What to Expect at ITS America 2026: Tech, Cybersecurity and the Future of Transportation
The ITS America Conference & Expo returns to Detroit June 9‑12, 2026 under the “Empowering Innovation” theme. Organized by Rx Global and ITS America, the four‑day event will spotlight connected, automated and data‑driven transportation technologies. A dedicated Cybersecurity & Data Zone and workshops place cyber risk and data resilience at the forefront. Attendees can also join hands‑on tech tours of autonomous‑vehicle test sites, traffic‑management centers, and ITS network operations.
Work Zone Crashes, Safety Efforts in Focus During National Work Zone Awareness Week
National Work Zone Awareness Week highlighted a mixed safety picture across the United States. Fatalities in work zones fell slightly to 850 in 2024, but several states reported rising crash counts, with Oregon reaching a five‑year high of 621 incidents...
How Truck-Mounted Attenuators Are Improving Safety in High-Speed Work Zones
Truck‑mounted attenuators (TMAs) are gaining traction as a mobile, crash‑absorbing barrier that protects workers in high‑speed and short‑duration work zones. Recent models, such as Lindsay Corporation’s Road Runner, emphasize rapid deployment and minimal truck‑bed intrusion. Automated TMAs can follow lead...
Distraction Doesn’t Have an Age Limit
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows distracted driving caused 3,275 deaths in 2023 and was a factor in 5% of all fatal crashes. The distraction rate is spread across every adult age group, peaking at 7% for drivers...
Safety That Lasts 52 Weeks
In a recent Infrastructure Insider interview, Flagger Force CEO Mike Doner and VP of Risk and Safety Luke Lazar discussed the shift from seasonal work‑zone awareness to year‑round safety strategies. Doner highlighted agencies’ challenge of sustaining safe driver behavior while...
Targeting Risk, Tracking Results: A New Approach to Safety
In an interview for National Work Zone Awareness Week, Scott Marion, president of infrastructure at Lindsay, advocated moving away from blanket safety mandates toward risk‑based decisions that factor traffic speed, worker exposure, and roadway geometry. He highlighted the high‑risk nature...
The Zipper Merge Grows in Popularity on Jobsites
Roadway work zones cause frequent injuries due to speeding, lane jockeying and sudden braking. Transportation agencies are turning to the zipper merge, which directs drivers to use both lanes until a designated point before merging, to smooth traffic flow and...
From Jobsite to Network: Scaling Smart Work Zones Across Programs
The FHWA’s Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) specification is turning isolated smart work zones into a unified data ecosystem, enabling real‑time sharing of location, lane‑closure and timing information with traffic‑management centers, navigation apps and connected‑vehicle services. By organizing these zones...
A Day-by-Day Look at National Work Zone Awareness Week 2026
National Work Zone Awareness Week runs April 20‑24, 2026, under the theme “Safe Actions Save Lives.” The campaign highlights that 899 people died in work zones in 2023, including 705 drivers and passengers and 82 highway‑worker fatalities. Events include a...
New Crash Data Dashboard Helps Colorado County Target High-Risk Roads
Mesa County’s Regional Transportation Planning Office unveiled a new Crash Data Dashboard that consolidates accident information from several agencies into a single, user‑friendly platform. The tool lets officials and the public visualize crash trends, pinpoint high‑risk corridors, and filter incidents...
How Kansas City Is Preparing Roads and Transit for the 2026 World Cup
Kansas City will host several 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at GEHA Field, prompting a coordinated effort by Missouri and Kansas transportation agencies to mitigate congestion. MoDOT and KDOT are pausing 14 road projects and enhancing signage, litter removal, and...
From Intern to Leader with Skanska’s Dianna Barba
Dianna Barba, now a senior project engineer at Skanska, rose from an internship to leading the $1.6 billion LA Metro Purple (D Line) extension. Her career was accelerated by Skanska’s two‑year Core Competency Training Program, which rotated her through rail, bridge...
Why Road and Bridge Construction Costs Are Rising in the U.S.
U.S. road and bridge construction costs have surged 70% since 2020, making them three times higher than in peer economies. A Pew study highlights an $86 billion funding shortfall and $105 billion under‑investment over the next decade, driven by flat fuel‑tax revenues,...
Brutal Winter Tested Budgets and Project Timelines
A historic winter in the U.S., highlighted by Winter Storm Hernando, dumped up to three feet of snow in New England, prompting emergency declarations and commercial‑vehicle bans across at least 16 states. The bans and closed freight corridors produced 48‑96‑hour...
Are Drivers More Distracted During March Madness? The Data Says Yes
Cambridge Mobile Telemetics (CMT) reported that drivers in most March Madness host cities used their phones more often during the tournament’s first and second rounds. Buffalo and St. Louis saw the biggest overall spikes, with 14.6% and 10.5% increases in phone‑tapping events...
I-5 Bridge Replacement Between Washington and Oregon Climbs to $14.4 Billion
The Washington‑Oregon partnership announced that the replacement of the I‑5 Columbia River bridge now carries a $14.4 billion price tag, roughly four times the 2014 estimate. The scaled‑back core phase, costing $7.7 billion, includes a new fixed‑span bridge and an extension of...
New Senate Bill Targets Roadside Worker Safety Nationwide
The bipartisan Safe Roads for Those Who Serve Act was introduced in the Senate to curb the growing toll of work‑zone fatalities and injuries. The bill would compel every state to improve data collection on highway‑worker incidents and to draft...
$108.7M Federal Grant to Replace Two Key Alaska Highway Bridges
The Federal Highway Administration has allocated $108.7 million through its Bridge Investment Program to replace the Johnson and Gerstle River bridges in Alaska’s Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. Both structures currently impose weight limits that hinder heavy‑vehicle traffic on the primary overland...
South Texas Demolition of Corpus Christi’s Old Harbor Bridge Triggers Months-Long North Beach Closure
Demolition of Corpus Christi’s 1959 Harbor Bridge continues, forcing a partial closure of Bridgeport Avenue on North Beach through May. The old bridge was decommissioned in September 2025 after the new cable‑stayed Harbor Bridge opened in June 2025. Crews have...
Route 66 Turns 100—And Oklahoma Is Marking the Moment on the Road
Oklahoma’s Department of Transportation is rolling out 100 new Route 66 pavement markings at 50 sites to celebrate the highway’s 100th anniversary. The $341,000 project, with $91,000 funded by ODOT, aims to improve road visibility ahead of a projected tourism surge....
Southeast Texas’ Towering Rainbow Bridge Poised to Reopen After Lengthy Repairs
The Texas Department of Transportation announced that construction on the Rainbow Bridge in Southeast Texas is finished after a year-long closure for extensive maintenance. Final inspections, employing bridge‑snooper vehicles and rope‑access crews, began on March 13. Officials expect the bridge...
How Technology Is Reshaping Roadway Safety and Traffic Management
Technology is rapidly transforming roadway safety and traffic management through AI‑driven platforms, data analytics, and connected devices. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s pilot with Valerann’s Lantern n uses real‑time camera feeds to spot hazards and speed response. Cambridge Mobile Telematics’ StreetVision...
Minn. Launches $1.5B Construction Season with More Than 200 Road Projects
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has launched a $1.5 billion construction program for 2026, encompassing more than 200 road projects across the state. The plan includes 41 new bridges, repairs or upgrades to 79 existing structures, and major resurfacing and interchange...
The Next Generation Shaping the Public Transit Industry
Episode 3 of the ITP podcast examines the first year of New York City’s congestion pricing, revealing measurable traffic reductions, cleaner air, and higher‑than‑expected revenue. Co‑hosts Brandon Lewis and Jessica Parks, joined by Mass Transit’s Noah Kolenda, discuss how the policy reshapes travel...
$11 Million Plan Targets One of San Antonio’s Most Dangerous Roads
San Antonio’s City Council approved an $11 million safety program—$8 million in federal funds matched by $3 million locally—to redesign a five‑mile stretch of Culebra Road, the city’s most crash‑prone non‑freeway corridor. The segment recorded 116 severe or fatal crashes between 2018 and...
Can Smart Freight Tech Fix Congestion on I-40 Near Memphis?
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has teamed with Cavnue, LLC to launch a smart freight corridor pilot on I‑40 between Memphis and the upcoming Ford Blue Oval City campus. The initiative will deploy connected and autonomous trucking technologies, installing temporary...
FIU Pedestrian Bridge Set to Reopen 8 Years After Deadly Collapse
Florida International University’s new pedestrian bridge is set to reopen within months, eight years after the 2018 collapse that killed six people. The original $14.2 million structure failed due to a critical design miscalculation and premature installation on temporary supports. The...
Utah Launches $2.8B Construction Season With 176 Projects Statewide
Utah’s Department of Transportation is committing $2.8 billion to 176 construction projects across the state, with more than 50 already breaking ground. The centerpiece is a $621 million freeway link between Mountain View Corridor and I‑15 in Utah County, complemented by major...
New Flashing Warning Systems Roll Out at High-Risk Intersections Across Denver Metro Area
Colorado Department of Transportation launched a $1.45 million conflict‑warning project to install radar‑based flashing signs at four high‑risk rural intersections along CO 83, CO 86 and CO 74. Sturgeon Electric began work on March 9, with a second phase adding lane closures on March 23, and...
$1B Blatnik Bridge Funding Released After Federal Review Delay
The U.S. Department of Transportation has finally released the $1.05 billion grant to replace the aging Blatnik Bridge, a key link between Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. The funding, initially delayed by a federal review of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act...
Indiana Expands “Safe Zones” With Speed Cameras in Highway Construction Areas
Indiana is expanding its Safe Zones program by adding speed‑camera enforcement to four highway construction zones, including I‑70 near Greenfield, I‑65 in Jasper County, and a new stretch on I‑74 southeast of Indianapolis. The pilot, which began in August 2024 and...
Wyoming Wildlife Crossings Expected to Reduce Collisions by up to 90%
Wyoming Department of Transportation launched the Kemmerer South Wildlife Crossings project to install multiple underpasses, an overpass, and fencing along a 30‑mile stretch of US 189. The $38 million effort, funded by federal, state and private partners, aims to cut wildlife‑vehicle crashes...