Skip to main content

Joint venture to conduct US road study

A joint venture comprising Cambridge Systematics and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff will carry out a major Interstate study for the US. The joint venture partners were selected by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies). The future interstate study is mandated in Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST Act). The FAST Act calls for the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board (TRB) to conduct “... a study on the actions needed to upgrade a
January 3, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
RSSA joint venture comprising 8563 Cambridge Systematics and 2782 WSP | 2693 Parsons Brinckerhoff will carry out a major Interstate study for the US. The joint venture partners were selected by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies). The future interstate study is mandated in Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST Act).

The FAST Act calls for the National Academies’ 2774 Transportation Research Board (TRB) to conduct “... a study on the actions needed to upgrade and restore the Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways to its role as a premier system that meets the growing and shifting demands of the 21st century.”

The Interstate highway system comprises only 1.2% of the total distance of the US public road system, but handles nearly 25% of the total vehicle distance travelled annually and carries close to 40% of the total truck traffic. However the interstate network is ageing rapidly and a comprehensive study is needed to understand future needs.

The TRB study will be conducted by a committee of the National Academies with balanced expertise in transportation issues. In support of the future interstate study, the joint venture of Cambridge Systematics and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff will conduct case study analysis and modelling to explore the impact of changing travel and technology trends, and their implications for the future of the interstate highway system. The study will also draw from information provided by the highway industry, including highway owners, operators and users of the system, associations, private-sector stakeholders, and academia, among others. The study is expected to be completed in late 2018. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Increase in distances driven in the US
    February 23, 2016
    Drivers in the US have set a new record for total distance travelled. New data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) show that US driving reached 5.0368 trillion km (3.148 trillion miles) by the end of 2015, beating the previous record of 4.8048 trillion km (3.003 trillion miles) in 2007.
  • The IRF Geneva signs memorandum of Understanding with the Transportation Research Board (TRB)
    May 10, 2018
    Last November, at the IRF World Road Meeting in Delhi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Tranportation Research Board Executive Director Neil Pedersen, Kiran K Kapila, chairman of the International Road Federation (IRF) in Geneva, and Susanna Zammataro, IRF Geneva Executive Director. TRB and IRF Geneva share mutual organisational objectives, and this MoU provides a conceptual framework for partnership to share knowledge, improve implementation of innovative solutions, disseminate good pract
  • GRAA focuses on winning project profile: Brisbane Airport Link, Northern Busway & Airport
    May 19, 2014
    The revolutionary AUD$4.8 billion Airport Link has delivered a landmark infrastructure project for Australia, tackling traffic congestion, enhancing the busway network and removing an infamous traffic bottleneck through an innovative and inspired design. The Airport Link in Brisbane, Australia included three separate projects – the Northern Busway (a 3km two-way dedicated busway), the Airport Roundabout Upgrade and the AirportlinkM7 (a 6.7km toll road including 5.2km of tunnel). Together, they represent the
  • Balfor Beatty selling Parsons Brinckerhoff to WSP Global
    September 5, 2014
    Balfour Beatty is selling its Parsons Brinckerhoff business to WSP Global for US$1.3525 billion (£820 million). Part of the agreement is that $110 million (£67 million) being retained within Parsons Brinckerhoff. With the acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff, WSP becomes one of the world’s largest professional services firms. The deal increases WSP’s presence across global emerging markets in Asia and Australasia as well as providing opportunities in the UK market, where Parsons Brinckerhoff is well-establis