This year, Arizona officials have stated that they plan to better the roads throughout the state. There have been many complaints over the years about the poor quality of road care in Arizona, which has led to research projects within the Arizona State University. Now after conducting their research and developing plans for resolution, the university is partnering with the Arizona Transportation Institute, or the AZTI, in order to actually implement these road improvements. The improvements will focus on the quality of the road itself, with plans for things such as laying down fresh pavement in some parts in order to fill up potholes and create a smooth layer on the road.

Arizona State University came up with plans that will also reduce the need for repairs in the future.

Specifically, five new projects will soon be underway thanks to the work of ASU and AZTI. Each project will highlight a different part of the repair process. Things such as impact and cost of different vehicles on different roads is being considered. Particularly, the impact and cost of heavy duty vehicles is being considered when making these plans. Furthermore, they are seeking ways to provide real time driving times for Arizona roads as well.

The roads are not the only things that will receive an improvement.

Nearby land is under the projects’ jurisdiction as well. With this, they are working to manage plants that are along the road to find a balance between maintaining wildlife and reducing the risks of wildfires.

The Associate Director of AZTI, Hasan Ozer, spoke about the institute’s role in the repair projects.

Ozer, said “The Arizona Transportation Institute will catalyze research and innovation in the state to build safe, sustainable and durable transportation infrastructure.” In addition to his position for the institute, Ozer is also an associate professor of civil, environmental, and sustainable engineering at Arizona State University. He is one of over 100 researchers and professors from ASU who is working with the AZTI on this project.

The university and institute are also working alongside Arizona Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Some small, local agencies are aiding in the progress of projects in certain areas as well.

The first step in the journey is determining vehicle impact costs.

This part of the project is known as “Assessing the Consumption Costs of Motor Vehicles on Arizona Roads and Bridges.” In order to properly get the road improvements done, researchers must determine how this will affect costs for everyone. Once they do, they can begin to work through the next steps.

Real time traffic condition models will be created.

Once plans are made, models can be constructed. These models will allow the teams to display the work that will be done and the timeline they will take.

From here, the project’s actual repair work will have the freedom to begin!