2011 APWA and PNS North American Snow Conference April 2011 1 Public Infrastructure and Climate Change – ADOT/PF • The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) manages the State’s transportation infrastructure in a very challenging environment • Many facilities in the Alaska’s interior, northern, and southwest regions are underlain by ice-rich permafrost Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities • Over 14,000 Miles of Public Roadway • Over 5,600 Miles of State owned road • 845 Bridges • 257 Rural Airports • 28 Harbors • 720 Buildings (DOT owned or managed) • Alaska Marine Hwy System 33 ports of call 11 vessels 3,500 miles Maintenance and Operations • Over 1150 M&O Employees Statewide • 80 Maintenance Stations • Over 150 Rural Airport Contractors Contractors • 3944 Pieces of Equipment • $144M Operating Budget • $50M FHWA PM Program • $5-10M FAA Surface Maintenance • $3-20M Deferred Maintenance Alaska Compared to the Continental U.S.A. Barrow = Duluth, Minnesota Ketchikan = Jacksonville, Florida Nome = Omaha, Nebraska Akutan = El Paso, Texas Climate Change Impacts • Melting/Warming permafrost • Increased storm frequencies and intensity • Increased Coastal erosion Increased Coastal erosion due to lack of sea-ice • Increased river and shore erosion • Sea-level rise • Increasing temperatures
Transcript
2011 APWA and PNS North American Snow Conference
April 2011
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Public Infrastructure and Climate Change – ADOT/PF
• The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) manages the State’s transportation infrastructure in a very challenging environment
• Many facilities in the Alaska’s interior, northern, and southwest regions are underlain by ice-rich permafrost
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
• Over 14,000 Miles of Public Roadway
• Over 5,600 Miles of State owned road
• 845 Bridges
• 257 Rural Airports
• 28 Harbors
• 720 Buildings (DOT owned or managed)
• Alaska Marine Hwy System 33 ports of call
11 vessels
3,500 miles
Maintenance and Operations• Over 1150 M&O Employees
• Changes in timing, frequency, form and/or intensity of precipitation may cause related and increasing natural processes, including:processes, including: Debris flows Avalanches Floods
• Significantly increases M&O costs
Increased Storm Frequencies and Intensities
• Coastal communities and their infrastructure are vulnerable to accelerated coastal erosion due to storm activity and wave action eroding shorelines once protected by shore-fast sea ice
Loss of Shore-fast Sea Ice
Open Water Jan 2007 Open Water Feb 2006
Loss of Shore-fast Sea Ice
• Erosion rate: These two photos were taken 2 hours apart, note the ATV tracks in the road (note the 55 gallon barrel). This road no longer exists.
• In 1997, Shishmaref lost 125 feet of beach in a single storm
Flooding Flooding
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Eagle/Yukon River Ice Jam
EAGLE/ YUKON RIVER ICE JAM/ FLOOD MAY 09 DISASTER EVENT
The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam• A long cold winter
combined with higher than usual snow pack (up to 150% of normal), higher than usual ice fformation on the river (up to 140% of normal) and several days of unseasonably warm weather, which caused rapid melting and ice movement downstream on the Yukon
The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam
EAGLE/ YUKON RIVER ICEJAM/ FLOOD MAY 09 DISASTER EVENT SITREP 05.11.09
- 2-
The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam
Before After
The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam
Before After
The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam
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The Eagle Flood/Ice Dam Taylor Highway Flooding 2010• Three significant rainfall and flooding
events occurred in just over three weeks in the Fortymile River and adjacent American Creek basins during July 2010. To have three weather systems of this magnitude impact this otherwise climatologically dry region in such a short period of time is highly unusual and unprecedented. Several weather stations along the Taylor Highway reported close to their annual average precipitation during this period.
• Annual precipitation in the region is between 10-12 inches, so roughly one quarter of the annual precipitation fell in just over a day.
Taylor Highway Flooding 2010 General Warming Trend
A longer seasonal transition period from fall to winter and winter to spring may require a different and potentially more costly approach to snow and ice control
General Warming Trend
• The continued warming trend will likely result in the increase in erosion of shorelines and riverbanks which will impact any facility constructedfacility constructed adjacent to the waterbody
• Aufeis problems will likely increase as melt water flows out of warming zones of permafrost, requiring additional maintenance
General Warming Trend -Aufeis
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General Warming Trend
• Warming temperatures are altering the blend of vegetative growth on the North Slope of AlaskaAlaska
• Increasing temperatures will allow a variety of invasive plants and insects to prosper in Alaska
University of Minnesota Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory
• Snowplow and snow blower in use at Thompson Pass
• Smart Fire Rescue Vehicle and a SmartVehicle and a Smart Snow Plow in use at Deadhorse Airport
• Snowplow and snow blower at Valdez, which will be deployed this year
Smart Vehicle Technology
High Accuracy Differential Global Positing System ( HA-DGPS) which through the signal processor and display technology gives the operator a virtual view of the highway
Head-up-display provides a virtual view of the highwayp p y p g y The System’s ability to provide visual, heuristic, and
audible indicators to aid the operator with lane assistance during reduced or zero visibility conditions due to snow, blowing snow, ice fog or smoke
Advanced radar which is integrated into the system displays the position of other vehicles and aircraft on the head-up-display providing position, distance and closure rate
Smart Vehicle Operations The System provides a virtual moving map of the
highway:
centerline fog lines (which go from white to red when crossed) intersections intersections dividers turn lanes rumble strips guardrail radar image (which gets larger and flashes if closure
rate is high)
Radar Receiver
GPS AntennaVHF DGPS Antenna
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Head-up-display Image Combiner
Projector
Projector screen with reversed image
Smart Vehicle Benefits
• By equipping our snowplows, snow blowers and a Fire Truck we are able to reduce operator stress, reduce guardrail/equipment damage, conduct safer and more efficient snow & ice control and rescue operations
Alaska DOT/PF Next Steps• Installation of 2nd
differential base station/tower (to be located at weigh station just east of Valdez) to be completed this summer
• Will then• Will then
Upgrade 2 vehicles
Install system on 3 additional vehicles
• System engineering complete and approved
• Environmental study for tower complete and approved
Smart Vehicle Project Cost
• Cost
• Phase I - $244,800.00
• Equip 2 trucks
• Differential GPS Station
• Cost
• Phase II - $550,478.00
• Equip 3 trucks
• Antenna Tower• Differential GPS Station
• Electronic Map Highway
• Antenna Tower Foundation and 120’ Tower
• Differential GPS Station, Integration of vehicles and stations
• Electronic Map Highway
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Alaska Communities at Risk• The USACE has identified
over 180 communities that are threatened by erosionerosion
Administrative Order 23814 September 2007
Established Alaska Climate Change Sub-Cabinet
Alaska Climate Change StrategyAdaptation Mitigation & ResearchAdaptation, Mitigation, & Research
Needs
Quick ActionImmediate Action Workgroup
A Model for Working with Communities through Interagency Partnership and Meaningful Local Involvement
IAWG Mission• To close a planning and
execution gap identified by the Governor and the Congressional delegation by creating a unifying y g y gmechanism to assist the communities of Newtok, Shishmaref, Kivalina, Koyukuk, Unalakleet, and Shaktoolik.
Six Communities in Jeopardy
• Kivalina*• Shishmaref*
N t k*• Newtok*
• Unalakleet • Koyukuk • Shaktoolik
* Have already begun relocation plans
Newtok Relocation Example
Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Group
Governor
Governor’s Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change
Technical Work Groups for Adaptation Advisory Group
Immediate ActionWork Group Research Needs
Work Group
MitigationAdvisory Group
Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Group
• Appointed Members
NaturalSystems Technical
Work Group
• Appointed Members
Public Infrastructure
Technical Work Group
• Existing & new infrastructure, assess
design standards,retrofits, repairs, etc.
• Appointed Members
EconomicActivitiesTechnical
Work Group
•DOD response to opening of northern shipping routes& expansion of resource
development in Arctic
• Appointed Members
Health & Culture
TechnicalWork Group
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Components of the Alaska Climate Change Strategy
Overview of Public Infrastructure
Policy Recommendations:
• Create a Coordinated and Accessible Statewide• Create a Coordinated and Accessible Statewide System for Key Data Collection, Analysis, and Monitoring
• Promote Improvements that Use the Current Best Practices
• Build to Last; Build Resiliency into Alaska’s Public Infrastructure
Sustainable InfrastructureThat supports communitiesIn an uncertain environment
Components of the Alaska Climate Change Strategy
The recommended adaptation options are designed as an integrated system. The three policies (in the triangle) build upon and support one another. Process of continued, routine communication and feedback is essential to adapt and refine actions taken over time.
IntegratedCoordinated
Decision making
Updated key data analysis, aligned research and modeling outcomes
Create a Statewide System for Key Data Collection, Analysis, Monitoring & Access
Promote Improvements thatUse Current Best Practices
Build to Last,Build in Resiliency
PerformanceFeedback
Components of the Alaska Climate Change Strategy
•• Adaptive Capacity for Existing Infrastructure is Low Adaptive Capacity for Existing Infrastructure is Low
-Public infrastructure is fixed, doesn’t lend itself well to revised alignment, elevation, or structural foundation.
-When modification is possible it is typically very expensiveexpensive.
• New Construction Provides More Opportunity to Incorporate Adaptive Techniques
-High potential for adaptive capacity in new infrastructure and construction through planning for projected climatic changes and updated design and siting.
