Western/Pacific Smooth Ride Sentinel
The Voice of the APA Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain Regional Councils
On Nov. 30, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake created significant damage to bridges and roads, including a highly used off-ramp at International Airport Road and Minnesota Drive in Anchorage. Within hours the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities organized a number of contractors to begin repairs to this major junction near the Ted Stevens Anchorage… Continue reading Broken Apart, Coming Together
By Cheyenne Mathews Construction on the Sterling Highway started in August of 2017 and is forecast to be complete in 2019. If you've driven between Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula this summer, chances are you waved at a Granite Construction Company flagger or waited while Granite crews worked. The company is working on two large… Continue reading Chipping Away at Highway Improvements
Hawaii Public Radio recently interviewed HDOT Highways Division Deputy Director Ed Sniffen regarding his agency’s pavement maintenance program. The 10-minute interview focuses on general pavement maintenance philosophy and Hawaii's increasing use of stone matrix asphalt (SMA) as a strategy to reduce life-cycle costs and user delay. There is particular discussion of Pali Highway, one of… Continue reading SMA Strategy in Hawaii
U.S. state governments face growing challenges attracting, building and retaining critically important talent and workforce skills, according to research by the National Association of State Chief Administrators, conducted in collaboration with global consulting company Accenture and human resources provider NEOGOV. According to the report, chief administrators and HR directors find “difficulty attracting new employees” as… Continue reading Survey: Recruiting, Retaining New Workers Becoming More Difficult for State Governments
Seventy years after the start of the nation's interstate program, another piece of highway was completed in 2018. Using Fuel Revenue Indexing (FRI) and federal funds, the $318 million project has a 2.5-mile section constructed in PCC (Phase 1) and a 12.5-mile stretch constructed with asphalt (Phase II). Click here to learn about this highway… Continue reading Twelve Miles of New Interstate in Nevada
The Hawaii DOT is considering swapping gas tax for road-use charge (RUC). Is your state considering the same? The Hawaii DOT will be holding 14 community meetings from late March through early May to gather public feedback on whether to implement a road usage charge or RUC to fund the upkeep of roadways and bridges;… Continue reading Hawaii DOT Seeking Public Feedback on Potential Switch to RUC Fees
According to a news release, UDOT triggers about 330 avalanches annually in Little Cottonwood Canyon to decrease the threat of snowfall from the mountains to drivers and property. UDOT has refined its technology over the years. It uses Remote Avalanche Control Systems to trigger avalanches in a "more customized, fine-tuned approach," the news release explained.… Continue reading UDOT avalanche crews prep for winter storm
