Tag: DOTs: Page 260

Roadbuilding

Statewide drill will test Missouri DOT’s “winter battle plan” readiness

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) today is testing its winter weather readiness with a statewide drill that simulates a forecast for “significant snow” across the state. “Over 3,500 MoDOT employees are involved in our winter operations, including every maintenance crew across the state,” said State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. “The annual drill helps to […]

November 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas DOT worker honored for attempting to save man’s life

A Texas Department of Transportation worker was honored by the agency last month for his effort to save a man’s life. According to TxDOT, construction inspector Kevin Urbancyzk was heading to a bridge construction site in April when he saw a car that was just barely puled over to the side of the road. Urbancyzk saw […]

November 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Wisconsin raises speed limit to 70 mph on some non-Interstate freeway segments

Nine non-Interstate sections of freeways across Wisconsin will see speeds rising in the coming weeks. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has begun installing 70 miles per hour speed limit signs on certain highways in the state where the department has determined the higher speed is needed. The speed limit will be raised on 161 miles of Wisconsin […]

November 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Amendment aims to raise federal gas tax as part of long-term transportation bill

An amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform (STRR) Act (HR 3763) filed late last week aims to raise federal gas and diesel taxes by 15 cents over a three period and would tie them to inflation. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) filed HR 680, the Update, Promote, and Develop America’s Transportation Essentials (UPDATE) Act on Oct. […]

November 2, 2015

Roadbuilding

Richard T. Hammer named New Jersey DOT acting commissioner

Gov. Chris Christie has named Richard T. Hammer as acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), following the resignation of previous commissioner Jamie Fox in October. Hammer has been serving as assistant commissioner over the NJDOT’s Capital Program Management since 2006. “Rick’s 33-years of service to New Jersey and the department bring […]

November 2, 2015

Roadbuilding

Road workers hurt after driving truck into giant hole

Three Indiana road workers were injured last week when the truck they were riding in fell into a large hole. According to the Indiana State Police, a construction worker with Milestone Paving Company was driving down Interstate 70 in Wayne County with two coworkers when the truck fell into a three-foot deep hole that was about 12-feet wide The crash […]

November 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Illinois Tollway approves $132.4 million in construction contracts

The Illinois Tollway recently approved $132.4 million in construction contracts, bringing the yearly total for construction and engineering projects approvals to $909 million. The approvals are part of the Move Illinois Program, which began in 2012 and has approved roughly $4 billion in contracts to date. The Illinois Tollway says the program has “created or […]

November 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas approves $45 million for October Proposition 1 projects

The Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) has approved three projects totaling roughly $45 million as part of the October round of the state’s Proposition 1 transportation funding program. The September round included 22 projects valued at roughly $304 million. The TTC has now approved final contract awards on 122 of the planned 200 projects. Proposition 1, approved […]

November 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Wisconsin sees vehicle miles traveled increase 9% to 60 billion miles in 2014

Drivers in Wisconsin spent so much time on the roads last year, they could have traveled to the sun and back to Earth 322 times. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, drivers clocked a high of 60 billion vehicle miles traveled in 2014. That’s 550 million miles, or 9 percent, more than in 2013. WisDOT attributes […]

November 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Maine residents use road construction as inspiration for slightly morbid Halloween display

Residents in a small cottage community of Maine were so fed up with the delays from a road construction project that they sent the DOT workers to the graveyard shift. Figuratively, of course, and all in the spirt of Halloween. However, at least one construction worker has said the display is offensive. The Portland Press Herald reported that […]

October 30, 2015

Roadbuilding

Obama signs 3-week transportation funding patch into law

President Barack Obama has signed into law a three-week patch to the Highway Trust Fund to prevent a transportation funding stoppage while lawmakers attempt to pass a long-term highway bill. It marks the 35th short-term patch of the bill since 2008. According to the White House, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015 was signed into law […]

October 30, 2015

Roadbuilding

U.S. DOT awards $500 million in TIGER Grants for 39 transportation projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $500 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants to 39 transportation projects across the country. TIGER grants “recognize projects nationwide that will advance key transportation goals such as safety, innovation and opportunity.” USDOT said this year, which is the seventh round of the program, the agency […]

October 30, 2015