MnROAD is hosting pavement researchers from around North America this week to discuss research conducted at its cold weather pavement testing facility in Albertville, Minnesota.
Participants at the three-day conference (June 10 to 12) are reviewing the findings of recent pooled fund studies, sharing their implementation experience and recommending what projects should be picked for the next round of research.
Bob Orthmeyer from the Federal Highway Administration said MnROAD is the only facility in the country that could supply several test sections needed for a recent study.Graig Gilbertson from MnDOT District 8 listens to one of seven presentations Tuesday on how agencies have implemented MnROAD’s second phase of research projects.Stephen Lee shares the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s experiences during a discussion Tuesday on research implementation.Steve Bower, a Michigan Department of Transportation Research Engineer, visits with MnROAD researcher Bernard Izevbakhai, right, and other peers.Construction engineering professor Joe Mahoney, from the University of Washington, leads a group discussion on improving research efforts at the close of the session Tuesday.From left, Dave VanDeusen from MnDOT, LaDonna Rowden from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Magdi Mikhail from the Texas Department of Transportation and Samy Noureldin from the Indiana Department of Transportation.Researchers came from Missouri, Maine, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, California, Ontario, Wisconsin, Indiana and Washington for the three-day workshop.
The 25th Annual CTS Transportation Research Conference successfully concluded earlier today, wrapping up a two-day whirlwind of more than two-dozen sessions showcasing a wide range of transportation research results and innovations.
Presentations and materials from the conference, including video of the keynote speakers, will be made available on the CTS website in coming weeks. In the meantime, here are a few photos from the conference.
Center for Transportation Studies Director Laurie McGinnis welcomes attendees to the 25th Annual CTS Transportation Research Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, on May 21, 2014.MnDOT Chief of Staff Eric Davis: “Research is vital to our program. It’s vital to our success as a department.”Joe Casola, staff scientist and program director for the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, gives the keynote address on Wednesday. Casola said transportation officials should begin incorporating the projected impacts of climate change, including more frequent extreme weather events, into their planning.On Wednesday, MnROAD Operations Engineer Ben Worel moderated a session, “Building the Future on a Solid Foundation,” focused on geotechnical research.From left: MnDOT Research Services & Library Director Linda Taylor and MnDOT Planning and Data Analysis Director Mark Nelson answer questions at a session on transportation pooled-fund research projects.Jill Hentges, community outreach coordinator for Metro Transit, displays a tool used to help teach the public how planners optimize bus routes during a Thursday session on public engagement. Angie Bersaw, a transportation planner for Bolton & Menk, Inc., looks on.Bruce Hasbargen, Beltrami County engineer and Local Road Research Board chairman, answers a question at a Wednesday session on local agencies and stakeholder engagement.
Crossroads 