer) section of I–95 and sur

rounding arterials in northern Delaware. 

The system relies on real-time data from 

thousands of sensors on the highway and 

at intersections. Using the existing TMC 

operations systems, AI-TOMS analyzes the 

incoming data from vehicle detection radar 

systems, traffic loop detectors, and other 

smart infrastructure sensors to make oper

ational recommendations to staff operating 

the center. Additionally, because AI-TOMS 

is a learning tool, it tracks the incoming 

data and resulting operational outcomes 

to continually enhance its understanding 

of how the myriad inputs may affect the 

eventual outcome. Over time, this enables 

the system to become smarter, resulting in 

better performance and enhanced safety 

within the corridor.

-

-

-

-

The Intersection Dilemma Zone

A second collaborative SBIR effort between 

IAI and DelDOT also relies on AI, but 

addresses a challenge at intersections. At 

the onset of the yellow change interval, 

drivers must make a decision to proceed 

through the intersection or decelerate to a 

stop. The area upstream of the intersection 

where this decision is made is known as the 

dilemma zone. In this situation, a vehicle 

may not have adequate breaking distance 

to safely stop nor sufficient time to safely 

traverse through the intersection before 

the light turns red. The response of drivers 

within the dilemma zone can contribute to 

rear-end and side-impact crashes at highspeed intersections.

To address this issue, existing tech

nologies use two approaches: controlling 

traffic light phases and providing upstream 

warnings to drivers to prepare to stop. In 

the first approach, green light phases are 

extended until sensors determine that no 

cars are in the dilemma zone. To accomplish 

this, systems define the dilemma zone as 

a fixed area on the pavement and assume 

that any vehicle located in that area at the 

onset of a yellow light will be faced with the 

dilemma zone predicament. However, this 

method uses standard values that may not 

account for the variation of each vehicle’s 

size, speed, and ability to decelerate. The 

second approach provides warning signals to 

drivers, but these signals typically lack direct 

coordination with the signal controllers. 

-

To provide a more individualized and 

effective signal control and warning system, 

IAI developed a technology focused on 

increasing dilemma zone safety using ITS 

technology. This system accurately identi

fies vehicles in the dilemma zone based on 

the time it would take each vehicle to stop 

once a yellow light appears. Using sensors, 

the system identifies each vehicle’s size, 

speed, and location to estimate the time 

needed to reach the intersection. When the 

two-part system determines that a vehicle 

will be trapped in the dilemma zone at the 

onset of a yellow light, it first uses advanced 

signal control protocols to adjust interval 

durations and minimize dilemma zone 

situations. If vehicles remain in the dilemma 

zone, the system can alert drivers using an 

infrastructure warning system, comprised of 

roadside flashers that are activated based on 

commands from the detection controller. 

-

Looking toward the future, IAI has also 

developed an onboard warning system, 

which uses information from the detection 

control computer to calculate an individual 

vehicle’s stopping distance and current speed 

and displays a warning video on a mobile 

device such as a tablet or smartphone. The 

warnings notify individual drivers to begin 

decelerating so there is ample time to stop 

safely before the intersection. In the future, 

these systems can be integrated into the 

vehicle-to-infrastructure communication 

environment that is being developed by the 

Federal Government in coordination with 

State DOTs, private industry, and interna

tional partners. Both the infrastructure and 

onboard warning systems are already inte

grated into IAI’s technology and are ready 

to be deployed in existing and future market 

opportunities. 

-

-

IAI’s system has provided promis

ing developments to support FHWA’s 

connected vehicle initiative. FHWA has 

completed indoor lab testing, outdoor park

ing lot testing, and testing at the FHWA 

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. 

In addition, FHWA conducted human fac

tors studies to confirm the effect of warning 

systems on driver behavior and safety. Fur

thermore, because IAI’s system is AI-based 

like the AI-TOMS, it learns over time and 

will continue to optimize its performance. 

-

-

-

-

Because of the success of both projects 

with IAI, DelDOT received a $5 million 

grant through FHWA’s Advanced Trans

portation and Congestion Management 

Technologies Deployment Program, to 

which DelDOT is adding $5 million of 

its own funding for a total investment of 

$10 million. 

-

“Using these funds, DelDOT plans to 

deploy these AI technologies, as well as 

other promising solutions, across the State 

in an effort to create a truly innovative, 

next-generation approach to traffic manage

ment that uses smart sensors and AI to pro

vide the most efficient and safe operations 

of our highway network,” says Dr. Huang.

-

-

Installing Mini-Roundabouts 

Using Recycled Plastic 

Mini-roundabouts, as implied by the name, 

serve as small-scale versions of the modern 

roundabout traffic control system that 

directs vehicles circularly through an intersection. Mini-roundabouts retain the same 

operating principles to reduce congestion 

and improve safety, but their small size 

enables jurisdictions to install them within 

the footprint of an existing intersection. 

This eliminates the need to widen roads or 

relocate utilities. To compensate for their 

small size, the central islands and splitters 

are made traversable for trucks and large 

vehicles that are unable to complete the 

limited-radius turns. 
Vehicles approaching an intersection when the light turns 

yellow may be faced with the dilemma of braking abruptly 

or accelerating through the intersection. 

© Mike Flippo / Shutterstock.com.

While the benefits of roundabouts are 

well-known, including increased safety 

and efficiency, the installation can require 

the closure of an intersection and the use 

of permanent materials. Working through 

the FHWA SBIR program, engineering 

company ZKxKZ, Inc., identified and 

developed a design that addresses these 

issues by providing low-cost, easily-installed 

mini-roundabouts made from recycled plas

tic. Whereas conventional methods involve 

cutting the pavement and filling it with 

reinforced concrete, this new technology can 

be installed directly onto existing pavement 

that is in good condition. 

-

ZKxKZ is using a polyethylene-based 

composite to take a completely different 

approach to mini-roundabouts—and 

potentially other infrastructure installa

tions as well. The material, which is used 

for railroad ties and is known to be both 

strong and durable, offers the opportunity 

to design and precut pieces for assembly at 

the installation site. Using computer-aided 

design, ZKxKZ engineers take measure

ments from geometrical design for an 

installation site and translate it in a modular 

mini-roundabout design, which is made up 

of hundreds of parts that fit together like a 

jigsaw puzzle. 

-

-

Using this approach, precut boards can 

be delivered onsite, ready to be installed. 

To complete the installation, the precut 

plastic boards are lined up on the pavement 

according to the plan’s geometric design. 

The installer then drills through each piece’s 

precut holes and into the pavement, fills the 

holes with cement, and secures the boards 

using anchors. This process simplifies the 

labor and, importantly, does not require 

the complete closure of the intersection, 

therefore minimizing the impact on the 

traveling public.

ZKxKZ’s recycled mini-roundabout 

system has undergone testing to confirm 

its practicality and functionality at five 

locations: three installations in Sundre, 

Canada; one in Jackson, GA; and most 

recently, in Annandale, VA. The system has 

shown success in solving critical operational 

and safety problems. The success of these 

installations and the future potential for 

other infrastructure-related improvements, 

such as channeling curbs and bike lane 

dividers, led FHWA to invest further into 

the development of the system through a 

phase IIB award. Additionally, the United 

States Air Force identified a number of 

potential uses to address its priorities as well 

and is also contributing significant resources 

through the SBIR program to further realize 

the potential of this innovation. 

Already, this low-cost and easily installed 

system has demonstrated its ability to 

address certain traffic and safety issues 

prevalent on roads. Mini-roundabouts are 

typically installed to improve safety and 

traffic flow by forcing vehicles to reduce 

their speed as they approach the intersection 

and by doubling the capacity relative to 

all-way stop control to alleviate congestion. 

ZKxKZ’s system provides a convenient 

method for demonstrating the effects of 

mini-roundabouts at particular intersections 

because it is easy to install and remove. If 

the jurisdiction decides the system is not 

effective at its location, it can be removed 

and the road can be easily returned to its 

original form. 

“The simple installation techniques and 

adaptable design characteristics have made 

this construction technique an effective 

solution with potential to address a variety 

of traffic issues,” says Dr. Wei Zhang, a 

highway research engineer with FHWA’s 

Office of Safety Research and Development.

Driving Success

Again and again, the SBIR program has 

produced effective innovations to answer 

transportation challenges. The program’s 

focus on market-driven solutions helps to 

achieve successful adoption because all of 

the innovations are addressing a real need 

for which a market exists. This creates an 

environment in which FHWA can advance 

its strategic goals; a small business with a 

great idea can find success in a crowded 

market; and the public benefits from safer, 

efficient, and more durable infrastructure. 

CRAIG P. THOR, Ph.D. is the senior research and 

technology legislative and budget analyst in the 

FHWA Office of Corporate Research, Technology, 

and Innovation Management. He also serves as 

the SBIR program manager. He holds a Ph.D. in 

biomedical engineering from Virginia Tech.

SARAH CIGAS graduated from the University of 

Southern California in 2020 with a B.S. in civil engi

neering. She served as a Summer Transportation 

Internship Program for Diverse Groups intern with 

FHWA in 2018. Following graduation, she plans to 

pursue a master’s degree in structural engineering.

-

For more information, contact Craig Thor 

at craig.thor@dot.gov or visit www.volpe.dot.gov 

/work-with-us/small-business-innovation-research.

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 25

A mini-roundabout made of recycled plastics in an intersection in Annandale, VA. 

The modular designs can be installed with minimal damage to the roadway and 

without closing the intersection to traffic. 

Source: FHWA.
fAcing

VOlCanic

challenges

Hawaii’s natural environment places particular 

demands on its department of transportation, 

as exemplified by a 2018 lava flow event. 

A geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey makes observations at a lava 

fissure in July 2018. The volcanic event damaged hundreds of homes and 

made roads impassable. 

Source: U.S. Geological Survey 

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Four fissures emit hazardous sulfur dioxide gas in the Leilani Estates in 

the lower Puna District in May 2018. 

Source: T. Neal, U.S. Geological Survey.

26 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

by RICHELLE TAKARA

The State of Hawaii endures floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and waterspouts. 

In addition, Hawaii also experiences eruptions and lava 

flows from active volcanoes. All of these events and their 

effects on highways present the Hawaii Department of 

Transportation (HDOT) with distinct challenges to 

incident response and repair. 

In 2018 alone, HDOT saw a record-setting flood 

event and two tropical cyclones, Hurricane Lane and 

Tropical Storm Olivia. While the volcanoes are always 

erupting, it is not often that they adversely impact the 

lives of people and their residences. However, one such 

event occurred in May 2018, presenting an example of 

what confronts the State of Hawaii when an emergency 

arises from natural causes. 

Lava Flow in Leilani Estates

The Pu’u ’O’o vent in the East Rift Zone of the Kilauea 

volcano originally erupted on January 3, 1983, and has 

continued to erupt for more than 35 years. From May 

to August 2018, lava from the vent flowed out of fissures 

in the Leilani Estates residential subdivision of Pahoa, in 

Hawaii County. Lava poured over streets and prompted a 

mandatory evacuation of the subdivision. 

Three roads provide essential access to this area of 

Pahoa: Route 130, Route 132, and Route 137. These 
routes form a triangle around the com

munity. The first sign of lava appeared on 

May 3 in the middle of the triangle and 

reached the ocean on May 23. The lava’s 

path crossed under Route 130 and even

tually crossed over Routes 132 and 137, 

making the roads impassable. Consequently, 

about 2,800 people were evacuated and 

more than 500 homes destroyed. 

-

-

Field crews track activity in and around Leilani Estates in June 2018, including observations from cracks 

near Route 130, shown here with plates installed on the roadway. 

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Thermal cameras enabled HDOT engineers to remotely monitor 

the surface temperature of plates installed on Route 130. 

Source: FHWA.

Route 130

During the event, the asphalt on Route 130 

cracked when lava flowed under it. HDOT 

opened Route 130 by placing steel plates 

over the cracks. After installation, the steel 

plates reached a temperature of approxi

mately 140°F (60°C). If the temperature 

approached 200°F (93°C), then HDOT 

would assess the situation and perhaps close 

the road. The manual monitoring of steel 

plate temperatures with a thermometer twice 

a day was not adequate to maintain safety 

and warn the public of the need to close the 

road. Therefore, HDOT had to figure out 

how to provide the public with continuous 

information on the status of the road. 

-

HDOT needed to monitor the con

ditions of the road, traffic, and ambient 

conditions around the site from its office 

approximately 18 miles (29 kilometers) 

away. The engineers could view traffic 

using pan-tilt-zoom cameras and solar 

cellular-equipped trail cameras. Using 

thermal cameras to detect the surface tem

perature of the roadway and sulfur dioxide 

sensors to get air quality readings, HDOT 

could monitor the ambient conditions 

of the area as well. This innovative setup 

enabled HDOT to make decisions remotely 

to provide maintenance or to close the roadway if needed. 

-

-

To provide real-time information to 

the public, HDOT installed a network of 

message boards that notified motorists of 

changing conditions. HDOT also devel

oped a special website to provide the camera 

images as well as other notices created by 

HDOT, the county, and Federal agencies 

about Route 130’s conditions.

-

To address concerns about the rising 

temperature of the steel plates, HDOT 

replaced them with a heat-resistant concrete 

slab constructed out of calcium aluminate 

cement, sand from British Columbia’s 

A Hawaii Air National Guard Airman approaches a growing 

road crack during a volcanic outbreak at Leilani Estates in 

May 2018. 

Source: Senior Airman John Linzmeier, State of Hawaii 

Department of Defense.

WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 27
Orca quarry, and stainless steel rebar. The 

heat-resistant concrete slab can support a 

20-ton truck with full impact load over a 

7-foot (2.1-meter) span and a standard car 

over a 16-foot (4.9-meter) span. The slab 

is stable up to 1,500°F (815°C), but cars 

cannot drive over it if ambient temperatures 

exceed 800°F (427°C). 

“The rapidly changing event made 

staying two routes ahead of the lava flows 

imperative,” says Edwin Sniffen, the deputy 

director of HDOT’s Highways Division. “In 

addition to preparing alternate routes along 

the beach and Chain of Craters Road, we 

needed to ensure Highway 130 was travers

able for as long as practical. The ingenuity 

of our engineers in utilizing heat-resistant 

materials and setting up camera and mon

itoring connectivity in a relative dead spot 

was essential to keeping our communities 

connected safely.”

-

-

Lava flows continue near Leilani Estates in July 2018. 

Source: M. Patrick, U.S. Geological Survey.

Route 132

In August 2018, approximately 3 months 

after the first flow appeared, the lava 

appeared to stop its advance. Unfortunately, 

Highway 132, a major thoroughfare in the 

lower Puna district, was already inundated 

with lava. Lava covered the upper and lower 

parts of the road and left a portion of the 

road in the middle untouched but isolated, 

surrounded by lava. This kind of isolated 

area that forms when lava flows on either 

side of a hill, ridge, or older lava dome 

as it spreads from its source is known as 

a kipuka.

After waiting for a 6-month cooling-off 

period, Hawaii County started to grade an 

alignment for a temporary road to replace 

Route 132. On June 10, 2019, Hawaii 

County started to restore Highway 132 to 

its pre-inundation function with two paved 

travel lanes and shoulders but at a much 

higher elevation. Originally, an October 5, 

2019, deadline was set to complete the road 

restoration project in order to qualify for 

100 percent Federal-aid highway emergency 

relief funds. However, due to the hot surface 

temperatures of more than 800°F (420°C) 

that damaged equipment, the Hawaii 

County Department of Public Works 

requested and received a 3-month extension. 

Work included rough grading over 

109,000 cubic yards of lava rock, placing 

3 miles (4.8 kilometers) of asphalt concrete 

base course, dressing the shoulders, and 

installing signs and striping. Highway 132 

was reopened on November 27, 2019, the 

day before Thanksgiving. Hawaii County 

Mayor Harry Kim said, “It’s been a long 

time coming.” Mayor Kim praised the 

work done by Federal and County agencies, 

which he said, “is beyond belief to me.” 

Many Big Island residents with homes and 

farms that had been landlocked by lava 

voiced relief at being able to once again 

reach the properties that constitute their 

livelihoods. 

Route 11

The area around the Leilani Estates was 

not the only impacted location. During 

the eruption, daily earthquakes caused 

severe damage to Route 11, also called the 

Mamalahoa Highway, between mile marker 

28 and 32 in Volcano Village. HDOT engi

neers first used ground penetrating radar 

(GPR) to determine the nature and extent 

of damage to the highway at specific loca

tions. They made extensive repairs, which 

involved months of 24/7 lane closures that 

enabled reconstruction of the roadbed from 

depths of up to 10 feet (3 meters). 

-

-

In February 2019, upon completion 

of site-specific repairs, HDOT performed 

a followup GPR survey for the corridor 

between mile markers 28 and 32. The 

survey confirmed that all subsurface voids 

and cracks of concern under Mamalahoa 

Highway were repaired properly. 

28 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

Sections of Route 132 were completely covered by lava 

during the 2018 eruption. 

© County of Hawaii Department of Public Works.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 29

Next Steps

While Route 132 now provides access to 

many farms and residences, many decisions 

remain to be made. Hawaii County is devel

oping a volcanic risk assessment study that 

will detail the exposure of land, people, and 

infrastructure to volcanic hazards based on 

lava zones designated by the U.S. Geolog

ical Survey. The county’s next steps are to 

secure Federal funding to restore damaged 

infrastructure and to decide which assets 

will be rebuilt and what new infrastructure 

will be constructed to assist in the county’s 

recovery from this lava event. If certain 

county roads are not restored, then those 

funds can be allocated to infrastructure 

projects that support residential settlement 

in areas of lower risk. The county needs 

to balance a process that reduces repet

itive losses and residential settlement in 

high-hazard areas, while also planning for 

infrastructure assets that serve the region as 

a whole, including commercial centers and 

emergency access.

-

-

-

Hawaii County is looking at numerous 

factors to determine which local roads 

should be restored and which ones should 

not. For example, the county is docu

menting which roads serve as emergency 

access routes, what response times for fire 

department and police have been prior to 

the eruption and today, which roads rely 

on other roads (including private roads) or 

infrastructure assets to be restored in order 

to function, and interest among displaced 

residents to relocate through a voluntary 

buy-out program or to return to their origi

nal homes.

-

-

“Emergencies caused by storms and 

volcanic eruptions will continue to occur 

in Hawaii. Communication, innovation, 

and preparation are critical to addressing 

them as they arise and keep traffic moving 

along Hawaii’s roads and highways,” says 

HDOT’s Sniffen. “The lessons and mindset 

we learned during this emergency event 

helped move our capabilities forward as 

a department.”

RICHELLE TAKARA is the Deputy Division Adminis

trator for FHWA’s Hawaii Division. She holds a B.S. in 

civil engineering from the University of Hawaii. 

-

For more information, see https://www 

.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/civil-defense 

/eruption-related-information or contact 

Richelle Takara at 808–541–2311 or 

richelle.takara@dot.gov.

Lava flows cut off Route 137 near Leilani Estates in 

May 2018. The Hawaii County Department of Public 

Works is still coordinating with the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency to determine whether the road 

will be reconstructed. 

Source: Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Wheeler, State of Hawaii, 

Department of Defense.
30 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

ALONG THE ROAD

© metamorworks / iStockphoto. 

Along the Road is the place to look for information about current and upcoming activities, developments, trends, and items of general interest to the 

highway community. This information comes from U.S. Department of Transportation sources unless otherwise indicated. Your suggestions and input 

are welcome. Let’s meet along the road.

Public Information and Information Exchange

USDOT Seeks Innovators for Inclusive Design Challenge

On April 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation 

opened Stage I of the Inclusive Design Challenge, a national prize 

competition seeking solutions to make future automated vehicles 

more accessible to people with disabilities. Stage I of the challenge 

will be open for submissions until October 30, 2020. The Inclusive 

Design Challenge seeks innovative solutions that will enable people 

with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities to use automated 

vehicles to access jobs, healthcare, and other critical destinations. 

During two stages of competition, teams will compete to earn a 

portion of a $5 million prize purse. 

Teams from academic and research institutions, the business 

sector, and technology companies are invited to submit entries. 

Solutions may include hardware or software ideas intended to 

enable independent use of automated vehicles by people with disabilities. Stage I of the challenge requests written proposals describ

ing the design solution. Up to 10 semifinalists will be selected and 

awarded $300,000 each based on their proof-of-concept ideas. In 

Stage II, semifinalists will compete for a portion of the remaining 

prize funding by developing prototype demonstrations of their 

concepts. USDOT anticipates awarding Stage II prizes in summer 

2022. 

-

As part of the challenge, USDOT is also encouraging teams 

to seek input from the disability community, industry, and the 

research community. Understanding user needs and industry 

dynamics is critical to developing designs with the greatest poten

tial for future impact. By ensuring that automated vehicles are 

designed to be inclusive, USDOT expects that the challenge will 

help enhance future access to critical services, including medical 

care, for people with disabilities.

-

For more information, visit www.transportation.gov/accessibility 

/inclusivedesign.

Source: USDOT.
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 31

Secretary Chao Announces Grants to Improve 

Highway Safety in Indian Country

In April 2020, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao 

announced more than $8.9 million for 91 projects to 80 federally 

recognized American Indian Tribal Nations during her remarks at 

the National Congress of American Indians.

“These Federal funds will go to American Indian Tribes to 

improve traffic safety and improve the quality of life for Tribal 

communities,” said Secretary Chao.

The $8.9 million will come from the Federal Highway Admin

istration’s Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund (TTPSF). 

Nearly 60 Tribes will receive funding to assist in the development 

or update of a transportation safety plan. A library of such plans 

is online at 

-

www.tribalsafety.org/safety-plans-library. Other funded 

projects include roadway departure countermeasures, road safety 

audits, pedestrian facilities, roundabouts, intersection improve

ments, and data management systems.

-

A full list of grants is available at https://highways.dot.gov 

/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds.

Every Day Counts Launches Storyboards

The Federal Highway Administration’s Every Day Counts (EDC) 

initiative recently shared its first storyboard, an interactive digital 

slideshow that incorporates images, video, and graphics to create 

a highly visual experience. The inaugural effort highlights the 

EDC-5 innovation Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures 

(FoRRRwD) and promotes greater use of curve warning signs. 

More than 36,000 people die each year on the Nation’s highways. More than 25 percent of those fatalities occur on horizontal 

curves—curves that change a road’s direction or alignment. Curve 

warning signs, such as chevrons, are cost-effective countermeasures proven to reduce crashes on horizontal curves. For 

example, chevrons reduce nighttime crashes on curves by 

25 percent.

For more information, visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/forrrwd 

/curvesignstoryboard/index.html.

FMCSA Updates Hours of Service Rules

In May 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 

(FMCSA) published a final rule updating hours of service (HOS) 

rules for commercial motor vehicle drivers to provide greater flexi

bility for drivers without adversely affecting safety. 

-

First adopted in 1937, FMCSA’s HOS rules specify the per

mitted operating hours of commercial drivers. In 2018, FMCSA 

authored an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to receive 

public comment on portions of the HOS rules to alleviate unnec

essary burdens placed on drivers while maintaining safety on the 

Nation’s highways and roads. Subsequently, in August 2019, the 

agency published a detailed proposed rule, which received an addi

tional 2,800 public comments. 

-

-

-

Based on the detailed public comments, FMCSA’s final rule on 

HOS offers four key revisions to the existing HOS rules. First, the 

agency will increase safety and flexibility for the 30-minute break 

rule by requiring a break after 8 hours of consecutive driving and 

allowing the break to be satisfied by a driver using on-duty, not 

driving status, rather than off-duty status. Second, FMCSA will 

modify the sleeper-berth exception to enable drivers to split their 

required 10 hours off duty into two periods: an 8/2 split, or a 7/3 

split—with neither period counting against the driver’s 14-hour 

driving window. Third, the updated rule will modify the adverse 

driving conditions exception by extending by 2 hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted. Finally, FMCSA 

will change the short-haul exception available to certain commer

cial drivers by lengthening the drivers’ maximum on-duty period 

-

Every Day Counts created an interactive storyboard highlighting the benefits of curve warning signs.

Source: FHWA.
32 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit within which 

the driver may operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles. 

The new HOS rule will be effective beginning September 29, 

2020. The complete final rule is available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov 

/regulations/hours-service/hours-service-drivers-final-rule. 

TRB Recordings: Landscape Design Practices for 

Roadside Water Management

In April 2020, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) released a 

straight-to-recording series that presents highlights and findings of 

the National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s Domestic 

Scan 16-02 on Landscape Design Practices for Roadside Water 

Management. This scan investigated how transportation agencies 

are applying principles and practices of green infrastructure for 

roadside water management to mitigate adverse impacts of flood

ing, drought, and temperature extremes affecting their infrastruc

ture. The scan findings focus on eight critical areas that impact 

the overall success of green infrastructure practices. The report is 

available at 

-

-

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP20-

68A_16-02.pdf.

The videos offer presentations from Garrett Jackson of the 

Washington State Department of Transportation, John L’Etoile of 

the Nevada Department of Transportation, and William Fletcher, 

retired from the Oregon Department of Transportation. They are 

available on demand at no charge at https://vimeo.com 

/showcase/7050291.

Source: TRB

TRB recently recorded presentations of highlights from the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program’s scan on landscape design practices.

© National Academy of Sciences.

FMCSA recently updated hours of service rules for commercial motor vehicles.

© IM_photo / Shutterstock.com.

ALONG THE ROAD
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 33

TRAINING UPDATE

Advancing Workforce Development: 

Leading a Performance-Based Culture 

by GAY DUGAN and CHRISTINE KEMKER

With ever-increasing demands on time and resources, transportation maintenance departments need an efficient and inno

vative way to invest in their workforce and train their employees to 

rise to the roles of managers and supervisors. To fill that need, the 

National Highway Institute (NHI) offers a newly updated course, 

Maintenance Leadership Academy (MLA) (FHWA-NHI-134063). 

This intensive training program supports workforce development 

by delivering a streamlined path to acclimate new managers to 

maintenance leadership roles, improve organizational decisionmaking, and support a performance-based maintenance culture. 

-

-

The MLA will jump-start maintenance supervisors and 

other rising leaders in their management roles by providing 

both technical and leadership training to help participants drive 

innovation on the job. Attendees will learn how to develop and 

lead a performance-based workplace, embrace a strategic and 

measurable approach to managing resources, and maximize 

highway system performance. 

Fulfilling demands for both career development and advancing 

industry knowledge, the MLA teaches effective leadership skills 

while providing a deeper understanding of various processes, meth

ods, and materials that will maintain and preserve an organization’s 

bridge and highway systems. 

-

Past host and current instructor Greg Duncan says, “At the first 

session in Tennessee, I saw direct results from district maintenance 

managers attending the program. Improvements included imme

diately reevaluating planned pavement preservation needs lists and 

collaborating with other regional managers for problem solving. 

Although the training was intense and a huge time commitment, 

each participant expressed satisfaction knowing that they gained 

skills they could use to advance maintenance practices for our 

agency.” 

-

Updated for 2020: Streamlined and Targeted 

NHI recently updated the MLA with feedback and insight from 

experts in the field, including the Federal Highway Administra

tion’s Office of Infrastructure, the Resource Center, State depart

ments of transportation, and maintenance specialists from the 

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials. 

The updated MLA has been streamlined to be more leadership 

focused and relevant to the workforce development needs of State 

maintenance departments. This includes updating the training’s six 

modules across technical topics while weaving in effective leadership skills. 

-

-

Inspiring Leaders

One of the hosts of the updated course, Greg Selstead, explains 

that a maintenance supervisor’s role doesn’t just require leadership, 

it’s also about guiding a cultural shift. 

“The heart of this update reflects an emphasis on leading a 

performance-based maintenance culture,” says Selstead. “The 

essence of training our maintenance leaders how to establish 

this type of culture sets the tone in this first module and is the 

common thread woven throughout the course.” 

This shift will benefit the industry, Selstead believes, because a 

performance-based culture supports achievable agency goals and 

transparent decisionmaking processes. By incorporating perfor

mance data analysis, asset management, and evaluative strategies, 

the MLA will give participants the skills and information they need 

to make better decisions for their agencies. 

-

NHI redesigned the MLA to inspire a leadership mindset in 

addition to providing advanced technical knowledge as a workforce 

development course. By framing the technical modules around 

performance-based measures and evaluations, the course teaches 

participants to lead an effective, data-driven maintenance program. 

In turn, this structure promotes quality results in all areas of main

tenance work. 

-

Academy Structure

One of the unique benefits of the MLA is the flexibility in its 

structure. The course consists of six modules, combining self-paced 

lessons (online and paper-based) with instructor-led classroom 

expertise. The classroom portion can be broken into two or three 

sessions, if requested. A typical course outline runs 12 weeks from 

the date of the first web conference orientation through the final 

By sending staff to the MLA, transportation agencies can expect 

to accelerate the learning curve for new maintenance managers or 

supervisors and to broaden the skillset for those with more experience. 

The workshops were also redesigned to increase participant engagement 

and reinforce how leading practices presented in the curriculum can be 

implemented in their home agency. 

Greg Duncan, MLA Instructor

“

“
34 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

day of classroom training. Because of its blended structure, the 

course can be compressed or spaced out based on the needs of the 

host State. 

To meet the demands of the industry, the streamlined MLA 

now covers all relevant material in less time:

• 1-hour orientation web conference

• Approximately 16.5 hours of independent study (reduced 

from 32.5 hours)

• 10.5 days of instructor-led, classroom training (reduced 

from 12 days)

The lessons focus on relevant and needed skills for current and 

future supervisors. Many of the lessons are self-paced to enable 

the participants to work on their own schedules. This condensed 

structure enables new or inexperienced professionals to come up to 

speed quickly, reducing time away from their jobs. 

The updated MLA includes a revised curriculum with modules 

on the following topics:

• Leading a performance-based maintenance culture 

• Pavement and bridge preservation 

• Roadside maintenance and drainage

• Environmental protection

• Weather-related operations

• Traffic and work zone safety

The modules are designed to provide applicable, state-of-thepractice technical knowledge in each subject area. The relationships 

between the modules are emphasized, enabling participants to 

apply skills learned in one module to another. This reinforces the 

effectiveness of a planned, performance-based approach. 

NHI’s courses are designed to engage adult learners and provide hands-on, experience-driven, active learning opportunities. Participants in a 2016 MLA course in Tennessee get 

hands on with their learning as they take the classroom outside. 

Source: NHI.

Workforce Development: Who’s Ready to Lead?

The MLA is a comprehensive and intensive career development 

course. It is designed to quickly acclimate new or inexperienced 

maintenance supervisors, superintendents, and managers to their 

expanding or evolving roles. 

Potential participants should already have at least a basic 

understanding of maintenance operations at the county, regional, 

or State level. This includes a familiarity with oversight, quality 

assurance, handling materials, scheduling, budgeting, and plan

ning. Participants should also have advanced skills in maintenance 

activities, such as pavement preservation. 

-

With a deep dive into the six subject modules, participants will 

develop an indepth understanding of the complex decisionmaking 

processes of their agency, as well as the value of a performance 

data-driven maintenance culture. Participants will gain an appli

cable knowledge base of planning, scheduling, quality control, 

customer service, asset management, pavement and bridge preser

vation, contract management, and environmental responsibilities. 

-

-

NHI-Supported Regional Sessions 

As part of its 50th anniversary efforts for 2020, NHI pledged its 

support for regional MLA programs. Through the institute’s part

nership with FHWA’s Office of Infrastructure, supported sessions 

will continue beyond the current year. NHI plans to host one 

regional offering each year in locations across the United States. 

-

Though State-hosted MLA sessions can benefit an entire 

department in one swoop and may be recommended for efficiency, 

regional collaboration is a frequently pursued option. Sending 

TRAINING UPDATE
WWW.FHWA.DOT.GOV | 35

participants to a regional session offers flexibility in scheduling, 

enabling agencies to stagger the training of their future leadership. 

These regional sessions also offer other benefits, including 

opportunities to share practices across geographic and political 

boundaries. Past participants have found regional sessions to be 

highly effective, as they gained a broader understanding of the 

material due to the diversity in experiences and ideas exchanged. 

How to Host or Attend a Training Course

State and local agencies interested in hosting the MLA can host the 

course at a discount through 2021. The cost reduction is reflected 

in the course description on NHI’s website. 

Interested hosts can submit a Host Request Form or find more 

information about hosting this course through NHI’s website at 

www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/host.aspx.

Individuals interested in attending a currently scheduled session 

can also benefit from NHI’s discounted pricing. For more informa

tion on this course or to register for an MLA session, visit 

-

www.nhi 

.fhwa.dot.gov.

In addition to providing career development through leadership 

and technical training, the MLA awards eight continuing educa

tion credits upon successful completion. 

-

GAY DUGAN is an NHI training program manager. 

CHRISTINE KEMKER is a contractor for NHI.

Collaboration is an important aspect of the MLA. Participants are given the opportunity to learn from each other, broadening their experiences and gaining new ideas to bring back to 

their agencies.

Source: NHI.

Continuing Education Credits 

NHI invites professionals interested in earning continuing education units or professional development hours to visit 

www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov to browse the complete digital course catalog, which lists more than 400 courses spanning 

18 program areas. 

NHI is approved as an Accredited Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training 

(IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, NHI offers continuing education units for its programs that qualify under 

the ANSI/IACET Standard.
36 | PUBLIC ROADS | SUMMER 2020

COMMUNICATION PRODUCT UPDATES

Below are brief descriptions of communications products recently developed by the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Research, 

Development, and Technology. All of the reports are or will soon be available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). In some cases, 

limited copies of the communications products are available from FHWA’s Research and Technology (R&T) Product Distribution Center (PDC).

COMPILED by LISA A. SHULER OF FHWA’S OFFICE OF CORPORATE RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, and INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

When ordering from NTIS, include the NTIS publication number 

(PB number) and the publication title. You also may visit the 

NTIS website at www.ntis.gov to order publications online. Call 

NTIS for current prices. For customers outside the United States, 

Canada, and Mexico, the cost is usually double the listed price. 

Address requests to:

National Technical Information Service 

5301 Shawnee Road 

Alexandria, VA 22312

Telephone: 703–605–6050 

Toll-free number: 1–888–584–8332 

Website: www.ntis.gov 

Email: customerservice@ntis.gov

Requests for items available from the R&T Product Distribu

tion Center should be addressed to:

-

R&T Product Distribution Center 

Szanca Solutions/FHWA PDC 

700 North 3rd Avenue 

Altoona, PA 16601 

Telephone: 814–239–1160 

Fax: 814–239–2156 

Email: report.center@dot.gov 

For more information on R&T communications products available from FHWA, visit FHWA’s website at www.fhwa.dot.gov, the 

FHWA Research Library at www.highways.dot.gov/resources 

/research-library/federal-highway-administration-research-library

(or email fhwalibrary@dot.gov), or the National Transportation 

Library at ntl.bts.gov (or email library@dot.gov).

Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load 

Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume VI: Appendix E, 

Ultimate and Service Limit Analyses 

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-18-054

The movement of superheavy loads (SHLs) on the Nation’s highways is an increasingly common, vital economic necessity for many 

important industries, such as chemical, oil, electrical, and defense. 

Many superheavy components are extremely large and heavy (gross 

vehicle weights in excess of a few million pounds), and they often 

require specialized trailers and hauling units. Often, SHL vehicles 

have been assembled to suit the load being transported, and therefore, the axle configurations have not been standard or consistent. 

Accommodating SHL movements without undue damage to 

highway infrastructure requires the determination of whether the 

pavement is structurally adequate to sustain the SHL movement 

and protect any underground utilities. Such determination involves 

analyzing the likelihood of instantaneous or rapid load-induced 

shear failure of the pavement structure.

The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive analysis 

process for evaluating SHL movement on flexible pavements. As 

part of the project, a comprehensive mechanistic-based analysis 

approach consisting of several analysis procedures was developed 

for flexible pavement structures and documented in a 10-volume 

series of FHWA reports.

Volume VI of the series details the analysis procedures for 

investigating the risk of ultimate and localized shear failure under 

SHL-vehicle movements. The report also presents a deflectionbased service limit analysis for limiting the amount of pavement 

surface deflection under an SHL-vehicle. 

This report is intended for use by highway agency pavement 

engineers responsible for assessing the structural adequacy of 

pavements in the proposed route and identifying mitigation 

strategies in support of the agency’s response to SHL-movement 

permit requests.

The document is available to download at www.fhwa.dot.gov 

/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/18054.

Simulator Assessment of Alternative Lane Grouping at 

Signalized Intersections (TechBrief) 

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-19-034 

This technical summary presents the study results for research conducted in a highway driving simulator to evaluate driver behavior 

and sign comprehension during reversible-lane operations compared to conventional-lane operations.

Throughput at signalized intersections with high left-turn 

demand is a common cause of bottleneck for traffic flow. Dynamic 

lane-grouping strategies offer cost-effective methods for increasing 

operational efficiency within existing rights-of-way. Previous traffic 

simulations suggest that reversible left-turn lanes can significantly 

increase throughput at intersections where left-turn demand is 

high. However, the operational benefits offered by reversible-turnlane designs depend on safe and proper use by drivers.

Because reversible lanes make use of existing infrastructure and 

are dependent on time of day, they require clear and adaptive signs 

and signals to indicate the active or closed status of a reversible lane 

and to control alternative-lane assignment during active periods. 

Reversible-lane designs may also expose drivers to unfamiliar situa

tions, such as sharing a lane with opposing traffic waiting at the far 

side of the intersection. In these cases, appropriate signs can miti

gate unsafe driving behaviors and driver discomfort or confusion. 

In addition, improved signs and markings may aid in minimizing 

issues observed at existing reversible-lane interchanges, such as 

incorrect or missed turns and lane changes within the intersection.

-

-

The document is available to download at www.fhwa.dot.gov 

/publications/research/safety/19034.
Reporting Changes of Address

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Printing Office, Claims Office, Washington, DC, 20402; or call 202–512–1800; or fax 202–512–2168. Please do not send an address change for a paid 

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Complimentary Subscribers: Complimentary copies of Public Roads are distributed to select Federal Highway Administration offices and congressional 

leaders who have responsibility for highway-related issues. Most of these copies are mailed to offices for their internal distribution or to people by title 

rather than by name. Offices or individuals who receive complimentary copies and have an address change should send the complete previous mailing 

address and the complete new address to our distribution manager, Lisa Shuler, via email (lisa.shuler@dot.gov), telephone (202–493–3375), or mail [Lisa 

Shuler, Public Roads Distribution Manager (HRTM), Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA, 22101-2296].

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