The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently released a video highlighting new research that is helping the agency provide more specific guidance during high wind-related closures of state highways and other roads.
[Above photo by Wyoming DOT]
The Wyoming DOT noted in the video that the “blow-over risk” posed by high winds on state roadways is dependent on several factors: vehicle shape and size; load weight and distribution; road geometry; road surface condition; driver experience; and, of course, wind direction and speed.
Vince Garcia, the agency’s GIS/ITS manager, noted that new data analytics capability is allowing Wyoming DOT to issue more accurate and timely high wind warnings and closure notices.
“We didn’t issue weight-based [vehicle] closures in the past, because we didn’t have the research available to us to make these decisions,” he said. “But the University of Wyoming has done some fantastic research on this issue. We are using that to make better decisions and improvements to our systems.”
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