NHTSA: 2017 Highway Fatalities Decline Even as VMT Increases
Data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Oct. 3 indicates highway fatalities declined overall in 2017 after two consecutive years of large increases, with preliminary estimates for the first six months of 2018 indicating that the “downward trend” in fatalities is continuing – even as the number of vehicle miles travelled or VMT continues to rise. According to NHTSA’s data, 37,133 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, which is 673 fewer deaths compared to 201...
Video: TDOT Strike Force Team
In this edition of TDOT Topics, we offer a sneak peek at the Department's Strike Force team, a group of employees trained to respond to emergency conditions in Tennessee and surrounding states. We also provide an update on a major sinkhole along Interstate 24 in Montgomery County. October will bring celebrations, as all employees are recognized during Customer Service Week and as Team TDOT returns home with a third place finish in the annual Southeast Regional Equipment Operators "Roadeo." Final...
Validation of the Louisiana Interlayer Shear Strength Test for Tack Coat
TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 878: Validation of the Louisiana Interlayer Shear Strength Test for Tack Coat evaluates and validates a test method to determine the interlayer shear strength of asphalt pavement layers. The report includes three appendices documenting the field project checklist, photos of existing pavement distress in two states, and a summary of test data from field projects. Project: Project Information DOI: 10.17226/25123 Pro...
PennDOT Data Shows Pennsylvania Roundabouts Reducing Crashes, Injuries and Fatalities
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that according to department data, crashes, injuries, and fatalities decreased at 11 roundabouts after they were installed. "Our data shows that modern-day roundabouts reduce crash severity and injuries while improving traffic flow," said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. "This underscores why roundabouts are becoming more commonplace in Pennsylvania and beyond." PennDOT recently reviewed data for...
Golden Gate Boulevard Improvement Project (Wilson Boulevard to 18th Street East) Wins Honor Award from Design-Build Institute of America
The Golden Gate Boulevard Design-Build Improvement Project (east of Wilson Boulevard to 18th Street East) won an Honor Award in the Transportation Roadways Category for the 2018 Florida Region Design-Build Awards from Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Florida Region, Inc. The design-build team for the county project was Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC and Stantec Consulting, a global professional services firm. Sub-contractors Guymann Construction performed the stormwater drainage...
NCDOT Video of I-40 Flooded After Hurricane Florence
The North Carolina Division of Aviation shot drone footage of a flooded I-40 near Mile Marker 387 on Monday. (North Carolina Division of Aviation via Storyful North Carolina Division of Aviation via Storyful North Carolina Division of Aviation via Storyful)
Report Says Autonomous Trucks Could Create New Infrastructure, Eliminate Jobs
A new 73-page report authored by Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and issued by Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and Working Partnerships USA on Sept. 5, projects that autonomous trucks could replace as many as...
Arizona Laying the Groundwork for the Future Interstate 11
PHOENIX – After investing more than half a billion dollars over the past 20 years to turn the primary route between Phoenix and Las Vegas into a modern four-lane divided highway, the Arizona Department of Transportation has committed another $155 million for improvements to US 93 over the next five years. All of this is with an eye toward an Interstate 11 between the two largest cities in the country not directly connected by an interstate freeway and spanning the state from the border with M...
Study Validates Crash-Reduction Benefit of Wildlife Highway Crossing Structures
A study conducted by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Oregon State University using Wyoming Department of Transportation crash data confirmed that efforts to protect migrating pronghorn deer by installing eight “crossing structures” in combination with 8-foot-high roadway fencing along a nearly 12.5-mile long stretch of U.S. Highway 191 in western Wyoming are reducing collisions between motor vehicles and wildlife. This study – entitled Highways, crossing structures and r...
NSC Data Indicates Traffic Fatalities are ‘Leveling Off’
Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate the recent upward trend in motor vehicle deaths is leveling off, with the number of fatalities in the first six months of 2018 dipping slightly – less than 0.5 percent – compared to the first six months of 2017 even as vehicle miles traveled continues to increase. The group said on Aug. 22 that approximately 18,720 people died on U.S. roadways between January and June this year, compared to NSC’s revised estimate of 18,770 during...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
