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Oklahoma Contractors Get Unique Immersion In Erosion And Runoff Mitigation Techniques

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Participants in a recent Oklahoma conference on soil erosion and sediment control got a “full-scale interactive experience” instead of classroom lectures, an Oklahoma State University news release reports.

Organizers of this year’s Construction Contractor Compliance Conference (C4) gave attendees the opportunity to “explore and interact closely with demonstrations” of different methods of soil stabilization, erosion mitigation, and stormwater management. Vendors of Oklahoma DOT-approved products contributed by conducting field demonstrations that simulated stormwater runoff flow events, “allowing participants to see how each solution holds up in real-life conditions.”

The annual conference, organized by ODOT, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Oklahoma Association of General Contractors, was staged at a USDA Agricultural Research Services facility. Kathryn Thomsen, an ODOT stormwater coordinator, commented, “This event has become a very unique opportunity for the transportation industry to get various parties in the room (contractors, DOT, regulators, research community, consultants and vendors) and discuss environmental compliance. The effort to expand our [best management practices] toolbox is an ongoing and large undertaking of our agency; opportunities like this will only aid us in the success of that.”

Op-Ed: Eliminating Halifax, NS, Bridge Tolls Would Be “Bad Public Policy”

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In a Saltwire op-ed column, Dr. Tom Urbaniak, a Cape Breton University political science professor, explains why Nova Scotia Premier and Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Houston’s campaign pledge to eliminate tolling of two Halifax bridges is “bad public policy” that “won’t make a dent in resolving any problem.”

Echoing the objections of some transportation experts, Dr. Urbaniak notes that toll elimination would cost the province CAD 40 million to 50 million in tax revenue each year, a “significant accumulated hit” to a provincial budget that is “already in deficit.” The public expenditure would transfer the burden of paying for the bridges’ operation and upkeep from users to taxpayers, some of whom “can seldom afford to travel to Halifax.” Dr. Urbaniak adds that the cost shifting is unlikely to result in significant traffic congestion reduction, which is the primary rationale for Houston’s proposal.

Dr. Urbaniak also raises an important new issue concerning responsibility for management of the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges. Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB), an entirely-toll-financed public corporation, operates the span through a staff trained and dedicated to overseeing major suspension bridges. Urbaniak wonders what Houston proposes to do with HHB after its sole source of revenue is eliminated. He asks, “Will it be merged into the arguably less-effective provincial Department of Public Works?” And, if that’s the case, would the new overseers have sufficient focus, funding, and expertise to handle the specialized tasks associated with bridge operations?

Recent Flash Flooding Heavily Damaged Spain Transportation Infrastructure

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Le Monde (subscription required for full access) reports, Spain’s transport ministry released EUR 24.8 million (USD 26.76 million) at the end of last week to cover initial emergency repairs of highway and rail infrastructure severely damaged by recent flash flooding in and around Valencia. “But this will just be the beginning. The priority is to rebuild the section of the A-7 freeway viaduct destroyed by the floods. The viaduct, which forms part of the [Valencia city] ring road, usually handles 78,000 vehicles a day. While waiting for it to reopen, a temporary three-lane detour will be set up.” The article also discusses the region’s extensive rail network damage.

“Global Construction Review” reports that “two carriageways of the Valencia metropolitan area bypass have been out of service. The section is used by around 77,600 vehicles a day and it can’t be diverted to the regional or local network because they are also seriously damaged, the [transport] ministry said.” The N-322 and the N-330 highways outside the metro area were also damaged by rivers swollen by a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours. “Experts have blamed global warming for [the] catastrophic flash floods in Spain. ‘We’re going to see more of these flash floods in the future,’ Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, told Reuters.”

Associated Press reports on the storms that caused the flooding, the consequent loss of life and damage to property, and current recovery measures.

IBTTA Elects 2025 Officers And Several Board Members

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ITSInternational.com reports, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) elected 2025 board officers during its recent annual meeting. Starting one-year terms on January 1, 2025, are:

  • President: James Hofmann, North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) executive director
  • First Vice President: Joi Dean, Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (RMTA) CEO
  • Second Vice President: Ferzan Ahmed, PE, Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) executive director
  • International Vice President: María Moreno, director of the international department of SEOPAN (the association of Spanish construction and concession companies)
  • Immediate Past President: Bill Halkias, president emeritus of HELLASTRON (the association of Greek toll roads)

Five member representatives were elected to serve four-year terms as board directors starting January 1, 2025. They are Anna Bonet (Elizabeth River Crossings), Christophe Boutin (ASFA, the association of French motorway companies), Rene Moser (ASFINAG, the Austrian autobahn operator), Craig Shuey (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission), and Vincent Valdez (Transportation Corridor Agencies). Nick Roethel (Bay Area Toll Authority) was elected to serve a two-year board term. James Carone (New Jersey Turnpike Authority) will start a three-year board term on January 1.

Michigan Township’s Voters Approve Purchase Of Private Toll Bridge

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Yesterday, residents of Grosse Ile Township, Michigan, voted overwhelmingly to approve a public purchase of the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge, The Detroit News reports (scroll down to “Grosse Ile Toll Bridge Purchase Wins”). A local referendum approved a $59 million bond measure that will be funded through increased property taxes. “The township seeks ownership so that it has control of [one of the island’s two surface routes to the mainland.]”

Although details of the bridge’s operations remain guarded by a non-disclosure agreement, 73 percent of voters favored the acquisition. Access to the mainland has become a worrisome issue for residents because the one other crossing, a non-tolled, county-owned bridge, has major structural problems and a history of extended maintenance closures. The township government intends to upgrade the toll span so it can accommodate vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tons. It also intends to continue toll collection.