Missouri DOT Announces $1.1 Billion Road Program

The Missouri Department of Transportation today announced a $1.1 billion plan to improve the state's 5,600 miles of major highways over the next five years.

These highways will receive wider stripes and rumble stripes, brighter signs, paved shoulders and smooth pavement that will bring 85 percent of Missouri's major highway system up to good condition by the end of 2011.

"The Smooth Roads Initiative, which we completed last month, got the first 2,200 miles in good condition," said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. "This new program is the Smooth Roads Initiative on steroids."

Called Better Roads, Brighter Future, the program targets highways carrying 80 percent of all traffic on the state highway system-103 million mi. traveled a day. About 95 percent of all Missourians live within 10 mi. of one of these roads.

"Smooth roads save fuel, too - a 2.4 percent improvement in fuel economy, to be exact," Rahn said. "With all the miles traveled each day on these roads, that works out to $100 million a year in fuel savings - that money goes right back into motorists' pockets. It's also estimated that rough roads cost the average driver $275 a year in increased maintenance costs - that's more money that will be saved when the roads are better."

The five-year program will use existing funds allocated for taking care of the state highway system.

To kick-start the Better Roads, Brighter Future program, MoDOT is adding or accelerating 34 projects into its construction program for 2007. Additional projects will be added each year through 2011.

Elmhurst College Gets Grant For Stormwater Management

Illinois' Elmhurst College has been awarded a $116,000 grant from the DuPage County Stormwater Management division to partially fund strategies for managing and monitoring water as part of a $23 million campus redevelopment project.

The entire project, which includes a new 170-bed residence hall, is being implemented by Darien-based Wight & Co., a design, construction and engineering firm at the forefront of sustainable design.

Water management is especially challenging for the 135-year-old Elmhurst College. Although rising enrollment has necessitated construction of additional buildings, the land-locked campus has no available space for a retention pond.

The solution will integrate water resource management into both the landscape and built components of the site, including the construction of a 100 percent permeable parking lot and the use of cisterns to capture and recycle rainwater.

Wight also plans to re-establish native prairie and woodland ecosystems, which will help reduce maintenance costs and provide wildlife habitat in an urban setting. Unlike turf grass, the native plants will help improve the soil and extend the lifespan of numerous oak trees on the campus, which is a registered arboretum.

Other elements include the use of bioswales, rain gardens and several types of runnels to move overflow rainwater above ground. The effectiveness of these techniques - as well as water quality - will be monitored with the help of Elmhurst College's science faculty and its chemistry and biology students.

From a cost standpoint, the BMPs are expected to deliver significant savings over the next several decades. For example, the paver material for the permeable parking lot is manufactured to a strength unmatched by asphalt paving. Unlike asphalt surfaces, the college's new lot will not require major maintenance work (e.g., patching, seal coating, re-stripping or resurfacing), which is a costly expense over a 20- to 30-year period.

Indiana DOT Awards Outstanding Asphalt Producers

When motorists encounter an especially smooth ride on Hoosier highways, there's a good chance the asphalt was produced by an award-winning Indiana company.

Recently, the Indiana Department of Transportation recognized six companies as Outstanding Hot Mix Asphalt Producers for the 2006 construction season.

The winners show outstanding cooperation with INDOT, underwent audits and demonstrated a commitment to quality by going beyond the minimum requirements of the Indiana Certified Hot Mix Asphalt program.

The overall outstanding producer in 2006 was Rieth-Riley Construction Co. in Indianapolis. Winners in each INDOT District comprise the following: