Data-Driven Asset Management in the Present and Future of the WVDOT
The West Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) is underway with the implementation of two major plans, Governor Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity Program and his Secondary Roads Initiative. With these initiatives, there is a need for the DOT to update all Road Inventory Logs for accuracy to aid in the DOT’s planning of future paving programs and projects. In addition, it is also needed to meet the requirements of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) and the newly implemented Transportation Asset Management Plan.
To develop the roadway data for asset management, in 2018 the DOT entered into a 5-year, $5.8 million contract with a consultant to provide statewide pavement data collection services. DOT is using the collected digital roadway images to extract all bridges, roadway signs, roadway lighting and guardrail to build an accurate inventory of the current roadway system. In the future, the DOT plans to collect data on retaining walls and pipe/drainage structures. This data collection will empower the DOT to make efficient, cost-effective decisions in roadway planning for many years to come.
Other data-driven projects undertaken by the DOT include the landslide hazard management system, municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramp program. The landslide hazard management system will allow safety monitoring of critical landslides over time that will provide cost savings due to early detection and proactive remediation of slip-prone areas. As for the MS4s and ADA programs, annual data collection and monitoring allow DOT to ensure we remain in compliance with program requirements.
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