San Francisco-Oakland: Troubled bridge over water

John Latta - May 22, 2013

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Photo: Markus Lueske / Flickr) Closing in on an end-of-summer opening, the $6.4 billion eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is getting set for its big day more with a whimper than a bang. Good point ...

Contributed Story: Robust Roads

Better Roads Staff - May 20, 2013

Expanded clay lightweight aggregate used in chip seal surface treatments provided cost savings and a high friction score for Louisiana Highway 3147. (Photo: Big River Industries) Daily rains, high tides and south winds of hurricane caliber had taken their toll on ...

FHWA deploys bridge-inspecting robots

Amanda Bayhi - May 17, 2013

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is deploying a robot to help inspect the safety and structure of concrete bridge decks. The robotic tool, created in partnership with Rutgers University as part of the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) ...

Sydney uses water curtains to alert drivers to stop (VIDEO)

Amanda Bayhi - May 16, 2013

(Photo: Jalopnik) What’s the best way to catch the attention of drivers and alert them to stop? Use a giant water curtain with a projection of a stop sign. According to Jalopnik, Sydney, Australia, began installing the water curtains six years ...

Truck safety advocates push for stronger underride legislation

Amanda Bayhi - May 10, 2013

The Truck Safety Coalition is urging lawmakers in to increase federal standards for underride guards, The INDY Channel reported. An underride guard is the metal assembly on the rear bumper of most large trucks. This required part is intended to provide ...

Chicago mayor proposes increased fines for motorists “dooring,” bicyclists who break traffic laws

Amanda Bayhi - May 09, 2013

A vehicle opens its door into the bike lane. (Photo: Mike Juvrud / Flickr) Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday proposed plans to the City Council to increase fines for bicyclists who disobey traffic laws and for motorists who open ...

Roads can be dangerous places for returning soldiers

John Latta - May 06, 2013

Wars can deliver so many disturbing stories to those of us at home. This one from the Washington Post is something of a surprise. It confirms for us that we can try to build safe roads, but there are factors at ...

Motorcyclist fatalities reach more than 5,000 in 2012

Amanda Bayhi - Apr 25, 2013

The number of motorcyclist fatalities has climbed nearly consecutively for 15 years, with a 9-percent increase in 2012, to more than 5,000 deaths, according to a report from Governors Highway Safety Association. The report is based on data gathered the first ...

FHWA Administrator Mendez: Safety is top priority in innovation

Amanda Bayhi - Apr 24, 2013

Safety is the top priority when considering new innovation in transportation and infrastructure, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez said in an interview with Better Roads during the Intelligent Transportation Society of America's (ITS America) Annual Meeting. Mendez explained that in 2011, ...

MoDOT warns against dangerous roadside debris

Amanda Bayhi - Apr 23, 2013

Adopt-A-Highway volunteers in Missouri are seeing an increase in the amount of dangerous discarded materials on roadsides, CBS St. Louis reported. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) District Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth said the volunteers have seen more guns, cell phones and ...

Prevent heat-related illness on the jobsite

Amanda Bayhi - Apr 22, 2013

Our sister site, Total Landscape Care (TLC), has shared a list of eight ways to avoid heat-related illness, like heat stress, on the jobsite. The tips, provided by Cintas Corporation, include simple ways to stay cool like wearing lightweight clothes and ...

Let’s make construction work zones safer. It can be done.

John Latta - Apr 16, 2013

A whole lot of highway contractors who work on our roads want to see tougher laws, fines and legal penalties for moving violations in work zones and more frequent safety training for workers on these jobs. This information comes from a ...

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