Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 27, 2016 The final and easternmost section of the Goldsboro Bypass, a bypass route of U.S. Route 70 (US 70) in North Carolina, was officially dedicated. In its entirety, this bypass route covers a total of 21.7 miles (34.9 kilometers). The westernmost part of the route starts just west of North Carolina Highway 581... Continue Reading →
May 20, 1981 In north-central Alabama, a ceremony was held for the opening of a segment of Interstate 65 (I-65) located south of Birmingham. This 11.7-mile (11.8-kilometer) portion of I-65 had been built between the Birmingham suburbs of Alabaster and Hoover, and the debut of that link was welcomed with a great deal of fanfare.... Continue Reading →
May 7, 2016 The Marão Tunnel in northern Portugal made its debut. This new highway structure was officially dedicated by António Costa, the prime minister of Portugal. As a key part of the inaugural festivities on that Saturday, hundreds of people in attendance traveled through the tunnel either on bicycle or by foot. The Marão... Continue Reading →
May 6, 1970 The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was established. The bill creating this department was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer in a ceremony at his office in the State Capitol in Harrisburg. That legislative measure had enjoyed widespread support from both sides of the political aisle in the Pennsylvania... Continue Reading →
April 29, 1999 A field demonstration of new pavement maintenance materials and techniques took place at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds in Boise. This demonstration was part of an AASHTO-sponsored program, and those attending the event included transportation professionals from state, county, and municipal government agencies in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State. The genesis of both... Continue Reading →
There has been a longtime need throughout the United States to adequately acknowledge and appreciate the tasks undertaken by workers in road construction and maintenance areas, and an equally vital need to better ensure the safety of those individuals when they are on the job. These priorities were emphasized as far back as the winter... Continue Reading →
High-visibility safety vests have long been a key part of the protective clothing worn by those who work in road construction areas. The yellow-and-orange safety vests certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as Class 3, for example, are customarily worn by those working on highways where the speed limit is at least 50... Continue Reading →
Orange is a color that often stands out among the other hues, tints, and tones perceptive to the human eye. That color can be bright and unique. Unsurprisingly, orange has therefore long been a valued color for use within construction work zones and for other safety purposes along highways across the United States. An example of... Continue Reading →
The first National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was held in April 2000. It took place about four months after a memorandum of agreement (MOU) to create such a week was jointly signed by Kenneth R. Wykle, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); Thomas R. Warne, president of AASHTO and executive director of the... Continue Reading →
To help commemorate this year’s Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, here is something about one of the more readily identifiable features of many of those road construction areas across the country: the humble but important traffic cone. Many people trace the origins of the traffic cone to 1914, which also happens to be the year... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 