Overcoming Infrastructure Challenges: How Technology is Transforming Transportation

When Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed in March 2024 after it was struck by a container ship, it provided a harrowing – and deadly – demonstration of the fragility of aging U.S. infrastructure.

The danger of aging infrastructure is compounded by workforce shortages, funding constraints and increasing demands, pushing transportation agencies at all levels—whether a municipality, city, county, or state department of transportation—to look for smarter, more efficient ways to design, build, and maintain critical infrastructure. The growing need for collaboration, digital workflows, and data-driven decision-making is reshaping the way agencies approach transportation projects.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate the ways data and digital tools can support rehabilitation and maintenance strategies for aging infrastructure
• Review strategies to do more with less while ensuring safe, efficient infrastructure
• Delineate steps to improve collaboration and project delivery, maintain regulatory compliance, and reduce rework
• Outline the use of digital technology to bridge workforce gaps and enhance productivity