FHWA funds research into innovative bridge materials

Faced with an ageing transportation infrastructure, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has set up a $417 million grant to fund research into novel and innovative materials for building bridges and other infrastructure. Nearly all the US states have applied for the federal funding with the funding requests adding up to $13 billion – about 30 times the funds available. An example of the technologies being funded is the accelerated bridge technique that will be used in Colorado to replace the Pecos Street bridge over interstate i-70 – it had received a grant of $3.76 million under the programme. The technique will help install the bridge over a 50-hour period instead of the normal 12 months, avoiding the disruption in traffic that inevitably accompanies such installations.