Background: Highway authorities world-wide share many common concerns in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of highway systems. Most developed nations also support programs of research and development (R&D) on highway issues. The potential for information sharing and technology transfer is great. Coordination of research in the United States has focused primarily on technology transfer and information dissemination among the large and diverse community of state and local highway agencies within this country. There is a need to utilize a systematic exchange mechanism to learn from counterparts abroad, where many new developments have been tested and successfully used for highways.

Objective: The NCHRP 20-36 Project provides a coordinated approach to international information sharing and technology exchange. The project activities have a much broader scope than the typical NCHRP project in encompassing exchanges on all facets of highway technology, policy and management with our international partners. The project’s overall objective is to improve highway safety, development, maintenance and operations through dissemination of innovative technology and successful practices from around the globe. Such process enhances the roles of AASHTO, TRB and FHWA in providing coordinated leadership for the exchange of international highway research and development, and provides state departments of transportation with information on practices and technologies that could help accrue technical and economic benefits.

Tasks: The project objective is achieved through AASHTO delegates’ participation on international technology scans which bring back innovations that can serve U.S. transportation needs. The project also supports state participation on technical committees of the World Road Association (PIARC), and on committees of the Joint OECD/ECMT Transportation Research Program, and enables state DOT officials to be represented at major international conferences such as the ITS World Road Congress. The project also sponsors visits of foreign transportation experts and professionals to learn about practices and technologies of potential benefit to state highway agencies. The benefits derived from these efforts result in cost-savings, improved safety and facilitation of transportation development and operations in the United States.

Status: The project supports a number of activities, including state DOT delegates’ participation on international highway and technology research scans and as technical committee members of the World Road Association. In addition, project funds enable AASHTO delegates to present technical papers at conferences and symposia held outside of the United States, and other activities recommended by the project panel.

Five international scans were completed in 2004 on the following topics: Prefabricated Bridges, Construction Management, Performance Measures, Roadway Human Factors and Behavioral Safety, and Quiet Pavements. In addition, the program funded a delegation of AASHTO representatives’ participation in the ITS World Congress held in Nagoya, Japan.

In 2005, five international scans were completed on the following topics: Safety Applications of ITS, Traffic Incident Response, Transportation Asset Management, Managing Traffic Congestion and Demand, and Underground Highway Systems/Protection Against Terrorism.  In addition, a scan to China was conducted in 2005.  The main objective of this scan was to gain a policy level appreciation of what China is doing to modernize and develop its transportation system, with the primary focus on highways; policy approach: scale and pace of modernizing China’s transportation system (highways); use of ITS technology; relationship between national, provincial, city and local governments in regards to planning, financing and constructing transportation systems (highways).