Rapid Response Techniques for Adverse Weather and Climate Events Affecting Work Zones

While 2020 will certainly be remembered for the Covid-19 pandemic, it was also a year of heavy damage from adverse weather and climate events. In the US, these included an unprecedented 22 events that each caused damage in excess of $1 billion. These included a record-breaking 10.2 million acres burned by wildfires in the West, along with hurricanes, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, a derecho, and other severe storms in the Midwest, South, and East. When such an event coincides with roadway construction, access to communities can be severed and it can become all but impossible for residents to evacuate or first responders to reach the stricken area. This presentation is the first in a two-part series that will help agencies and contractors prepare for the combined effects of construction and adverse weather/climate events. The presentation will present a toolbox of rapid response construction techniques for quickly restoring access to cut-off areas. A second workshop, planned to follow in May, will discuss strategic planning for rapid response in construction transportation management plans (TMPs).