Abstract

The Exit Sign: Maintaining Maryland's Roadway Facilities
Track: Transportation
Authors: Caitlin Doolin

In an infrastructure system where facilities and budgets are stretched thin, maintaining roadway facilities are becoming increasingly important. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is responsible for maintaining and ensuring all of Maryland's tolled roadways. This includes eight major transportation facilities across the state, including an over 50 mile stretch of I-95 and the state of the art express tolled road Inter-County Connector (MD 200) built in 2011. Apart from the road structure itself, the MDTA is tasked with maintaining roadway signs as well as large data bases of information on the roadway signs and their supporting structures. The MDTA incorporates GIS and computer programming techniques into their sign database management work. This turns static inventory data into dynamic visual tools that is easier and faster for many departments of the MDTA. The structures, Office of Engineering and Construction and MDTA Police use these tools on a regular basis.