Abstract

Examine the Effects of Highway Bridge Collapse on Freight Flows
Track: Transportation
Authors: Qisheng Pan

The collapses of the Interstate 10 Twin Span Bridge in north of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and the failure of Interstate 35W highway bridge during a rush-hour period in Minneapolis in 2007 gave a warning to planners and decision makers about the safety of highway bridges and possible negative effects on highway network performance and the local economy. This study utilizes spatial data from Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) and develops a GIS-based method to extend a regional freight transportation model to analyze interregional and interstate freight flows. It establishes baseline freight flows on the national highway network and creates multiple scenarios for hypothetical bridge collapses in different states to estimate the economic impacts of highway bridge collapse on freight transportation costs, as measured by increased times and distances.