U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
| Fiscal Year | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Bridge Bundling Pilot | Statewide Bridge Bundling Pilot - 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 ($977,398). |
| 2018 | Network Arch Superstructure | MDOT 2nd Avenue Network Arch Superstructure Project (S01-82024: Second Ave over I-94) ($1,000,000) |
| 2017 | Two-Coat Polyaspartic Paint System and Pneumatic Pack Rust Removal | Michigan Two-Coat Polyaspartic Paint System Pneumatic Pack Rust Removal (B01-49023: US-2 over Cut River) ($1,000,000) |
| 2017 | Ultra-High Performance Concrete | St Clair County Road Commission - Marine City Highway Bridge (Ira & Casco Townships) reconstruction using prefabricated bridge elements and systems, and ultra-high performance concrete ($ 626,935) |
| 2016 | Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will use pre-stressed concrete bulb tee beams utilizing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) pre-stressing strands on M-86 over the Prairie River Bridge in St. Joseph County. MDOT expects the deployment of this innovation to demonstrate a structure that is safe for the motoring public, meets or exceeds user needs, requires minimal maintenance and provides a service life of 100 years or more. ($1,000,000) Read AID Demonstration Project Grant Michigan 2016 |
| 2015 | Diverging Diamond Interchange | The project will modify the existing interchange at Interstate 96 (I-96) at Cascade Road to a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) and provide significant operational and safety improvements. It will also include Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding due to the reduced congestion and improved operational capacity associated with the DDI. ($1,000,000) Read AID Demonstration Project Grant Michigan 2015 |
| 2014 | Slide-In Bridge Construction | Originally built in the 1970’s, the US-131 northbound and southbound bridges over 3 Mile Road will be widened with superstructure replacements utilizing 33-inch spread box beams and Slide-In-Bridge-Construction (SIBC). The US-131 corridor is a major north/south route connecting southwest Michigan to destinations in the northern parts of the State. This route experiences large weekend volumes, exceeding 40% of the average weekday volumes. The use of SIBC was chosen to significantly reduce these delays for the travelling public. This project is also using a CM/GC procurement method. ($1,000,000) Read AID Demonstration Project Grant Michigan 2014 |
| 2014 | Warm Mix Asphalt, Hot In-place Recycling | The Dickinson County Road Commission and the City of Kingsford are partnering to rehabilitate 4.5 miles of Pine Mountain Road/Westwood Avenue using 2 innovations - recycle in place and warm mix asphalt. The project goal is to demonstrate and promote state-of-the-art technologies that result in improved safety, faster construction, reduced congestion from construction, improved quality and user satisfaction in a more environmental friendly way, all at a lower cost than traditional construction. The project Owners and Engineers hope this project brings new tools in this process to accelerate project delivery. ($697,008) Read AID Demonstration Project Grant Michigan 2014 - Dickinson |
| Fiscal Year | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Weather | Deploy flashing green lights to improve the safety of winter maintenance vehicles ($50,380). |
| 2022 | Noise, Peer Exchange | Hold a Noise Abatement Peer Exchange ($20,020) |
| 2022 | Wrong Way Driving, Safety | Organize a Wrong Way Driving Peer Exchange ($29,600) |
| 2021 | Virtual Public Involvement | Analyze the demographics of VPI pilot projects and identify improvements needed to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of public outreach ($46,400) |
| 2021 | Emergency Response, Local Public Agency | Develop a Local Agency Emergency Response Playbook ($53,600) |
| 2020 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | Implement UAS Program, including guidelines and piloting an emergency UAS command center ($44,000) |
| 2020 | Peer Exchange | Hold a Local Roads Research Board Peer Exchange ($15,954) |
| 2020 | A-GaME | Host training and a peer exchange to deploy cone penetration testing in support of A-GaME ($40,000) |
| 2019 | Virtual Public Involvement | Implement Virtual Public Involvement (VPI) to engage individuals or to visualize projects and plans. ($30,000) |
| 2019 | A-GAME | Implement advanced geotechnical characterization techniques as identified in the A-GAME (i.e. Cone Penetration Test) ($70,000). |
| 2018 | CHANGE | Hold a 2D Hydraulic Modeling Peer Exchange ($25,197) |
| 2017 | Community Connections | Assemble a compendium of Community Connections analysis tools, techniques and resources that supports Michigan’s Multi-modal Development and Delivery (M2D2) implementation and recommend revisions to existing guidance ($30,000) |
| 2017 | 3D Modeling | Advance Michigan’s Civil Integrated Management (CIM) program through pilot projects, lessons learned, training, and providing recommendations for project PDF and digital delivery of projects ($70,000) |
| 2016 | Data-Driven Safety Analysis | Develop Data-Driven Safety Analysis (DDSA) guidance ($28,000) |
| 2016 | Pavement | Adopt the use of the Super Air Meter for field testing of fresh Portland cement concrete, including purchasing equipment, training, specification development, and outreach ($72,000) |
| 2015 | Geospatial Data Collaboration | Development of a comprehensive set of data collection standards and other informational materials to continue advancing Geospatial Utility Infrastructure Data Exchange (GUIDE) ($100,000) |
| 2014 | 3D Engineered Models | Development of Construction Manual Guidance & Standard Specification language for utilization of AMG/AMC & Stringless Paving |
| 2014 | Geospatial Data Collaboration | Report on Pilot Application of Geospatial Utility Infrastructure Data Exchange (GUIDE) |
| 2014 | Intersection and Interchange Geometrics | Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) scan in Missouri and development of DDI guidance document |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 11/01/23 | STIC | The County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan developed a Disaster Fiscal Recovery Playbook to help Michigan’s county road agencies ensure they receive all available State and Federal funding sources for disaster recovery efforts… |
| 07/01/23 | VPI | Fifty-one States attained demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized implementation for virtual public involvement (VPI). VPI strategies enhance agencies’ efforts to engage the public by supplementing traditional processes such as face-to-face meetings with digital technology. The Michigan DOT, one of the States that has institutionalized VPI, developed a practical guide to VPI tools. The guide describes the basics of implementing VPI tools and their benefits, barriers to consider when using them, and how to make VPI efforts more inclusive… |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 11/1/2022 | Accelerated Bridge Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) used accelerated bridge construction methods on its Second Avenue Bridge over Interstate 94 project in Detroit. The Second Avenue bridge, part of MDOT’s larger I-94 Modernization Project, replaces the original bridge build in 1954 and will be the State’s first network tied-arch bridge. MDOT received an FHWA Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID Demo) grant for the network arch superstructure. The new bridge was built at a nearby location off-site while the on-site work (foundation and abutment walls) occurred, allowing both operations to occur simultaneously. MDOT moved the new bridge into place over I-94 using self-propelled modular transporters. Read More |
| 9/1/2022 | STIC | Inaugurated on March 21, 2012, the Michigan STIC (MI-STIC) was the first in the Nation to sign a charter. MI-STIC members celebrated the council’s 10-year anniversary at their March 21, 2022, meeting. Attendees said it was an opportunity to look back at innovation activities over the years and reflect on where they are today, and it was also an opportunity to look forward to the 50-year anniversary and envision what transportation innovation will look like in the year 2062. View a storyboard and the MDOT Innovation Dashboard to learn more about the MI-STIC and the innovations it has deployed. Read More |
| 7/1/2022 | A-GaME | The A-GaME team continues to reach, assist, and grow a community of practice through three user groups. Each of the three groups represents an area promoted by A-GaME—CPT, MWD, and geophysics. Groups have member support from, but are not formally affiliated with, American Society of Civil Engineers Geo-Institute committees, Deep Foundation Institute committees, Transportation Research Board geotechnical committees, and FHWA. The Michigan DOT (MDOT), which has more recently adopted CPT, participates in the CPT user group. "The presentation and discussion topics in the group have covered the full range of CPT from planning and performing CPT, collecting good data, interpreting CPT data, and designing with CPT data while using real project experiences," said Erron Peuse of MDOT. "As a newer CPT user, being involved with the CPT user group has been a way to connect with more experienced users, which has been very helpful for us as we get started using and continue to further develop our CPT program. We have implemented several best practices learned from the group and the topics covered in the group give us confidence in the results that we are getting." Read More |
| 1/1/2022 | Project Bundling | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) launched an online dashboard that will allow the public to see progress on local agency bridge bundling projects to be let in 2022. The tool coincides with a first-of-its-kind pilot program for MDOT that bundles the replacement of 19 local agency-owned bridges into one $24 million contract. The dashboard will provide project updates and show percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each bridge project. Project bundling will streamline design and construction coordination and permitting, while rapidly improving bridge conditions on local routes around the State.
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| 1/1/2022 | STIC | State Transportation Innovation Councils (STICs) in Michigan and North Carolina recently received 2021 STIC Excellence Awards for demonstrating success in fostering a strong culture of innovation in their transportation communities. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Federal Highway Administration sponsor the annual award to promote innovation nationwide. Acting FHWA Administrator Stephanie Pollock announced the 2021 recipients at the National STIC Network Meeting in October. "Both of these STICs have exhibited strong leadership, involvement by diverse groups, innovation in performance tracking, and promotion of innovation implementation," Pollack said. She asked attendees to keep sharing ideas, trying new things, and encouraging staff to think outside the box. "We have big challenges on our plate, but the good news is we also have a lot of opportunities to address those challenges, and we have processes and tools in place like STICs to do that." Michigan's STIC Expands Its Reach The Michigan STIC (MI-STIC) has evolved to enhance representation from leadership at various levels of the State's highway community. It recently expanded to include individuals from the State's asphalt pavement, concrete, aggregates, and road preservation associations and the State House and Senate. Ted Burch, deputy division administrator for FHWA's Michigan Division, noted that this addition to MI-STIC's already diverse membership has created a robust group of highway leaders and strong partnerships to implement innovation across the State. "Those partnerships have evolved in a number of outreach events," said Burch. "They've really brought innovation from all aspects of the transportation industry to the table." MI-STIC is also continuously evolving the processes and procedures it uses to educate stakeholders on available innovations. A recent concept, which was developed based on ideas shared during a multi-State peer exchange, is Transportation Highlights. Open to all stakeholders, these events allow participants to present and learn about accomplishments, new practices, and emerging topics in transportation and to ask questions and highlight solutions. Tony Kratofil, chief operations officer and chief engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), said the sessions have proven valuable. "They are really key to the ability to share innovation and promote innovative practices across the whole industry," he said. MI-STIC's engaged leadership has helped get various innovation initiatives adopted and achieve local impacts. Among these is virtual public involvement (VPI). MDOT used VPI to expand its reach to larger target audiences, increasing participation and transparency while decreasing costs from staff time and project delays. MDOT's VPI tools have been employed on local pilot projects and are being incorporated into the State's long-range plan. These and other innovations are captured in an external facing Innovations Dashboard that highlights areas of research, new products, innovative contracts, digital data, and traffic flow and mobility advancements. Read More |
| 7/1/2021 | Alternative Technical Concepts | “We’re also starting to see more contracts where agencies are using ATCs with D-B-B, and part of that is deciding which project is a good candidate,” said John Huyer, FHWA Office of Infrastructure. “FHWA recently worked out a programmatic agreement with the Missouri DOT (MoDOT) for promoting ATCs on D-B-B projects, and it’s now in MoDOT’s strategic plan. D-B-B ATC use is also branching off into other areas. For example, the Michigan DOT has used it for controlling and maintaining traffic.” Read More |
| 7/1/2021 | AID Demonstration | FHWA’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration grants will help seven States advance innovative solutions for mobility and safety for all road users. Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah are receiving more than $5.6 million in combined funding. The Michigan DOT will use knowledge gained from previous efforts to bundle bridge projects on local agency routes. Expected outcomes with project bundling, a method supported during EDC-5 for awarding several projects under a single contract, include streamlined coordination and permitting and increased economies of scale. Read More |
| 3/1/2021 | Virtual Public Involvement | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is tapping the power of virtual public involvement to capture public input, including feedback on a study to improve traffic operations on Interstate 94 and a project to reconstruct a highway through a busy tourist town. As part of the process, MDOT is using State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive Program funds to document best practices from these and other projects and create a virtual public involvement guide for State and local agency staff. I-94 Ann Arbor Operations Study Since being built in the 1950s, a segment of I-94 in Ann Arbor, MI, has seen significant land use changes and traffic growth, but no substantial roadway improvements. Now one of the State’s busiest segments of four-lane freeway, the increased traffic and existing substandard design elements have created operational and safety challenges. MDOT’s recent I-94 Operations Study looked at operational improvements to increase safety and vetted the concepts through public engagement. MDOT conducted the first public meeting for the study in November 2019 and drew only a small number of community residents. An additional challenge MDOT faced was the need to better engage the commuters and long-haul commercial vehicles who also use this important international trade corridor between the United States and Canada. To increase public engagement, MDOT conducted a survey using an all-in-one tool–a software platform that combines crowdsourcing features, mapping, visualization, file sharing, and survey instruments. MDOT publicized the survey by using its social media platforms to get the word out to corridor commuters and target industry stakeholder groups. Over a 1-month period between November and December 2019, the agency received 1,500 survey responses and 421 written comments through the survey site. Kari Martin, MDOT’s University Region Planner, said the all-in-one tool was a valuable resource for capturing a significant amount of feedback from a variety of stakeholders. “During this unprecedented pandemic, and after the minimal in-person attendance at the first public meeting, MDOT did not need to delay the study,” she said. “We were also able to relay the survey results by employing additional virtual public involvement techniques.” M-28 Reconstruction in Munising MDOT is in the midst of a 2-year, $15 million project to reconstruct M-28 through the small but busy tourist town of Munising. Work includes a shared-use pathway and a roundabout at a major intersection as well as city utility work and streetscape improvements. As part of a virtual public involvement pilot, MDOT deployed an online survey to get feedback from stakeholders on aesthetic choices and placement options for the project’s streetscaping elements. The survey also gauged community interest in volunteering for future landscape maintenance efforts at the roundabout. MDOT incorporated the feedback into the design, which the agency hopes will lead to greater public engagement and sense of ownership. “The use of the survey turned out to be a positive tool for us during the final design phases of all facets of our project,” Munising City Manager Devin Olson said. “We have incorporated the majority of the survey’s results into our plans. We were able to do this because the outreach occurred at a phase of the project in which we had the majority of the foundation of the plans done. The survey questions mostly dealt with details that, although minor in scope, will be some of the most visible attributes.” In addition to promoting the survey through MDOT and city of Munising social media accounts, MDOT crowdsourced publicity for the survey. The agency did this by encouraging the attendees of a public meeting that took place in July 2019, about a year out from the start of construction, to post the survey link on their social media accounts. About 80 people attended the July meeting, along with three media outlets. MDOT streamed the meeting from a mobile device. As an alternative to the livestream for those unable to connect, MDOT posted a brief slideshow of the presentation on its Twitter feed and asked stakeholders to link to it. The slideshow logged more than 1,000 views. In conjunction with social media posts, MDOT used traditional news releases, an email list, and links shared by stakeholder organizations to drive people to the survey. The survey attracted 90 respondents, 10 of whom indicated a willingness to perform annual landscaping duties. |
| 9/1/2020 | Advanced Geotechnical Methods in Exploration (A-GaME) | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has completed about 30 CPT soundings at eight locations, most near traditional borings. On a culvert replacement project on M-66 near East Jordan, MDOT conducted CPTs before traditional drilling and sampling. The CPT data indicated a weak layer beneath the surface, which was targeted for additional sampling during soil borings. The additional testing and CPT data added valuable information to the decision-making process, leading MDOT to change the culvert type and construction process from part width to detour, which reduced risk to the traveling public and the project. |
| 7/1/2020 | Project Bundling | Freeway lighting is another project type that can benefit from bundling. In a metropolitan Detroit project, the Michigan Department of Transportation entered into a P3 agreement to improve lighting on five interstate corridors where just 70 percent of the lights functioned. The project bundled the replacement and maintenance of 15,000 lights for 15 years. The project improved freeway visibility and safety while achieving energy savings by replacing high-pressure sodium and metal halide lights with efficient light-emitting diode fixtures. |
| 7/1/2020 | Unmanned Aerial Systems | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Michigan Technical University are collaborating to expand use of unmanned a erial systems (UAS) to meet systems operations and maintenance data needs. MDOT and Michigan Tech demonstrated how UAS collection of aerial and thermal imagery, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, and video can support decision making on infrastructure condition assessment, asset management, and systems operations. They developed several tools that will enable MDOT to integrate UAS data into the agency’s everyday workflows. One tool uses high-resolution aerial imagery and digital elevation models useful in nondestructive evaluation of bridges. UAS-collected imagery is processed and passed through an algorithm that automatically detects spalls—concrete surface defects—in a bridge deck. Known as the “spallgorithm,” the algorithm identifies the precise location, depth, surface area, and volume of spalls. This allows MDOT staff to obtain bridge defect information while spending less time on bridge sites, improving safety. The team also developed an algorithm that analyzes UAS-collected thermal imagery to distinguish delamination—concrete subsurface defects—from healthy areas of a bridge deck. Using UAS data, the project team created three-dimensional (3D) digital models that can be used for building information modeling (BIM), a 3D model-based process that supports decision making on built assets. BIM can provide MDOT bridge managers with a method to document maintenance information over the lifetime of a bridge. Michigan Deploys Drones for Day-to-Day Operations The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Michigan Technical University are collaborating to expand use of unmanned a erial systems (UAS) to meet systems operations and maintenance data needs. MDOT and Michigan Tech demonstrated how UAS collection of aerial and thermal imagery, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, and video can support decision making on infrastructure condition assessment, asset management, and systems operations. They developed several tools that will enable MDOT to integrate UAS data into the agency’s everyday workflows. One tool uses high-resolution aerial imagery and digital elevation models useful in nondestructive evaluation of bridges. UAS-collected imagery is processed and passed through an algorithm that automatically detects spalls—concrete surface defects—in a bridge deck. Known as the “spallgorithm,” the algorithm identifies the precise location, depth, surface area, and volume of spalls. This allows MDOT staff to obtain bridge defect information while spending less time on bridge sites, improving safety. The team also developed an algorithm that analyzes UAS-collected thermal imagery to distinguish delamination—concrete subsurface defects—from healthy areas of a bridge deck. Using UAS data, the project team created three-dimensional (3D) digital models that can be used for building information modeling (BIM), a 3D model-based process that supports decision making on built assets. BIM can provide MDOT bridge managers with a method to document maintenance information over the lifetime of a bridge. Video frame of traffic data with analyzed zones and detected vehicles marked.A UAS-based traffic monitoring algorithm helps the Michigan Department of Transportation generate data from traffic video. The team is working on a UAS-based traffic monitoring algorithm to provide quantitative data from live-streamed traffic video. Data that can be generated from traffic video include vehicle trajectory, speed, and traffic volume for use in traffic studies, capacity analysis, and other applications. MDOT is also developing a best practices guide for collecting LiDAR data based on the differences between ground- and UAS-based LiDAR systems, which use lasers to rapidly acquire 3D geometric data. The guide will help users determine appropriate uses of UAS LiDAR in design survey projects. |
05/01/20 | AID Demonstration | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will use ABC and prefabricated bridge elements and systems to accelerate construction and reduce traffic delays during the Second Avenue Network Arch Superstructure project, part of the Interstate 94 modernization project in Detroit. MDOT estimates that erecting a network arch instead of a conventional structure will save $2 million in user delays. |
11/01/19 | Data Driven Safety Analysis (DDSA) | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is broadening its implementation of DDSA so that it becomes an integral component of safety management and project development decision making, leading to better investment of resources to enhance highway safety. As part of that effort, MDOT used STIC Incentive funds to develop guidance on using DDSA. The guidance outlines the appropriate level of safety analysis at each stage of project development, including the project scoping, development of project alternatives, and design exception processes. MDOT also created a safety tool matrix and training plan on using safety analysis tools. For information, contact Mark Bott of MDOT. |
01/01/19 | Road Weather Management–Weather-Savvy Roads | One agency using weather-responsive management strategies is the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), an early adopter of integrating mobile operations (IMO) technology to collect data using agency fleet vehicles. MDOT’s Weather-Responsive Traveler Information System (Wx-TINFO) brings together environmental and weather-related data from fixed and IMO sources. The data are used for purposes such as motorist advisories and warnings on roadside dynamic message signs and the Mi Drive traveler information website, which has features such as images from snowplow cameras so travelers can track where they are. Read Innovator Issue 70 |
05/01/18 | Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) | In Michigan, the Department of Transportation developed a road diet checklist to help planners analyze a road segment for potential reconfiguration. Michigan has road diets totaling more than 50 miles on 60 State corridors and nearly 90 miles on 94 local corridors. Read Innovator Issue 66 |
03/01/18 | National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training | After vehicles struck fire trucks responding to crash scenes in Grand Rapids, MI, on three occasions in less than a year, a multi-agency traffic incident management team developed strategies for shielding and clearing crash scenes. They include the Nation’s first crash attenuator truck used by a fire department, expedited dispatch of tow trucks, and high-visibility markings and signs for first responders. This combination of initiatives resulted in a 31 percent decrease in tow truck response time, a 45 percent drop in secondary crashes, and zero vehicles hitting on-scene fire trucks in the past 2 years. Read Innovator Issue 65 |
| 11/01/17 | 3D Engineered Models | The transportation community is applying 3D engineered models to better connect the design and construction phases on projects and to positively affect safety, costs, maintenance, and asset management on other project phases. The Michigan Department of Transportation and M-1 Rail used 3D modeling on a Detroit project to lower risk, save time, and reduce user delays. Utilities in a main commercial corridor, some dating from the 1890s, were mapped in a 3D model. Modeling reduced the time it took engineers to give direction or find a new path around a utility from 3 days to under an hour, saving about $310,000 on the project. Read Innovator Issue 63 |
| 07/01/17 | High Friction Surface Treatments | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) installed high-friction surface treatments (HFST) on mainline interstate lanes for the first time. MDOT applied HFST on a 1-mile stretch of I-94 in the southwest part of the State and on a quarter-mile section of I-75 north of Detroit. The agency started using HFST—pavement overlay systems with exceptional skid resistance—on Michigan roads and ramps in 2007. Read Innovator Issue 61 |
| 05/01/17 | Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian | In Michigan, the Department of Transportation developed a road diet checklist to help planners analyze a road segment for potential reconfiguration. Michigan has road diets totaling more than 50 miles on 60 State corridors and nearly 90 miles on 94 local corridors. Read Innovator Issue 60 |
| 03/01/17 | Road Weather Management-Weather-Savvy Roads | One agency using integrated mobile observations is the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which equipped 15 vehicles and 310 snowplows to collect camera images of road conditions and data such as air and surface temperature, relative humidity, and brake status. The data help maintenance workers use resources more efficiently. They’re also used to post motorist advisories on the MDOT Mi Drive Web site, a mobile application, and changeable message boards. Read Innovator Issue 59 |
| 01/01/17 | Using Data to Improve Traffic Incident Management | The Michigan Department of Transportation produces a monthly TIM performance report for the Southeast Michigan Traffic Operations Center and the agency’s western region. Michigan creates a number of graphs that show average roadway clearance times and incident clearance details. Read Innovator Issue 58 |
| 03/01/16 | eConstruction | The Michigan DOT, with a 2015 construction program of $1.2 billion, estimates it’s saving $12 million a year, eliminating six million pieces of paper and slashing construction modification times from 30 days to just three days with the use of e-construction. The agency rates itself as 99 percent paperless. It uses paper for the tickets on materials, but that will change as it investigates alternatives. Read Innovator Issue 53 |
| 03/01/16 | High Friction Surface Treatment | The Michigan Department of Transportation conducted a road safety audit on I-94 from Jackson County to the Indiana state line. The RSA—a formal safety performance examination by a multidisciplinary team—was initiated after the corridor experienced a 193-vehicle pileup in winter 2015. The RSA report recommendations include applying high-friction surface treatment on select pavement areas to enhance safety. Representatives of the Michigan State Police, FHWA, Wayne State University and other organizations helped conduct the RSA. Read Innovator Issue 53 |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 11/01/15 | 3D Engineered Models | The Michigan STIC used FHWA incentives to develop a report on a project—called Geospatial Utility Infrastructure Data Exchange, or GUIDE—to collect 3-D geospatial location data on utilities in Michigan Department of Transportation rights-of-way. Under the GUIDE project, the Michigan Utility Coordination Committee and three of its member utilities gathered geospatial information during the installation of underground utilities on seven construction projects in 2014. The GUIDE project identified best practices and areas for further refinement before a larger program rollout, according to the report. Read Innovator Issue 51 |
| 09/01/15 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-In Bridge Construction, Construction Manager/General Contractor | The Michigan Department of Transportation received an AID Demonstration grant to use slide-in bridge construction for the first time when it replaced the U.S. 131 bridges over 3 Mile Road in Morley. The agency also used the construction manager/general contractor project delivery method to get early contractor input on using the bridge slide technique. The Michigan Department of Transportation AID Grant Final Report details the bridge slide project that minimized traffic disruption and increased safety on a major route linking cities in southern Michigan with resort areas in the north. An analysis showed this construction technique saved user delay costs by reducing the need for a traffic detour to five days while prefabricated bridge superstructures were slid into place. No worker injuries were reported, in large part because crews did not work next to live traffic for most of the project. Read Innovator Issue 50 |
| 09/01/15 | Alternative Technical Concepts | When the Michigan Department of Transportation piloted ATCs with design-bid-build, it focused on staging traffic on a two-year, $22 million freeway rehabilitation project on U.S. 10 in Midland County. The Michigan DOT developed a base set of traffic staging plans that could be bid on and used by any contractor. The ATC process permitted contractors to propose concepts that met the requirements and provided a cost-effective, efficient way to maintain traffic. All ATCs submitted were kept confidential. The agency reviewed and approved the ATCs during the project’s six-week advertisement period, and contractors were able to base their bids on either the Michigan DOT’s plan or their approved ATCs. The winning bidder was able to reduce the project from two construction seasons to one, increasing safety, limiting work zone impact on the public and saving money. Read Innovator Issue 50 |
| 07/01/15 | Traffic Incident Management Responder Training | The Michigan Department of Transportation set up the I-94 Corridor Operation Partnership to coordinate projects on the interstate across southern Michigan. Department leadership decided things needed to change when 19 projects were underway on the 275- mile corridor at once in 2010, creating the potential for multiple delays for drivers traversing the entire route. Partnership members used a model to predict travel time delay for individual projects, set a maximum delay of 40 minutes for the entire corridor and adjusted project schedules to keep delays below that threshold. They set user delay performance measures for projects to incorporate into the public Transportation Scorecard that tracks the department’s performance in achieving transportation-related goals. Read Innovator Issue 49 |
| 05/01/15 | e-Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation, an e-Construction leader, piloted its system in 2013 on four projects worth about $130 million. In 2014, the department used it on a $160 million project to rebuild part of I-96 in Detroit, as well as on at least one project in each field office. In 2015, the agency is instituting the program on virtually all projects. Each year, the Michigan DOT saves an estimated $12 million through increased efficiency and six million sheets of paper by using electronic document storage for its $1 billion construction program, while reducing its average contract modification processing time from 30 to three days. Read Innovator Issue 48 |
| 03/01/15 | Slide-in Bridge Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation will use its funds to replace the U.S. 131 bridges over 3 Mile Road using slide-in bridge construction. The agency wants to minimize the project’s impact on a major route that links cities in southern Michigan with resort areas in the north. Read Innovator Issue 47 |
| 11/14/14 | Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil - Integrated Bridge System | The Michigan Department of Transportation and FHWA showcased innovative bridge technologies at summer events. One demonstrated the use of geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system technology at the Keefer Highway Bridge in Ionia County. The project is Michigan’s first to use GRS-IBS technology to reduce construction impact on road users. The other event offered participants the opportunity to watch slide-in bridge technology in progress on U.S. 131 and M-50 in Grand Rapids. ”The bridge slide showcase was a good opportunity to gain more information that will help us use this technique in the future,” said Adam Price, transportation project specialist with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Read Innovator Issue 45 |
| 05/01/14 | Alternative Technical Concepts | The Michigan Department of Transportation piloted the ATC concept on a $22 million project to rehabilitate eight bridges and the roadway on a 7-mile stretch of U.S. 10. The ATC focus was on efficient, cost-effective alternatives for staging and maintaining traffic on the two-year project. Because the selected contractor’s proposal safely maintained traffic while accelerating construction, the agency projected the work would be finished nearly a year ahead of schedule. Read Innovator Issue 45 |
| 03/01/14 | Construction Manager / General Contractor | Using innovative traffic management and the construction manager/general contractor process enabled the Michigan Department of Transportation to reopen all lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge on I-75 three weeks early. The $70 million project includes reconstructing four miles of I-75 and replacing the bearing pads on the bridge to extend the structure’s service life and make the ride smoother for drivers. The agency accelerated the first section of the project, focusing on the southbound lanes, to avoid construction during winter weather. Work on the northbound lanes is scheduled for 2014. Read Innovator Issue 41 |
| 05/01/13 | Safety Edge | The Michigan Department of Transportation has adopted the Safety Edge™ as a standard practice on all rural two- and four-lane highways with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or more and no shoulder rumble strips. The Safety Edge will also be used on all temporary pavement installed in work zones. The agency took the action because of the positive results from pilot projects built under the Every Day Counts initiative. Read Innovator Issue 36 |
| 03/01/13 | Adaptive Signal Control | The Michigan Department of Transportation now has two congestion reducing adaptive signal control technology systems in operation. One, on a major state route in the Saginaw area, involves eight signals, while another, on a Lansing-area corridor, covers nine signals. North of Detroit, about half of the Oakland County Road Commission’s 1,500 signals are Sidney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System signals. The city of Ann Arbor has deployed Split Cycle Offset Optimization Technique at 44 intersections on three major corridors. The Michigan DOT is studying ASCT for the M-32 corridor through Gaylord, and the city of Grand Rapids and Macomb County are considering ASCT. Read Innovator Issue 35 |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 06/17/21 | STIC | Are you interested in homegrown innovations being used by your peers in other parts of the country? Check out the National STIC Network Showcase, a component of the EDC-6 Virtual Summit. This site features a convenient one-time registration that will allow you to continue accessing information throughout 2021. The showcase prominently features several innovations focused on public outreach. Learn about the Caltrans 360 degree interactive project tour, a dynamic and interactive experience designed to help community members and transportation partners visualize project needs and solutions; Delaware bridge project public outreach videos, which help address construction questions and concerns; The City of Ann Arbor, MI's A2 Open City Hall online survey tool, which allows the City to reach more residents than through traditional city meetings, gathers multiple perspectives, and supports more inclusive and accessible public engagement; and the Utah DOT mapping and visualization tools, which use map-based animations to help stakeholders understand how drivers will navigate completed projects. Read More |
| 05/06/21 | STIC | Are you interested in homegrown
innovations being used by your peers in other parts of the country? Check out
the National STIC Network Showcase, a component of the EDC-6
Virtual Summit. Over 200 innovations, submitted
by State DOTs, Local Agencies, and other STIC members, are grouped into eight
topic area categories for easy navigation. This site features a convenient
one-time registration that will allow you to continue accessing information
throughout 2021. The showcase prominently features several innovations focused on pedestrian planning. Learn about the Florida DOT Safe & Accessible Pedestrian Inventory Model (SAPFIM), a low or no-cost web-based geospatial tool for data collection, assessment, mapping, and programming of pedestrian facilities needing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or safety improvements; Illinois DOT ADA Sidewalk Templates, which use automated spreadsheet templates to aid in ADA sidewalk ramp design, reducing time and design iterations; and the Michigan DOT Gateway Treatment for Pedestrian Crossings, an inexpensive signing strategy which saw driver yield rates for pedestrians increase from less than 10 percent to greater than 90 percent, and drivers reduce speed by an average of five miles per hour at crossings. Read More |
| 4/22/21 | STIC | Are you interested in homegrown innovations being used by your peers in other parts of the country? Check out the National STIC Network Showcase, a component of the EDC-6 Virtual Summit. Over 200 innovations, submitted by State DOTs, Local Agencies, and other STIC members, are grouped into eight topic area categories for easy navigation. This site features a convenient one-time registration that will allow you to continue accessing information throughout 2021. The showcase prominently features several innovations focused on construction. Learn about the Preble Co, OH, Concrete Bridge Beam Launcher, which provides bridge crews project scheduling flexibility and saves up to $25,000 per year as compared to contracting a private crane operation; the Vermont Agency of Transportation's first use of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS), an innovative technology that allows for rapid project construction and allowed a replacement project to remove the need for 190 linear feet of structure; Maine DOT's Composite Arch Bridge System, which provides a light weight, cost effective, and durable bridge system for short and medium spans; and the St. Clair County, MI, Road Commission Pre-Cast Concrete Connection work, which uses ultra-high performance concrete to create smaller, more resilient joints between precast concrete components. Celebrate the ingenuity of your peers and read about these innovations–developed and deployed in-house at transportation agencies nationwide. Additionally, we invite you to watch the one-hour presentations on-demand that feature many of these and other innovations. Read More |
| 06/13/19 | Pavement Preservation | In its newest plan, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), allocated $189 million to capital preventive maintenance (which includes pavement preservation projects), which yielded 110 projects addressing 1,988 miles of roadway. This illustrates the impact using pavement preservation projects can have on State roadway needs, when compared to the $226 million for R&R, which yielded 40 projects addressing 180.5 miles of roadway. Read EDC News 6-13-2019 |
| 02/21/19 | Weather-Responsive Management Strategies | Among the agencies using weather-responsive management strategies to improve traffic operations and maintenance is the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), an early adopter of integrating mobile observations (IMO) technology to collect data using fleet vehicles. MDOT’s Weather-Responsive Traveler Information System (Wx-TINFO) brings together environmental and weather-related data from fixed and IMO sources. The data are used for motorist advisories on roadside dynamic message signs and the Mi Drive traveler information website, which includes features such as images from snowplow cameras so travelers can track where plows are working. Read EDC News 2-21-2019 |
| 02/14/19 | Weather-Responsive Management Strategies | IMO benefits include more efficient operations, more proactive road weather maintenance, and reduced salt and sand use. The Michigan Department of Transportation, for example, estimated a 25 percent reduction in salt use with installation of automatic vehicle location and Global Positioning System equipment and use of a maintenance decision support system. Read EDC News 2-14-2019 |
| 08/02/18 | Data-Driven Safety Analysis | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is broadening its implementation of quantitative safety analysis so that it becomes an integral component of safety management and project development decision making, leading to better targeted highway investments. As part of that effort, MDOT used State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Incentive funds to develop guidance on using data-driven safety analysis. The guidance outlines the appropriate level of safety analysis at each stage of project development, including the project scoping, development of project alternatives, and design exception processes. MDOT also created a safety tool matrix and training plan on using safety analysis tools. Read EDC News 8-2-2018 |
| 12/07/17 | Using Data to Improve Traffic Incident Management | After a spike in vehicles striking fire trucks at crash scenes in Grand Rapids, MI, a multiagency traffic incident management team developed strategies for shielding and clearing crash scenes. They include the Nation’s first crash attenuator truck used by a fire department and expedited dispatch of tow trucks. The result was a 31 percent decrease in tow truck response time, a 45 percent drop in secondary crashes, and zero vehicles hitting on-scene fire trucks in the last 2 years. Read EDC News 12-7-2017 |
| 09/21/17 | Smarter Work Zones | The Michigan Department of Transportation used the smarter work zone strategy of project coordination to reduce user delays on an I-94 corridor, meeting goals to keep individual project delays under 10 minutes and corridor delays under 40 minutes. Read EDC News 9-21-2017 |
| 04/06/17 | High Friction Surface Treatment | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) installed high-friction surface treatments (HFST) on mainline interstate lanes for the first time. MDOT applied HFST on a 1-mile stretch of eastbound and westbound I-94 in the southwest part of the State and on a quarter-mile section of northbound I-75 north of Detroit. The agency started using HFST—pavement overlay systems with exceptional skid resistance—on Michigan roads and ramps in 2007. Read EDC News 4-6-2017 |
| 02/16/17 | Using Data to Improve Traffic Incident Management | The Michigan Department of Transportation, for example, produces a monthly TIM performance report for the Southeast Michigan Traffic Operations Center and the agency’s western region. Michigan creates a number of graphs that show average roadway clearance times and incident clearance details. Read EDC News 2-16-2017 |
| 12/15/16 | Community Connections | An FHWA presentation at the Michigan Transportation Bonanza on December 1 introduced the Every Day Counts effort on community connections, performance management approaches for planning transportation projects that can help reconnect communities. The conference brought together planning, transportation, engineering, education and health professionals to discuss community building for health and accessibility. The Michigan Association of Planning, Michigan Safe Routes to School and Michigan DOT partnered on the conference. Read EDC News 12-15-2016 |
| 12/15/16 | Intersection and Interchange Geometrics | The Michigan Department of Transportation opened its second diverging diamond interchange to traffic on November 17. The project—on Cascade Road over I-96 in Grand Rapids—is expected to improve safety and operations. The agency incorporated lessons learned from a peer exchange into the Grand Rapids project and its first diverging diamond interchange, which opened in 2015 in Auburn Hills. The state used State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive program funds to organize the peer exchange and create a Diverging Diamond Interchange Informational Guide. Read EDC News 12-15-2016 |
| 09/29/16 | AID Demonstration | FHWA staff provided an update on the Every Day Counts initiative at the Transportation Estimators Association Project Users Group Conference on September 16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They also discussed FHWA funding opportunities for technology deployment, including the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration and State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive programs. The conference drew about 125 people from transportation agencies and organizations across the country. Read EDC News 9-29-2016 |
| 09/15/16 | AID Demonstration | The Michigan Department of Transportation has begun reconstruction of the M-86 bridge over the Prairie River. The new bridge, which received Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration funds, will feature two innovations. It will be Michigan’s first using carbon fiber composite strand reinforcement and one of only two bridges in the state with concrete bulb tee beams. The innovations are expected to help reduce the concrete cracking, deterioration and corrosion typical in traditional steel-reinforced bridges, which would save money for taxpayers. The current M-86 structure, a historic camelback pony truss bridge, will be restored and relocated to a local road. Read EDC News 9-15-2016 |
| 07/07/16 | Design-Build | The first segment of the I-75 Corridor project in Oakland County, Michigan, will be delivered under a design-build project. Segment one will include reconstruction and realignment of I-75 from Coolidge Highway to South Boulevard, including the Square Lake Road and Adams Road interchanges in Troy, Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township. The segment is part of an eight-segment project to reconstruct and add a high-occupancy vehicle lane to 18 miles of I-75 north of Detroit. Read EDC News 7-7-2016 |
| 07/07/16 | e-Construction | A late June peer exchange enabled participants from the California and Michigan Departments of Transportation to exchange ideas and lessons learned on using e-Construction, a paperless construction administration delivery process. Michigan uses e-Construction on all state highway projects and is expanding its use to local projects. The peer exchange also provided an opportunity for FHWA Michigan Division staff to highlight the benefits of a pilot project to use tablets to support e-Construction. Read EDC News 7-7-2016 |
| 05/12/16 | Data-Driven Safety Analysis | The Michigan Department of Transportation and Local Technical Assistance Program Center hosted a workshop on the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model, a suite of software analysis tools that support data-driven safety analysis. Michigan DOT, local agency and FHWA staff attended the workshop April 28 and 29 in Lansing. The Michigan DOT held the workshop to spur the use of predictive safety modeling in the state. Read EDC News 5-12-2016 |
| 04/14/16 | e-Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation presented a workshop on e-Construction as a transformational technology on March 30 and 31 in Dearborn. More than 120 people attended sessions presented by speakers from seven state transportation departments, industry and FHWA on transforming business practices with e-Construction. The workshop goal was to demonstrate how agencies can increase opportunities for positive results when implementing e-Construction. Read EDC News 4-14-2016 |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 12/30/15 | High Friction Surface Treatment | The Michigan Department of Transportation conducted a road safety audit on a 141-mile corridor of I-94 from Jackson County to the Indiana state line. The RSA—a formal safety performance examination by an independent, multidisciplinary team—was initiated after the corridor experienced a 193-vehicle pileup in January 2015. The RSA report includes site-specific and corridor-level recommendations to enhance safety, including the application of high-friction surface treatment on select areas. Representatives of the Michigan State Police, Federal Highway Administration, Wayne State University and other organizations helped conduct the RSA. Read EDC News 12-30-2015 |
| 12/03/15 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-in Bridge Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation slid the new M-100 bridge in Potterville into place during the early morning hours of Saturday, November 14. Two pushing cylinders applying 18 tons of force were used to laterally move the 1-million-pound structure 77 feet. Crews connected the approaches to the bridge and reopened M-100 to traffic the next day by 6 p.m., earlier than expected. The M-100 project is Michigan’s third successful bridge slide and the first to use high-capacity steel rollers to perform the move. A time-lapse video shows the bridge slide process. Read EDC News 12-3-2015 |
| 11/19/15 | Intersection and Interchange Geometrics | The Michigan Department of Transportation celebrated the opening of the state’s first diverging diamond interchange at I-75 and University Drive in Auburn Hills with a November 9 ribbon cutting. Michigan used State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive funds to send a team of local, state and federal partners to St. Louis, Missouri, in 2014 for a peer exchange on diverging diamond interchanges. Lessons learned during the exchange were incorporated into the I-75/University Drive project and a second diverging diamond interchange that’s now under construction. The Michigan DOT also developed a Diverging Diamond Interchange Informational Guide. Read EDC News 11-19-2015 |
| 06/25/15 | e-Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation, an e-Construction leader, piloted its system in 2013 on four projects. In 2014, the department used it on a project to rebuild part of I-96 in Detroit, as well as on at least one project in each field office. In 2015, the agency is instituting the program on nearly all projects. Each year, the Michigan DOT’s $1 billion construction program benefits from e-Construction several ways: • Saves an estimated $12 million through increased efficiency • Saves six million sheets of paper by using electronic storage • Reduces average contract modification processing time from 30 to three days Read EDC News 6-25-2015 |
| 11/26/14 | e-Construction | An article in Crain’s Detroit Business talks about how the Michigan Department of Transportation saved $1 million and 7.4 million sheets of paper using electronic project documentation management, or e-construction, methods. Read EDC News 11-26-2014 |
| 11/14/14 | Construction Manager/ General Contractor, Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-In Bridge Construction | The Michigan Department of Transportation used slide-in bridge technology to minimize the impact on traffic of a project at the I-96/M-50 interchange east of Grand Rapids. Crews slid the new M-50 bridge superstructure into positon overnight on October 17. They used three hydraulic jacks to laterally move the 4.5 million pound structure 75 feet. During the slide, I-96 traffic was reduced to one lane in each direction and routed around the site using the interchange ramps. The Michigan DOT used the construction manager/general contractor delivery method on the project. Read EDC News 11-14-2014 |
| 11/07/14 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-in Bridge Construction, Construction Manager / General Contractor | The Michigan Department of Transportation has two slide-in bridge projects in the works: M-50 over I-96 in Kent County and U.S. 131 over 3 Mile Road in Mecosta County. The agency is using the construction manager/general contractor delivery method on both projects. MIDOT video: M-50 slide-in bridge demonstration Read EDC News 11-7-2014 |
| 11/07/14 | National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training | Michigan’s third traffic incident management train-the-trainer session was held in conjunction with the Michigan Fire Service Instructors Association annual meeting. Twenty-seven trainers participated in the October 24 and 25 event in Traverse City, bringing the total of trainers in Michigan to 128. So far, 321 first responders statewide have been trained incident response techniques that protect motorists and responders while minimizing the impact on traffic flow. Read EDC News 11-7-2014 |
| 10/17/14 | National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training | Michigan now has about 100 people who can train first responders in traffic incident management techniques. The state held its second traffic incident management train-the-trainer session in the Detroit area in late September for 27 participants. A third session is set for October 24 and 25 in northern Michigan in conjunction with the Michigan Fire Service Instructors Association annual conference. Read EDC News 10-17-2014 |
| 10/10/14 | Alternative Technical Concepts | The Michigan Department of Transportation used ATCs to accelerate the construction schedule on its project to rehabilitate eight bridges and the roadway on a stretch of U.S. 10 in Midland County. Read EDC News 10-10-2014 |
| 09/12/14 | Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects | The Michigan Department of Transportation, local public agencies, County Road Association of Michigan and FHWA held an August 28 partnering workshop to kick off the state’s new Stakeholder Partnering Committee. After a discussion on expectations, roles, responsibilities and issues, participants committed to formation of the partnering group to focus on locally administered Federal-Aid projects. They agreed on the framework of a draft committee charter and set a goal of having a formal charter written and signed by the end of 2014. Read EDC News 9-12-2014 |
| 09/05/14 | Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil - Integrated Bridge System | The Michigan Department of Transportation and FHWA hosted a showcase on geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system technology at the Keefer Highway Bridge over Sebewa Creek in Ionia County. The project is Michigan’s first to use GRS-IBS technology to reduce construction impact on road users. About 60 people attended the August 19 event, which included technical presentations and a visit to the project site to observe actual implementation of GRS-IBS technology. Read EDC News 9-5-2014 |
| 08/29/14 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-In Bridge Construction | A Michigan Department of Transportation and FHWA showcase offered participants the opportunity to watch slide-in bridge technology in progress at two project sites on U.S. 131 and M-50 in Grand Rapids. Representatives of state transportation departments, universities, local infrastructure agencies, contractors and consulting firms attended the August 14 event. Project principals discussed the real-time opportunities generated by the use of slide-in construction. "The bridge slide showcase was a good opportunity to gain more information that will help us use this technique in the future," said Adam Price, transportation project specialist with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Read EDC News 8-29-2014 |
| 08/15/14 | Construction Manager/ General Contractor | The Michigan Department of Transportation has awarded the $56 million Package A, the first stage in building a 3.3 mile streetcar project on the M-1 rail line in Detroit. Package A consists of roadway resurfacing and reconstruction, bridge reconstruction and placement of rails for the streetcar. The M-1 streetcar project is a public-private partnership funded with federal, state, local and private funds. It’s being delivered using the construction manager/general contractor construction method. Package A is scheduled to be completed in October 2016. Read EDC News 8-15-2014 |
| 07/18/14 | Intersection and Interchange Geometrics | The Michigan Department of Transportation used State Transportation Innovation Council incentives from FHWA to participate in a June diverging diamond interchange peer exchange. Missouri Department of Transportation staff discussed best practices and conducted a field tour of two interchanges for staff from the Michigan DOT, city of Auburn Hills, Kent County Road Commission and FHWA. The Michigan DOT is planning the state’s first two DDIs, one at I-75/University Drive in Auburn Hills and one at I-96/Cascade Road in Kent County. Michigan will use Missouri’s DDI guidance as a basis for developing its own design standards. Read EDC News 7-18-2014 |
| 06/20/14 | National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training | Michigan hosted it first traffic incident management train-the-trainer session in Lansing in May. About 75 representatives of law enforcement, fire, emergency medical and towing organizations and the Michigan Department of Transportation attended the two-day session. Additional sessions are planned for September in Detroit and October at the Statewide Firefighters Conference in Traverse City. Read EDC News 6-20-2014 |
| 05/30/14 | Geospatial Data Collaboration | The Michigan STIC requested STIC incentives to develop a report on a pilot project to collect and maintain geospatial data identifying the location of underground utilities in Michigan Department of Transportation rights-of-way. The pilot project is part of an effort to make it standard practice to capture utility location information at the time of installation. Read EDC News 5-30-2014 |
| 05/09/14 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems | The Michigan Department of Transportation has awarded a $21 million project to rebuild the U.S. 131/I-94 Business Loop interchange. The interchange provides access to Western Michigan University, so construction will be limited to summer breaks and staged over two seasons, one for road work and another for bridge work. To accelerate construction of the flared bridge, the pier and abutments will be constructed with precast concrete elements. The Michigan DOT will use FHWA Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment Program funds to help implement this technique for shortening project delivery. Read EDC News 5-9-2014 |
| 02/28/14 | Accelerated Bridge Construction, Slide-In Bridge Construction, Construction Manager/General Contractor | A Michigan Department of Transportation project on I-96 at M-50 in Lowell will use two EDC innovations to reconstruct and widen this busy interchange. Using slide-in bridge technology for the first time means the overpass will be out of service for significantly less time than with typical construction methods. Traffic will travel on the old bridge while the new bridge is built on temporary supports and move to the new bridge while the old bridge is demolished. Using construction manager/general contractor project delivery allows the agency to involve the contractor early in the process to make sure each stage of the project is constructible and has minimal impact on travelers. The project is set to begin in 2014. Read EDC News 2-28-2014 |
| 12/13/13 | Construction Manager/ General Contractor | Using innovative traffic management and the construction manager/general contractor process enabled the Michigan Department of Transportation to reopen all lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge on I-75 three weeks early. The $70 million project includes reconstructing four miles of I-75 and replacing the bearing pads on the bridge to extend the structure’s service life and make the ride smoother for drivers. The agency accelerated the first section of the project, focusing on the southbound lanes, to avoid construction during winter weather. Work on the northbound lanes is scheduled for 2014. A video highlighting the project’s early completion is available here. Read EDC News 12-13-2013 |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Virtual Public Involvement | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) serves a wide diversity of urban and rural communities throughout the State. In 2019, MDOT began a pilot funded by FHWA’s STIC Incentive Program to develop and evaluate VPI tools – such as online surveys, virtual public meetings, and visualizations – to provide information and gather public input during the planning, project development, and environmental review processes. In 2018-2019, MDOT used VPI to enhance its public engagement for Michigan Mobility 2045, its Statewide Long range Transportation Plan update. For this plan, MDOT used online surveys and telephone town halls. They also paired VPI tools with in-person meetings to increase the effectiveness of their public involvement. MDOT is institutionalizing VPI through pilot projects and the development of agency VPI guidance and reference documents on VPI tools for MDOT staff, and the inclusion of VPI in the MDOT Public Involvement Procedures. |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Community Connections | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) used STIC Incentive funds to improve its Multimodal Development and Delivery (M2D2) approach and institutional capacity to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the State’s transportation system. M2D2 helps MDOT consider complete streets and the interactions of all modes of travel, such as automobile, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, truck, rail, and aviation, from a capital investment, physical construction, and operational perspective. Read the EDC-4 Final Report |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3D Engineered Models | The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to pilot the use of electronic engineered data on selected projects. The agency is initiating a research project to investigate the return on investment from providing electronic information to contractors. MDOT began a post-construction data collection process on several projects using mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology. Project objectives include developing construction as-built requirements and recommendations for mobile LiDAR collection. Read the EDC-3 Final Report |
| 2017 | Data-Driven Safety Analysis | MDOT is using STIC Incentive program funds to develop a strategy for incorporating DDSA into the agency’s routine processes. On a Federal-Aid Highway Program project, MDOT is using AASHTO Highway Safety Manual predictive safety analysis methods to document a group of proposed design exceptions. This is the first time the agency has used performance-based practical design in the design exception process and the first time it has used predictive safety analysis as part of performance-based practical design. MDOT has an updated Highway Safety Manual spreadsheet with safety performance functions (SPFs)—statistical models used to estimate average crash frequency—that reflect regionalized differences. MDOT completed calibration of predictive safety algorithms for State roads to account for Michigan-specific urban segments and urban intersections and plans to develop similar calibration for rural segments and intersections in 2017. In April 2016, MDOT and the Michigan Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) held Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) training for State and local agency participants. MDOT now requires proposed safety projects on State roads to be documented with Highway Safety Manual analysis methods, and additional consideration is given to local projects whose jurisdictions do the same. Read the EDC-3 Final Report |
| 2017 | e-Construction | e-Construction is institutionalized at MDOT, which has let a total of $2 billion in transportation construction contracts using paperless techniques. The next phase for MDOT is rolling out e-Construction to local agencies for which MDOT lets contracts. MDOT has met with 45 other transportation agencies, some multiple times, through webinars and peer exchanges to share its e-Construction story and the game-changing efficiencies the innovation generates. Read the EDC-3 Final Report |
| 2017 | Improving DOT and Railroad Coordination | MDOT has master agreements with almost all of the 27 railroads that operate in the State and for all of the five rail lines the State owns. The agreements cover the design, construction, funding, and administration of railroad-highway grade crossing improvement projects. MDOT regularly meets with the railroads in the State to discuss projects and issues. Read the EDC-3 Final Report |
| Date | Innovations | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3D Engineered Models | The Michigan DOT increased its use of 3D models nearly 50 percent in 2014. The agency collaborated with peer agencies, the construction industry and others to develop 3D design model requirements and publish them on the MDOT Development Guide wiki page. The 3D model information, delivered through the agency’s eProposal process at the project advertisement stage as part of the reference information documents, has been used on 15 projects to perform quality assurance. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Alternative Technical Concepts | The Michigan DOT has used the ATC process on all 17 of the design-build projects it has awarded. MDOT developed a design-build guide that includes information on using ATCs. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Alternative Technical Concepts | The Michigan DOT used the ATC process on two design-bid-build projects that focused on maintaining traffic and staging. When the agency used alternative pavement bidding on a U.S. 10 reconstruction project, it reduced project time from two construction seasons to one, a significant benefit to the public. Using alternative pavement bidding on an I-75 project resulted in an 8.76 percent savings over the engineer’s construction estimate. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Construction Manager / General Contractor | The Michigan DOT successfully used CM/GC 10 times during EDC-2. MDOT applied the process to encourage innovation use and increase the constructability of projects such as a slope improvement, bridge slide, riverwalk and playscape, light rail, and passenger ship terminal and wharf. Using CM/GC improved project schedules, public outreach efforts and construction methods and generated time and cost savings. CM/GC enabled the agency saved an estimated $4 million on replacement of the bearings of the Zilwaukee Bridge using contractor innovations. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Design-Build | In 2014, Michigan DOT developed a section on D-B for its Innovative Construction Contracting Guide that includes recommendations for use and implementation steps. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Intelligent Compaction | The Michigan DOT has compiled a lessons-learned document from an IC pilot project in 2013 in Iron River and will apply it to another pilot project planned for 2015. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Intersection and Interchange Geometrics | The Michigan DOT has built 25 roundabouts, with nine more planned for construction in 2015. According to MDOT, roundabouts have reduced severe crashes more than 50 percent. Meanwhile, local agencies in Michigan have built about 100 roundabouts. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
| 2015 | Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects | The Michigan DOT has four consultants on contract for statewide use to conduct local program development oversight, grade inspections and plan reviews. MDOT is also developing a program for oversight of construction engineering. Read the EDC-2 Final Report |
