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| The Innovation of Highway Maintenance byKelly Chapman Since the inception of the Public-Private Transportation Act in 1995, which "allows private entities to enter into agreements to construct, improve, maintain and operate transportation facilities," Virginia has seen the first movement toward the privatization of transportation services. VMS, Inc., a Richmond-based contractor, became the first private firm 
in the nation to assume full responsibility for the maintenance of substantial segments of
a state’s interstate highway network, doing so in Virginia. It has been reported that
hiring the private firm resulted in cost savings, and this pilot public-private
partnership was deemed beneficial.The Virginia Department of Transportation has since enlisted the help of Virginia Tech, namely Dr. Jesus M. de la Garza, the Vecellio Professor of Construction Engineering, and Dr. Michael C. Vorster, the David H. Burrows Professor of Construction Engineering, and has provided funding for the development of a framework that will monitor and evaluate the progress and advantages of this public-private contract. Anderson & Associates has teamed with Virginia Beach-based Woolpert, LLP to proudly serve as an instrumental part of the project. For two years, A&A and Woolpert personnel have been inspecting and recording data from randomly selected sites along Virginia’s highways, covering nearly every inch of the Commonwealth’s Interstate network. Anderson & Associates inspection crews have been dispatched to more than 5,000 tenth-of-a-mile segments to collect condition data for more than 38,000 asset items, which range from guardrail to striping to drainage facilities. "We’ve seen quite an evolvement throughout this two-year process,"
comments A&A Project Manager Justin Franklin.
"Inspectors previously used paper forms for the data collection. Since A&A and
Woolpert were hired, we’ve seen the process become much more automated, saving both
time and money." Inspection crews are sent out with portable Fujitsu Tablet PCs,
where condition data is recorded, as well as the exact location utilizing a Global
Positioning System (GPS). These data are then double-checked, compiled, and submitted
electronically to Virginia Tech for further analysis. The GPS Several elements have challenged crews, more than simply the weather. Imagine you are a member of one of A&A’s inspection crews. You come to a sharp bend in the road. What is a tenth of a mile along the northbound lane may not be symmetrical to its counterpart on the other side of the highway. What do you do? This question and many more have been asked and answered throughout the first two phases of this five-phase endeavor. Just as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, there will be more questions to answer, more obstacles to overcome, and more innovative advancements toward a new and exciting future of highway maintenance practices. &
[Browse Other Issues] This page was last updated 02/27/04 |
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data are imported into a Geographic Information System (GIS), with the
evaluation data linked in; this is also submitted to Virginia Tech at the end of the data
collection process. Data are posted to a web site by Virginia Tech each week to provide
easy access by both VDOT and VMS personnel. "The GPS and GIS components are rather
important," explains Justin. "They help us keep track of highway segments so
that our locations will be consistent from year to year; the milepost markers are rarely
exactly a mile." 
