STIC Showcase Features Homegrown Innovations

As part of the Every Day Counts round seven (EDC-7) virtual summit held in February, the National STIC Network Showcase provided a platform for State Transportation Innovation Councils (STICs) to share more than 100 homegrown innovations developed and implemented in their States with a wider audience to expand their potential use and impact. Following are examples of two of these homegrown innovations: a Missouri program to increase the Federal share on projects that incorporate new innovations and an Ohio program that upcycles bridge components.

Increased Federal Share

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) expanded its use of new and different innovative practices, enabling it to apply increased Federal share flexibilities to more projects and save millions. Section 120(c)(3) of title 23, United States Code, provides an option for up to an additional 5 percent of funding when using innovative delivery methods. MoDOT used the increased Federal share on five design-build projects from 2016 to 2020, saving an average of $5.5 million per year. However, for fiscal year 2021, the agency expanded its application program to include a wider variety of innovative methods, materials, and techniques, increasing the Federal share on 46 of its projects for a total savings of $16.8 million.

MoDOT reported that increasing the applications for this Federal incentive also drove the use of more innovations, including ultra-high performance concrete and project bundling. The agency expects these innovative delivery methods, construction materials, and techniques to provide additional future savings by reducing maintenance costs.

Bridge Upcycling

The County Engineers Association of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) partnered to upcycle bridge beams removed from ODOT projects and use them on county projects. Reusing steel beams left over from projects where bridges were demolished or rehabilitated helps stretch financial resources and reduces potentially unsafe bridge rating conditions. Two Ohio counties, Defiance and Muskingum, have successfully used upcycled steel beams on several projects. A presentation on Ohio’s bridge upcycling program, along with presentations on other State and local homegrown innovations, can be watched on-demand from the EDC-7 virtual summit website.