01366067

Component

The design exception process typically involves the collection of site specific data and analysis to justify retention of existing features or creation of new features that do not meet current design standards based primarily on crash history and cost to make corrections. The conventional design exception process addresses features on a project by project basis and while this process does provide a comprehensive way to address individual design exceptions on projects within a highway corridor, it creates inconsistent decision making along a corridor and does not fulfill the promise of context sensitive design. Funding reductions coupled with increasing demands for efficiency in public spending and demands of an aging infrastructure have lead to refinements of project categorization, specifically the adoption of a minor resurfacing program. This new project category has facilitated project delivery but further flexibilities could significantly improve infrastructure investments. The concept of corridor based design exceptions is being considered using asset management data collected by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). While corridor planning used to be practiced within the Department, it has not been done for many years and rarely included a level of detail to allow design exception listings much less determinations. A mature integrated asset management system allows a broad assessment of design features over an entire corridor. A new project categorization process at ODOT has raised interest in different approaches to design exceptions. The concept shows promise and considerations to further explore the process are proposed.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB50T Context Sensitive Design/Solutions (CSD/CSS)

01362476

12-2294

English

13p

2012

Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References

Asset management; Decision making; Design; Highway corridors

Oregon Department of Transportation

Design exception process

Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2012 Paper #12-2294

TRIS, TRB

Feb 8 2012 5:09PM