U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Provides $4.4 Million to Six States for Innovative Infrastructure Efforts |
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Topics: Anthony Foxx
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Federal Highway Administration
31 March 2015
FHWA 23-15
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Contact: Neil Gaffney
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $4.38 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) demonstration program to Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. The grants will be used to fund innovative road and bridge work that will lead to better, safer road infrastructure efforts nationwide.
“Innovation in our transportation infrastructure will change the way America moves,” said Secretary Foxx. “These grants encourage communities to use new technology and new ways to envision solutions to our transportation problems.”
Secretary Foxx addressed the changing transportation environment in Beyond Traffic, a recent report released by USDOT. Beyond Traffic examines the trends and choices facing America’s transportation infrastructure over the next three decades, including a rapidly growing population, increasing freight volume, demographic shifts in rural and urban areas, and a transportation system that’s facing more frequent extreme weather events. Increased gridlock nationwide can be expected unless changes are made in the near-term.
“The states receiving these grants are building better bridges and safer roads that can cut congestion today and ensure more up-to-date infrastructure tomorrow,” said Federal Highway Deputy Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “Our job is to continue getting states the funding they need to deliver innovation in every project, every day.”
Since its launch in February 2014, the AID demonstration program has provided more than $20 million to help federal, state, local and tribal government agencies speed up their use of innovations for 29 projects.
The program, which will ultimately invest $30 million provided under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, builds on the success of FHWA’s ongoing “Every Day Counts” (EDC) initiative, a partnership formed by FHWA and states to accelerate the use of innovations and reduce project delivery times.
The AID demonstration program grants were awarded to:
| Agency | Amount | Project Description |
| Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) | $1,000,000 | KDOT will use its AID grant to offset the cost of a technology project known as “CANSYS III” designed to integrate roadway data from the best available sources into a singular, authoritative and innovative transportation geospatial data system. KDOT expects that this type of geospatial data collaboration (an innovation supported by FHWA under EDC) will significantly improve its data collection efforts. |
| Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) | $1,000,000 | MnDOT will use AID funding on Intelligent Compaction (an innovation supported by FHWA under EDC) and Infrared technologies for 10 paving projects that will put in place long life asphalt pavement with lower life cycle costs and improved construction quality. |
| Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS) and Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) | $981,780 | AID grant monies will be used by VTRANS and CCRPC to deploy blue tooth monitoring devices on up to five transportation corridors. The project is designed to advance traffic monitoring in high volume roadway corridors where safety, commuter congestion and construction activity are paramount issues. |
| South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) | $787,104 | SCDOT will invest its AID demo grant in structural health monitoring (SHM) technology deployed to complement visual inspection and management of selected bridges in the state. The AID grant will allow SCDOT to conduct field work and determine if SHM technology can be used statewide. |
| North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) | $400,000 | NCDOT will use its AID grant to help pay for a bridge replacement project in Anson County using Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) technology (an innovation supported by FHWA under EDC). The state expects the project will accelerate statewide adoption of GRS-IBS, a technology that can minimize traffic congestion during construction. |
| Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Town of Vienna | $211,200 | VDOT and the Town of Vienna will design and construct the state’s first mini-roundabout (an innovation supported by FHWA under EDC) in the state. The new mini-roundabout is expected to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, reduce congestion and increase capacity at an existing intersection without the need of acquiring additional right-of-way. |
| TOTAL | $4,380,084 |
For more information about these grants, and FHWA’s AID demonstration program, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/accelerating/grants.