FHWA Provides $5.6 Million to Accelerate Innovative Highway Projects in Seven States |
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Federal Highway Administration
26 May 2021
FHWA 11-21
Contact: Neil Gaffney
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced more than $5.6 million in Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration program grants to help seven states make the most of limited resources. The program allows states to bring projects to fruition in a more cost-effective way by using innovative practices. Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Utah will receive funds in this round of awards.
“We need to build our economy back better than ever before,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “That requires using innovative approaches to transportation that deliver results for the American people. The USDOT will continue to support innovations that deliver projects that help people get where they need to go, safely and cost-effectively.”
FHWA has awarded more than $86.9 million for 117 grants to help federal, state, local and tribal government agencies speed up their use of innovative traffic, safety and construction practices, since the AID program was launched in February 2014.
“Cash-strapped states are working to deliver essential services and we’re here to help,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. “With the help of these grants, states can more easily deliver cutting-edge roads, bridges, highways, streets and sidewalks at less cost and in less time while improving mobility and safety for all road users.”
The AID Demonstration Program builds on FHWA’s efforts to collaborate with state, local and Tribal governments, as well as federal land management agencies, to accelerate the use of innovations and reduce project delivery times.
Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration Program Grants
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Agency |
Amount |
Project Description |
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Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) |
$741,493 |
ALDOT will deploy an innovation known as Advanced Geotechnical Methods in Exploration (A-GaME) to repair and reopen a section of U.S. Route 231 in Morgan County that closed after a mudslide in 2020. ALDOT expects A-GaME to help reduce construction delays and identify subsurface conditions that can mitigate risks. |
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Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)/Mohave County |
$448,300 |
Mohave County will use Composite Arch Bridge System (CABS) technology to build a durable bridge crossing on Antares Road over Truxton Wash with reduced road closure times and construction costs. Used for the first time in Arizona, CABS provides rapid, simplified construction and arches that can be easily transported and put in place without heavy equipment or large crews. |
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Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) |
$977,398 |
Expanding on the experiential knowledge gained from previous efforts, MDOT will bundle bridge projects on local agency routes. MDOT’s expected outcomes with bundling, a delivery method supported by FHWA that covers several projects under one contract, include streamlined coordination and permitting, increased economies of scale and improved bridge conditions on local routes. |
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New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT)/City of Nashua |
$452,000 |
The City of Nashua will help improve safety for those on foot by installing several innovations supported by FHWA, including crosswalk visibility enhancements, Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons, Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons and road reconfigurations known as Road Diets. These innovations are expected to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving pedestrians, help drivers yield to pedestrians more easily and reduce traffic stress for pedestrians at 20 locations in the city. |
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Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) |
$1,000,000 |
RIDOT will implement the findings of its Uncontrolled Midblock Crossing Evaluation and Plan and install Uncontrolled crosswalk enhancements including Rectangular Flashing Beacons, Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons, Leading Pedestrian Intervals, medians and crossing islands to improve pedestrian safety on 25 state-owned crossings. |
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South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) |
$1,000,000
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For the first time, SDDOT will deploy and evaluate the use of Variable Speed Limits on two interstate highway corridors throughout the state and help South Dakota develop criteria to adjust speed limits in response to weather, road, visibility and traffic conditions. |
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Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) |
$1,000,000 |
UDOT will use 3-D modeling software, e-Construction, drones and other FHWA-supported technologies to improve project delivery. |
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TOTAL |
$5,619,191 |
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