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IMPACTS OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS ON U.S. ROADS AND BRIDGES As outlined in the 2013 TRB report Critical Issues in Transportation, the changing energy supply is also affecting freight services. The report found that the geographic shifts in oil and gas supply greatly expand the transport of oil by truck and rail. In addition, the drilling of new oil and gas wells calls for the movement of heavy equipment, fracking sands, water, and other supplies to rural locations, which may have roads and bridges that are especially susceptible to heavy traffic. States in many areas of the country have increased their capacity for both wind and solar energy, which has required movement of oversized industrial parts for the construction of these facilities. A number of places in the middle portion of the United States are harvesting crops for biofuel energy and creating new opportunities for what was once a primarily agricultural sector. As a result of these activities, the energy sector is placing significant financial and opera- tional demands on state and local transportation systems. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year on road repairs necessitated by energy development. Rural roads and bridges that were designed to provide land access, with little thought given to high traffic or heavy load- ings, are now subjected to loads and traffic beyond their design limits owing to energy develop- ment. Transportation agencies are challenged to address the increased damages resulting from energy developmentârelated traffic. In addition, the U.S.DOT reported that the increased num- ber of large trucks involved in fatal crashes, injury crashes, and property-damage-only crashes in energy development areas are creating safety concerns. Among the factors underlying the legislative requirements in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (known as MAP-21), the facilitation of energy independence appears in Section §167 Section D.1.B.vi, calling for the designation of primary freight network and critical rural freight corridors. There is further emphasis on the responsibility of the transporta- tion community to provide access to energy development areas in Sections 1118 and 1120 of the legislation. This synthesis documents the economic and infrastructure impacts of the energy sector on roads and bridges and provides an overview of state-of-the-practice strategies to minimize the impacts of heavy loads. The synthesis provides examples of engineering tools and design standards used to address the challenges of energy development impacts on roads and bridges, methods to assess costs, tools to document and improve safety, and state and local legislation and regulations. The findings of this study will help federal, state, local, and tribal transporta- tion managers and agencies to plan strategies and better communicate the impacts of energy development activities on roads and bridges. The information for this synthesis was gathered through a comprehensive literature review, survey of state departments of transportation (DOTs), and subsequent interviews with selected federal and tribal agencies, as well as interviews with multiple organizations in five states selected for further study. The survey was sent to the 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Forty-one DOTs (40 states and the District of Columbia) responded to the survey, a response rate of 79%. After reviewing documentation in the literature and the detailed survey responses, the study team used criteria outlined in chapter one to select SUMMARY
2 Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas for more detailed interviews. The following observations were made based on the DOT survey data, detailed interviews, and literature review. ⢠Twenty of the 41 DOTs responding to the survey indicated an increase in damage or congestion on roads and bridges near areas where energy-related truck transportation is under way. ⢠In a number of rural areas infrastructure damage from energy development is an issue for state and local transportation agencies. The types of development associated with longer- term infrastructure damage were reported to be those with sustained hauling activities such as oil, natural gas, and biofuels. Low-volume roads nearer to urban areas were found to be generally less affected than those in rural counties, as a result of differences in roadway design, funding levels, and frequency of maintenance applications. However, in some urban locations an increase in pavement or bridge damage has been reported, particularly near intermodal transfer centers. ⢠The study found economic costs associated with providing energy development compa- nies with adequately performing roadway and bridge infrastructure. There are significant costs to energy developers as well, including user delay costs resulting from work zone areas necessitated by repairs to infrastructure damage, and longer haul times owing to detour routing from energy development activities. ⢠An engineering method most commonly used by DOTs to assess the heavy loads and high traffic volumes created by energy development is determination of the pavementâs remaining service life. Approaches that were reported for gathering data to compute the remaining service life include (1) portable and virtual weigh-in-motion devices for identifying traffic volumes and load levels; (2) falling weight deflectometer and ground penetrating radar to determine existing structural capacity of pavement layers; and (3) the automated road analyzer and related equipment to collect automated geograph- ically related pavement condition information on routes traveled by heavy trucks. ⢠Some practices reported to address damage created by energy development included (1) stabilization of unpaved roads; (2) use of full depth reclamation of existing pave- ments; (3) addition of paved shoulders; (4) use of superstructure temporary âjumperâ bridges; and (5) placement of geosynthetics for strengthening gravel or dirt roads. ⢠The literature review, survey responses, and interviews all indicated that an increase in roadway degradation, bridge deterioration, and/or increased risks to roadway safety have been observed in areas where energy development activities are occurring. ⢠A number of tools are being used by agencies to assess costs and pay for damages to roads and bridges related to energy development, such as (1) identifying more accu- rate truck volumes and their associated payloads; (2) assessing a variety of taxes, fees, adequate public facility ordinances, and other reimbursement mechanisms; and (3) applying the truck traffic percentage or the vehicle miles traveled as a factor for use in a cost formula. Some states reported using an increase in applications for over- size and/or overweight vehicle permits and more frequent requirements for roadway or bridge maintenance as the basis for a cost formula. ⢠Continuous communications and collaboration with energy development companies by state and local government entities have fostered constructive relationships. This has resulted in more effective planning for improvements, restoration and maintenance, and funding agreements and reimbursements to state and local roadways. The responses indicated a need for future research in the areas of safety, environmental, and social impacts associated with energy development on state and local roads and bridges. Of particular interest will be holistic and international views on the allocation of resources, education, and welfare. Equally important will be how the increasing need for addressing impacts of energy development in the future will affect the amount of funding available to support other highway programs. The integration of planning techniques with how the energy industry approaches the mapping of future development is a potential area for consideration.
3 Suggested areas of future research also include the collection of safety and crash statistics on impacted rural roads, improved methods for both pavement and geometric design of impacted rural roads, and engineering-based methods for detour routing during periods of high-activity energy development. Because of the continually evolving nature of energy sector activities, technology, regulations, and implementation of research and strategies, this topic is one that requires frequent updating.
