State departments of transportation (DOTs) have been managing ever larger and complex transportation projects as the nation’s Interstate and highway system is updated to meet future needs.  Many construction projects take place in urban, densely populated areas and, in many cases, within communities that have been traditionally cut off from the benefits of the transportation network and/or negatively impacted by transportation infrastructure. The expectations for state DOTs to provide positive community impacts and mitigate and avoid negative community impacts during construction continue to be high. Examples include providing project-specific, construction-related career development (middle school through post-secondary education), support for participation of local businesses in the construction, mitigation of noise and pollution, ongoing community outreach and communication during the construction project, and the design and implementation of local community-focused project features.

Successful community impact strategies involve skills and expertise not typically included in transportation construction. Research into state DOT practices and requirements related to community impact of construction projects is needed to develop a guide to the adoption and implementation of appropriate community impact strategies during construction.  The information should include recommended strategies and specific practices that would result in successful community impacts from projects that affect them.