Gary Hoffman: “Hi.
I’m Gary Hoffman.
You know, whether you manage a small dairy farm like this one, or a large multinational
corporation…or whether you drive an 18-wheeler, delivering goods across our nation…the tremendous
highway transportation system in our country impacts everybody, every day.
For me, that impact’s always gone double.
You see, I spent a 34-year career working for the Department of Transportation right
here in Pennsylvania, building and maintaining highways.
But using these rural roads that carry less than 50 vehicles a day including horse-and-buggies…
or these Interstate highways that carry 70,000 vehicles a day, including 25% trucks, has
become more and more of a challenge.
Today our highway system is facing what we might call a perfect storm.
The needs to renew the system are tremendous, and all we have to do is look at the conditions
of our bridges to see that.
That renewal, today, has to take place under tremendous traffic – traffic that has to
be maintained during construction.
At the same time, the costs of doing highway construction have increased dramatically over
the last few years – as much as 70% – and those revenues that are dedicated to highway
construction have been flat or even decreasing.
Five years ago, the evidence of these issues on the system was so great that we knew something
just had to be done.
Not upgrading the system and keeping it useable simply was not an option.
And when we consider all the traffic on the roads today, rebuilding that system using
the same old approaches just wasn’t going to work.
There was a time when we could afford to do things the same old way, but not anymore.
There was a time when we could afford to take a decade to implement new technology, but
not anymore.
We – our industry – has got to quickly implement and put into practice new technologies
and innovations…innovations that are proven, and innovations that will build highways,
better, faster with less intrusion on traffic, safer, and, oh, by the way, cheaper.
Congress saw this, too and in the 2005 Surface Transportation Act, put a program into place,
a pilot program, for the Federal Highway Administration called Highways for LIFE.”
The program includes several parts, perhaps the most visible one is the funding of State
Department of Transportation projects which use one or more innovations they hadn’t
previously employed… innovations that will make a noticeable difference to the motorist.
So far, sixteen states have received Highway for LIFE funds for their projects, and they’ve
included a wide range of innovations.
Over two dozen technologies were employed on these projects.
In Minnesota, the Department of Transportation tried something they’ve never before attempted
on a major arterial.
Rather than closing off one or two lanes, and having traffic trickle through the remaining
lane, they totally closed off the roadway including a major Interstate interchange.
Of course, this required a lot of coordination with the driving public, area businesses,
and neighbors.
They set up alternative routes and had a massive information campaign to prepare everyone.
But the result was that the work was done in only one construction season, rather than
two or three.
Here in Salt Lake City, the Utah Department of Transportation used prefabricated bridge
elements and systems and built a new structure alongside the existing bridge, even as traffic
continued by, unobstructed.
Then the old structure was removed and the new one moved into place using machines called
Self-Propelled Modular Transporters.
And the entire thing was accomplished in one weekend.
Other states including Oregon, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Maryland are using the
prefabricated bridge element systems from the foundations all the way up to the deck
that are put together in the field like Lego’s…
And just as prefabricated bridges means better quality, safety, and less intrusion into traffic,
prefabricated pavements do, too.
These precast concrete pavement systems can be installed at night in as short as a 5-hour
window, and, where traditional pavement construction techniques have a shorter construction season
because pavement cannot be done in colder temperatures, precast pavements are made under
environmentally controlled conditions and can be installed in all but the very worst
weather.
State transportation agencies have been great about trying out these innovations on their
highways, but the FHWA could see that working one state at a time might take a while.
So they looked at how technologies are traditionally deployed and found that often, it takes years
or even decades to get them implemented broadly.
What was needed was for the innovations or technologies proven in a few places to quickly
be used everywhere they are applicable.
They created a new, more aggressive approach, using marketing techniques, and they tested
the approach out with several innovations.
The approach required setting up a team of specialists, or subject matter experts, in
the particular discipline – pavements, bridges, safety, whatever – and having them develop
a marketing plan…a set of strategies and actions designed to get the particular innovation
adopted nationally.
These actions including technology transfer tools like peer-to-peer exchanges, where the
technology specialists go out to the owner agencies and work directly with them, video
conferences and webinars, and regional, state and local workshops, for which travel funds
were provided for state participants.
Highways for LIFE is also working hand-in-hand with the AASHTO Technology Implementation
Group since their missions are very similar.
Still another facet of the program, called Industry Partnerships, provides funding to
the private industry to move promising technologies to the point of marketability.
So far, five new approaches are being developed under the partnership program and more are
coming.
Of course, all this would not give dividends if nobody knew about it, so, the program level
mission and message are communicated through media like websites, brochures, presence at
tradeshows, and articles in trade and consumer publications.
The impact of these new approaches has been dramatic.
And, as a result, several states have implemented technologies as standard practices.
Gary Hoffman: “Well, you might be asking, “So what?
What’s all this mean to me?”
Well, this: These Highway for LIFE technologies and the
Highways for LIFE approach are proven.
They’re working.
It’s not just about a technology; it’s not just about a product - it’s about changing
a paradigm; changing a paradigm to always look for the best solution.
You know, when I started in the highway building business 35 years ago, we built highways - new
highways - on new alignment.
But today the challenges are just as daunting.
It’s rebuilding, renewing that system under tremendous traffic loads.
It’s looking for better ways, higher quality, longer-lasting materials.
It’s looking for ways to construct faster with less intrusion on the motorist.
It’s looking for ways to improve safety.
It’s looking for ways to do things more efficiently and less expensively.
We have a challenge before us, a daunting challenge…
So I might ask: “What role are you going to play in this vital endeavor?”
Participate in a Performance Contracting workshop.
Talk to the local FHWA office about hosting a discussion with your staff about innovations.
Attend a session of the Transportation Research Board that deals with innovation.
Consider using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques on your agency’s bridge
program.
Take advantage of the Road Safety Audits peer-to-peer exchange.
Participate in a Project Demonstration Showcase.
Implement performance goals for your construction projects to address safety, quality, congestion,
and customer’s satisfaction.
Lear more about the Highways for LIFE program and how it can assist you.
Browse the Highways for LIFE website for successful projects using innovations http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl.
Take advantage of the Making Work Zones Work Better peer-to-peer exchange.