More than 1.2 million deer–vehicle collisions occurred in the United States in 2014. Transportation departments are the primary agencies responsible for the removal and disposal of millions of wildlife killed on roads each year. In 2009, researchers at the Virginia Transportation Research Council began investigating composting as a means of roadkill management. This research was a response to the shortcomings of landfill and burial (the most common means of disposal in the United States) cited by transportation maintenance staff. Disposal challenges with these methods included long travel distances to landfills, landfill restrictions and costs, and the lack of viable burial areas. This paper summarizes a series of composting studies and describes the implementation efforts that led to a successful composting program for the Virginia Department of Transportation (Virginia DOT). Three roadkill composting methods were found to be effective: static compost windrows, a forced aeration system, and a rotary drum. The study findings of high temperatures, pathogen destruction, and nominal contaminant concentrations in leachate established that these composting methods are not sources of water contamination or pathogen spread. Successful pilot studies at Virginia DOT maintenance facilities led to a growing interest in adopting this method of roadkill management. Implementation efforts included coordination and training within the Virginia DOT and a regulatory agreement with the state environmental agency that allows the Virginia DOT to conduct composting without the more stringent requirements that apply to other types of material. The research findings, implementation efforts, and lessons learned described in this paper will be useful for transportation departments interested in composting as a means of roadkill management.
This study documents the construction of the Waynesboro Route 340 Bridge with low-maintenance corrosion resistant steel girders, cross-frames, and stainless steel bolts. This includes documenting the fabrication of the ASTM A1010 steel plate, girder and secondary members, erecting the girders, and completion of the construction process. The types of stainless steel materials used to fabricate the girders are reported with a comparison to traditional materials. Information on the material properties was documented. Cost analysis was performed and guidance was provided to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) about how this type of plate girder will benefit the DOT. Overall, the design, fabrication, and construction of the A1010 steel girder Route 340 bridge was a success. This is the first bridge in the United States to use A1010 haunched girders, completely stainless steel bolted splices, and A1010 cross frames. To that end, it was concluded that a conventional steel bridge fabricator can successfully fabricate an A1010 steel bridge. Through detailed testing of the stainless steel bolts, it was also shown that acceptable utilization of stainless steel structural connections can be achieved. VDOT was also able to successfully demonstrate fabrication of A1010 steel cross frames utilizing bent plate shapes. It is recommended to continue to evaluate improved welding processes for the A1010 base metal and to consider the use of A1010 as a repair material for in-service structures located in corrosive macro-environments, such as near saltwater or industrial sites, or those which contain aggressive micro-environments such as steel beam ends under joints.
In 2011, the Structure and Bridge Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) requested assistance from the Virginia Transportation Research Council to develop a structure scoring tool that would rank the relative importance of Virginia DOT–maintained structures to the highway network and to the economy of Virginia. The new score was intentionally based exclusively on data related to the structure’s role in the highway system and is unrelated to structure condition or age. The new tool produces a structure score dubbed the “importance factor” (IF) for all open structures in the Virginia DOT’s current inventory database. IF scores are based on current data in the structure inventory database, supplemented by geopositional data that identify schools, hospitals, and fire or rescue stations within 3 mi of each eligible structure. The IF score adds the critical dimension of the structure’s role in the connectivity of the highway system and the economy of Virginia to other structure scoring tools that measure condition and age factors. IF scores are relative rankings of eligible Virginia DOT–maintained structures and have no standalone value. The scores may be updated each time a structure inventory database is refreshed. The staff of the Virginia DOT’s Structure and Bridge Division has incorporated this method into a multiobjective prioritization formula for Virginia structures in response to requirements related to a “state of good repair” in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. The new formula incorporates independent, normalized, dimensionless variables that address functionality, risk, importance, condition (health index), and cost-effectiveness. This method fulfills the importance component.
In 2009, 19 Virginia Interstate safety rest areas (SRAs) were closed for a savings of approximately $9 million per year for the Virginia Department of Transportation. These closures were opposed by those concerned with the possible effects on traveler safety, tourism dollars, and the commonwealth's business reputation. Virginia's SRAs were reopened in the spring of 2010, but not before the Virginia General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 126 and Senate Joint Resolution 99 in early 2010 to investigate new and feasible nonpublic funding options for the continued operation of Virginia's SRAs. Federal law (Title 23, U.S. Code, Section 111: agreements relating to use of and access to rights-of-way on the Interstate system) prohibits federal-aid highways from offering any type of commerce for “serving motor vehicle users” at SRAs located on the Interstate Highway System right-of-way unless the establishment was in existence before 1960 and is owned by a state. Accordingly, commercial enterprises in Virginia and elsewhere are located at Interstate interchanges, and changes to the aforementioned federal code are consistently opposed. The nonpublic funding options presented were identified through a review of state and federal law, surveys of Virginia rest area users, interviews with industry groups, an assessment of initiatives by state departments of transportation for Interstate SRA funding, and questionnaires distributed to these state agencies. In the short term, simple options include the expansion of vending items, indoor advertising, and facility sponsorship. Complex options include relocating facilities under regional management and commercial facilities outside the Interstate right-of-way. In the long term, modification of the provisions of Title 23, U.S. Code, Section 111, or the repeal of Title 23, U.S. Code, Section 301: Freedom from tolls, would allow states additional nonpublic funding for Interstate SRAs.
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