Michigan Prepares Transportation System for Climate Change

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) examined the stabilization of the highway system under future conditions. Road washouts are a safety concert and expensive, costing the transportation agency and the local economy. Closure of a typical freeway section during peak traffic periods can lose up to $200,000 in economic activity per hour.
With predictions of higher temperatures for longer periods, the rate of road deterioration can cause rutting, buckling and other pavement damage. MDOT looked at a variety of areas including construction practices and materials, preventing slope erosion, system operations, and route relocation.