Technical Programs

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Leading Through Complexity: The Public Owner's Role in Alternative Delivery 

This panel brings senior public agency leaders from Maryland's transportation network for a candid conversation on what it takes to deliver complex projects through design-build and P3 structures. Drawing on real experience managing some of the region's most significant capital programs, panelists will address how agencies structure deals, manage private partners over the long term, and align project outcomes with public priorities. This session is designed for public sector professionals and agency leaders who want to strengthen their approach to alternative delivery from the owner's perspective.

Montgomery County, MD is building a 100 mile bus rapid transit (BRT) system that will connect the County’s existing and emerging activity centers.  The County is advancing a BRT program that plans, designs, and constructs BRT that fits within the context of the surrounding community.  Two corridors are being advanced through the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program and we are looking to implement more projects through that process.  As part of this effort, the County is also concurrently updating standards and specifications, identifying infrastructure maintenance needs, developing agreements with multiple third parties, and enhancing our transit signal priority practices.

Case Study in Mitigating Extreme Speeding 

High-risk speeding on rural roadways presents a persistent safety challenge, with limited effective countermeasures available. To address extreme speeding behavior—defined as operating 10 mph or more above the posted speed limit—the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conducted a pilot study along an 8.8-mile segment of State Road 46 using innovative pavement markings designed to visually reinforce speed limits. The results demonstrate the potential of this practical, scalable countermeasure to significantly improve safety on rural roadways

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This panel brings together leaders from across the alternative delivery ecosystem, including concessionaires, financial and technical advisors, and owner's representatives, to offer a 360-degree view of how these deals come together in practice. The discussion will draw on national experience and local case studies to explore risk allocation, deal structuring, public trust, and what agencies need to understand to protect taxpayers while accelerating delivery.

The RK&K / Schnabel Engineering design team will explain why Helene was so devastating and how NCDOT has implemented advanced hydraulic modeling coupled with hydrology and river engineering on their projects along rivers and streams to understand the flow conditions during Helene and to predict flow during future events to build back resiliently.  The team will then describe the complex geologic and hydraulic challenges that have plagued I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge with both rockfall and river erosion issues since the corridor opened in the late 1960s. They will discuss their approach to subsurface exploration, hydraulic modeling, and design of the permanent retaining wall solutions to mitigate the extreme event loading.  A theme throughout is the close collaboration and coordination between hydraulics and hydrology, geotechnics and geostructural, and roadway disciplines within this fast-paced emergency CM/GC procurement.

Sustainable transportation is essential to modern society, yet persistent challenges remain in workforce development and the long-term sustainability of transport infrastructure. This presentation explores strategies to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and the transportation sector through improved highway project dissemination and professional networking. Drawing on the experience of an international transportation networking group, the presentation highlights how shared knowledge, innovative project dissemination, and cross-sector engagement have supported safer and more sustainable mobility solutions. It emphasizes the importance of nurturing a strong dissemination and publication ecosystem and presents recommendations to enhance collaboration and advance sustainable highway project delivery.

The 4.3-mile William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge is an iconic and regionally vital transportation facility spanning the Chesapeake Bay.  The Bay is the most important environmental resource in Maryland, the largest coastal estuary in the United States, and the critical marine link to the Port of Baltimore.  The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is nearing completion of a two-tiered National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study that is one of the most complex transportation and environmental initiatives ever undertaken in Maryland.  MDTA has worked closely with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as the lead agency – as well as numerous other federal, state and local agencies – to implement the latest best practices for transportation project development and environmental review.  The MDTA is currently leading Tier 2 of the study.  An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be completed within two years from the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Final EIS.  This presentation will review the methods used by the MDTA as the study has efficiently advanced through changing regulatory conditions. 

Howard County Elicott City Flood Tunnel

The Ellicott City North Tunnel is a cornerstone of Howard County’s Safe and Sound Plan for Ellicott City.  The roughly 1-mile long, 18’ diameter tunnel began construction in 2024. When complete, the tunnel will divert stormwater from high flow storm events in the Tiber-Hudson River around Ellicott City to mitigate flooding. This presentation provides a detailed look at the tunnel from a runoff perspective, following a raindrop in the watershed headwaters through the North Tunnel diversion structures and various tunnel features. Along the way, the audience will gain an understanding of unique tunnel design elements, their function, and ongoing construction efforts.

Presentations followed by Q& A about the P3 programs in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia including past, present, and planned future procurements, with candid discussions as to why P3 was chosen as the preferred procurement method and what obstacles had to be overcome.

This session, designed for roadway and design engineers, will highlight key MUTCD considerations that non-traffic-engineer practitioners should account for during planning and preliminary design. Topics include how MUTCD requirements impact roadway cross sections, interchange geometry, clear zones, and the placement of sign supports and overhead structures at major interchanges. The discussion will also show how early coordination around sign visibility, spacing, and mounting strategies can reduce redesign and improve project efficiency. With the release of the 11th Edition MUTCD, updated guidance reflects advances in research, technology, and multimodal safety, including improved accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists. The Manual also provides increased flexibility through options and guidance that can be effectively leveraged when understood early in the design process. 

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is implementing the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C), an innovative program that modernizes legacy automated people mover infrastructure while deploying autonomous vehicle (AV) transit in a complex urban environment. Serving the largest city by landmass in the continental United States, JTA is leveraging U2C to expand mobility options, strengthen downtown connectivity, and support economic revitalization. 

The presentation will outline the phased implementation of of U2C from the deployment of the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, and future phases of converting the existing skyway mono-rail system and expansion into adjacent neighborhoods.  

Session 2: Connected and Automated Vehicle Deployments Related Policy Impacts

Connected and automated vehicles are being piloted, deployed, and increasingly appearing on roadways across the country. As individual State DOTs and partner agencies navigate their own jurisdictional policies, there is a growing need to examine national policy considerations before deployments begin to scale faster than policies can keep pace. 

To strengthen the collective capacity of DOTs and regulatory agencies, policies must support a shared national vision while remaining flexible enough for states to determine how they are applied locally. Achieving this requires a clear understanding of deployment-sector perspectives, emerging business models, and the resulting impacts on the highway system. 

This presentation will highlight common perspectives across connected and automated vehicle deployments within the transportation sector and identify policy areas where additional input from highway engineers is needed. 

The concept of a 100‑year roadway foundation represents a transformative shift in infrastructure design, aiming to create durable, sustainable, and resilient road systems that perform reliably over time. Driven by increasing urbanization, climate pressures, and rising maintenance costs, this approach integrates advanced materials, innovative engineering, and predictive modeling to overcome common roadway foundation failures identified by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The 100‑year roadway foundation offers a forward‑looking solution to modern infrastructure challenges by combining advanced materials, innovative engineering, and resilient design to deliver safer, more sustainable transportation networks for future generations. 

Presentations followed by Q& A about the P3 programs in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia including past, present, and planned future procurements, with candid discussions as to why P3 was chosen as the preferred procurement method and what obstacles had to be overcome.

The Ennis project, officially known as the Union Pacific Safety Zone Project, is a transformative infrastructure and urban revitalization initiative in Ennis, Texas. The project is a central component of the City’s Downtown Master Plan, aiming to address the challenges posed by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) corridor as it bisects the downtown area, while also creating a vibrant, accessible, and safe urban environment. This presentaion will discuss the project challenges of coordination among multiple stakeholders, resolution of constructability issues through innovative solutions, and balancing multidisciplinary design requirements while prioritizing pedestrian accessibility and preservation of historic infrastructure. Owner and Engineer will discuss the development of a project-specific hierarchy of needs and the effective coordination of multiple organizations with differing design criteria.

Public agencies are under increasing pressure to manage pavement assets more efficiently while maximizing limited resources. This presentation highlights a multi-site pavement asset management program implemented across diverse facility types, including Truck Weigh Stations, Higher Education parking facilities, and Park and Ride lots. Using real-world examples, the session demonstrates how digital tools, such as drone-based imaging and AI-driven analysis, can be integrated into day-to-day project delivery to assess pavement condition and associated infrastructure elements, including drainage, ADA accessibility features, lighting, and safety features.

The discussion focuses on how advanced data collection and analytics support objective condition scoring, prioritization, and capital planning, enabling agencies to make more informed maintenance and budgeting decisions.

Session 2: From Internal Improvements to Interstate Modernization: Public Capital, Private Capital, and the American Highway

Debates over highway finance reprise one of the nation’s earliest infrastructure disputes: the proper roles of federal, state, and local governments in funding “internal improvements,” and the extent to which private capital should be deployed at risk in their development. 
Today, the nation’s highway system faces large-scale reconstruction and modernization needs just as fuel-tax revenues have flattened in real terms and state DOTs confront workforce, procurement, and lifecycle management constraints. These pressures are both fiscal and institutional. In response, Congress has reopened space for pricing and long-term public-private partnership (P3) concessions that integrate design, construction, finance, operations, and maintenance. 
As public capital becomes increasingly constrained, the central challenge is not whether to involve private investment, but how to structure partnerships that responsibly attract and deploy private capital—aligning federal, state, and local roles, allocating risk transparently, and sustaining long-term asset performance. Sustaining and modernizing the nation’s highway network—including managed lanes and major corridors—will depend on designing capital structures that e\ectively integrate public and private investment.

Temporary drainage and engineering services play a critical role in improving safety, efficiency, and cost performance during construction. This presentation evaluates how proactive temporary drainage design and engineering services during construction help manage runoff, prevent flooding and ponding, and enhance safety for both motorists and construction crews. Integrating temporary drainage planning with maintenance of traffic supports schedule reliability by minimizing delays and maintaining uninterrupted workflows. Adaptive engineering services during construction allow designs to be updated in real time, reducing conflicts, avoiding rework, and creating opportunities to accelerate schedules and achieve cost savings.

The Eastern Shore Rail-to-Trail project demonstrates how an inactive freight corridor can be repurposed as a safe, connected multimodal transportation asset—not just a recreational trail. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), VHB advanced the design of a 2.1-mile shared-use path in Cape Charles, the southern gateway segment of a planned 49-mile corridor along the former Bay Coast Railroad. The Cape Charles segment provides a replicable model for converting underutilized corridors into multimodal facilities that complement the highway network and support local economic development. It improves system performance and 
user safety by separating pedestrians and bicyclists from vehicular traffic, while preserving the corridor for potential future rail use.

Pennsylvania Avenue NW is both a vital transportation corridor and an iconic civic space in Washington, D.C. Its streetscape redesign enhances pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular travel while reinforcing the corridor’s monumental character. Innovative features include protected and raised bike lanes, floating bus islands, uniform sidewalks, public gathering areas, integrated stormwater management, and upgraded traffic signals and streetlights.  In this session, attendees will learn strategies for transforming urban corridors to safely accommodate diverse users while respecting historic and civic context. Key takeaways include integrating multimodal infrastructure in constrained rights-of-way, optimizing traffic flow and overall safety for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, coordinating complex stakeholder requirements, and incorporating sustainable streetscape and public space enhancements. 

Session 2: Complete Streets on a Budget 

This presentation will describe the evolution and implementation of a modern multimodal vision for Garfield Boulevard, including discussion of bicycle facilities, green infrastructure, and the interagency partnerships among Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Metroparks, City of Garfield Heights, and Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District that enabled this vision to be realized. 
Originally slated for basic resurfacing, Garfield Boulevard, a four-lane arterial with excess capacity through an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, was identified as a prime candidate for enhanced multimodal connectivity.
Through coordinated efforts and leveraging diverse funding sources including a Clean Ohio grant, the project scope expanded to a comprehensive streetscape reconstruction. The redesign reduces Garfield Boulevard from four to three lanes, reclaiming approximately 15 feet of existing pavement, transforming Garfield Boulevard into a complete street. This project exemplifies how interagency partnerships and innovative design can transform a routine rehabilitation into a model for sustainable, complete streets through efficient use of public funds.

How do you build a bridge in the middle of a busy tourist area located in the heart of a Village? The structure carrying North Main Street over the Chagrin River in the Village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio is the centerpiece of the Chagrin Falls Triangle Park Historic District and an integral part of the history and identity of the Village of Chagrin Falls. The original bridge is a two-span stone arch structure sitting atop a scenic waterfall and attracts visitors throughout the year. The bridge is part of the Village’s logo and has been featured in several Hollywood movies. The project to rehabilitate the structure required balancing the need to provide a safe and structurally sound bridge true to the area’s historic nature while minimizing the impact to local businesses. After several rounds of public outreach and two different plan iterations, the final solution was developed utilizing precast concrete arches to line both barrels, and new spandrel walls faced with natural sandstone veneer to match the material used on the existing bridge.

McCormick Taylor served as designer and project manager for the St. Mary’s Recreational Trail, delivering a critical shared-use path that resolved long-standing safety issues between St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s main campus and its north field recreational complex. Prior to the project, pedestrians and bicyclists were forced to travel along unpaved shoulders and cross the Wherritts Pond box culvert within MD 5’s travel lanes, conditions that posed significant hazard to students, residents, and River Concert Series attendees. The trail’s design required extensive coordination with Maryland agencies including SHA, MDE, the Critical Area Commission, the USACE, the Coast Guard, the Maryland Historical Trust, and Historic St. Mary’s City due to the project’s location within the St. Mary’s Historic District, Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, and near multiple archaeological and cultural resources.

Session 1: Bridging the Gap with Highway Cap: Reshaping Urban Landscapes without Gentrification

This presentation examines the relationship between highway cap projects and gentrification outcomes across ten projects completed between 1992 and 2016 in nine U.S. cities. Using a quasi-experimental research approach, the study evaluates changes in demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics in surrounding neighborhoods.Session 2: Bridging the Gap: Accessible Design for Separated Bike Lanes at Intersections

Designing accessible intersections with separated bike lanes brings real challenges 
to today’s multimodal street design. Protected intersections create strong safety benefits 
through physical separation from motor vehicle traffic; however, project experience and 
stakeholder feedback show that these designs can still introduce unintended accessibility 
barriers, especially for people with vision disabilities. This presentation highlights emerging 
challenges and opportunities in designing intersections that combine protection, 
predictability, and accessibility.

This presentation will highlight key findings from the ASCE National Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (released March 2025) and the Report Card for Maryland’s Infrastructure (released October 2025). It will provide an overview of the overall grades and category-specific grades, identify major challenges and trends across the nation’s and Maryland’s infrastructure networks, and outline actionable recommendations to strengthen the built environment.

Public involvement directly influences schedule, budget, and the long-term performance of transportation assets. State Departments of Transportation need approaches that reduce risk, support decision making, and build lasting public trust.

We are developing intelligent workflows that transfer information seamlessly from BIM models to analytical models across different platforms, improving precision and reducing manual effort. 
Standardized templates are being created to meet specific agency requirements, enabling 
quick updates to analytical models through structured data inputs. These initiatives help 
streamline modeling, improve data quality, and strengthen integration between digital 
design and analysis. 

Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway is a $3.7 billion public-private partnership (P3) between the VDOT, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), and I-66 Express Mobility Partners (EMP), that delivered transportation improvements along the I-66 corridor in Northern Virginia from I-495 to Route 29 in Gainesville.  

Alternative Project Delivery

Neabsco/Potomac Commuter Parking Garage