AMES, IOWA — A recent study by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center found that portland cement pervious concrete pavement has great potential to reduce roadway noise, improve splash and spray, and improve friction as a surface wearing course. Researchers conducted fundamental material property investigations and then designed and constructed a pervious concrete overlay on the MnROAD Low Volume Road, a cold region pavement test track near Albertville, Minn. 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S Department of Transportation will provide more than $215 million to states across the nation to cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural disasters, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced. Among states that will receive funding, California will receive $43.4 million for flooding and earthquakes, North Dakota will receive $31.5 million for flooding in the Devil's Lake region and Vermont will receive $15.4 million for flooding and damage from Tropical Storm Irene.

  LAUREL, MD. — Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Members of the Congressional and State delegations led a contingent of federal, state, and local officials in opening the next 10-mile segment of Maryland’s Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 by cutting a ceremonial ribbon and taking a test drive on the first portion of the roadway to extend into Prince George’s County. The ICC/MD 200 is an east-west electronically tolled highway connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties that has been in the making for more than half a century.

 COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) chose KPMG, LLP to advise Ohio as it considers ways to possibly use funds from the Ohio Turnpike to cope with shrinking resources to maintain and expand Ohio’s highways. KPMG will help Ohio consider all aspects of the Turnpike to analyze various options, determine which course of action is in the best interest of Ohioans, and make recommendations on how to proceed. The final recommendation could be anything from leaving the Turnpike in its current form; to moving it under ODOT; to leasing it to a private operator; to options Ohio perhaps hasn’t yet considered.

 AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) submitted four applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation, requesting more than $93.8 million in federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) discretionary grant money to advance rail and highway projects across the state.