National Resource Center
Technology & Innovation Funding Program
FY03 Nomination Form
State/Division/RC:
Colorado Department of Transportation
FHWA Nominator:
Scott Sands
Project Name:
High Wind Warning System
Project Description:
Project Date:
Remote weather monitors provide high wind data to the Colorado Traffic Operations Center.
The TOC disseminates this information through DMS’s, the Web, and fax to the Ports of
Entry and trucking company dispatchers. The weather stations will activate pager beacons
on static warning signs, notify TOC operators and recommend warning messages to be
placed on area DMSs.
Spring 2003
Project Geographical
Location:
I-25 near Walsenburg, Colorado between milepoint 42-52.
State Champion(s):
ITS Branch of CDOT
Partner(s): is this a multi-effort?
Project Focus and
Purpose? Please provide a brief
description of the activity/project or
initiative
Supports National Strategic
Plan, FHWA Goal(s) or High
Priority Areas? Please provide
a brief description.
A recent CDOT Safety Analysis (attached) identified a ten-mile segment on I-25 with
increased numbers of truck related accidents caused by high winds. Currently, there is a
weather station and DMS on both ends of the segment, and the segment is between two Ports
of Entry. The project proposes to deploy 2 – 3 additional wind detection units and 4 – 6
static warning signs with pager-activated flashing beacons mounted on them. Upon detection
of winds or sustained gusts above a pre-established threshold, the system will activate the
flashing beacons on the warning signs, notify TOC operators and recommend messages to be
placed on are DMSs. The information will also be posted to the web site and faxed to
trucking companies and to the Ports of Entry.
This project/system directly supports the goals as identified in the joint FHWA ITS America
Ten-Year ITS Program Plan in the following areas.
In the area of Safety the project helps to: “Prevent crashes in large numbers through
technology that improves the performance of drivers, vehicles and the infrastructure.” and
“Enables communication and cooperation between vehicles and the infrastructure, to allow
vehicle performance to adapt to changing traffic patterns, weather conditions and
topographic features.”
In the area of Efficiency/Economy the project helps to: “Deliver faster, more accurate and
comprehensive travel information via more media to more users to enable decision making
on whether to make a trip, when to start and what mode of transportation to use.”
In the area of Energy/Environment the project helps to: “Use location-based road condition
and weather information to help make vehicles more operationally efficient.”
The project also directly supports the following Programmatic Themes identified in the TenYear ITS Program Plan: P-1, An Integrated Network of Transportation Information, P-2,
Advanced Crash Avoidance Technologies and P-4, Advanced Transportation Management.
Project Type:
Project/Product
(Project/Product, Workshop/Meeting
or Marketing)
Expected Outcomes,
Benefits and/or Results:
Estimated Total Cost for
Initiative:
Source of Other Funds or
Sponsors:
There will be a significant reduction of wind-related rollover accidents by trucks and high
profile vehicles on this segment of I-25. Commercial carriers will benefit from improved and
automated road weather information, which will translate into increased safety and mobility
for their operations with a direct secondary benefit to motoring public due to reduced truck
accidents.
$75,000
CDOT State funds.
Amount of T2 Funds
Requested: $50,000