VOLUME XXVI NO. I SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WINTER 2013 Secretary St. Onge presents 2013 State of SCDOT Report By Pete Poore ecretary of Transportation Robert St. Onge presented the 2013 State Sof SCDOT Report to the Senate Transportation Committee at its meeting on Jan. 16, 2013, in Columbia. Members of the Committee were there to hear about the financial health of the agency and the status of the state’s high- way system. St. Onge touched on a number of key areas including an update on the agency’s management reorganization, the condition and safety of the state highway system, the financial resources available as they relate to planning for the future, as well as current system needs and how transporta- tion infrastructure supports economic de- velopment. “SCDOT’s financial management is back on track,” St. Onge told the Com- mittee. He cited several key factors for the quick turnaround: • Invoices are paid within 30 calendar days or earlier. • All debt service including payments to the SC Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SCTIB) are on time. • Key personnel changes have been made to attain a solid financial manage- ment posture. • Implementation of SCEIS continues successfully. • SCDOT has established regular Pro- gram and Resource Analysis Meetings PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROB THOMPSON/THE CONNECTOR (PRAM) to ensure that financial resources In 2013, SCDOT continues the job of overcoming the challenges of reducing congestion on the highways and are available to fund the projected project bringing the condition of the roads and bridges up to “good,” while having limited resources to take on these schedules. tasks. • A two-year forward-looking cash vehicle and equipment needs as well,” St. ranks as the 4th largest state-maintained • 14 highway preservation projects to flow model has been developed. Onge said. He also reported that a Cus- system in the country. He pointed to the extend the life of 250 centerline miles. The Committee heard about other sig- tomer Service Center had been put into accomplishments of 2012 which included: nificant long-term procedures that had operation in mid-2012 to better serve the • Completion of 218 construction been put in place. “The agency has an in- public. projects. house task force analyzing the workforce St. Onge reviewed the current situation • 86 of those projects were resurfacing See STATE OF SCDOT page 19 requirements. The task force is evaluating for South Carolina’s highway system that projects. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Bridges repaired ..............................................6-7 Maintenance Foremen ...............................16-18 Radio interviews bridge inspectors ..............8-9 Auditorium renovations ..............................20-21 New Commissioners, new Chairman ............2 SC Unified Certification Program ...................12 Briefs .................................................................22 Traffic sensing cameras ..................................3 Promotions ........................................................14 District Pages ..............................................23-30 Southeastern Maintenance Conference .........5 Retirements, Deaths .........................................15 Caught Doing Good .........................................31 2 SCDOT l THE CONNECTOR l WINTER 2013 Two new members join SCDOT Commission Edwards elected Chairman, Rearden elected Vice Chairman here are two new ber of the Commission for In February, Edwards will members on the the remainder of his term, succeed Chairman R. Eddie SCDOT Com- which concludes in 2014. Adams, who will continue Winner of awards from S.C. Division, Public Relations Society of Tmission. to serve as Commissioner America; Carolinas Association of Business Communicators; S.C. representing the 3rd Con- Press Association and AASHTO. gressional District. Editor: Stan Shealy Photography / Layout Editor: Rob Thompson Editorial Board: Pete Poore, Bob Kudelka, Jane Mayberry, Bonnie Cramer, Tasha Crumpton, Peter Tarpley, Zoe Cook and Cody Crouch. The Connector is an employee article. For inquiries regarding news newspaper of the South Carolina copy, telephone (803) 737-1270. Department of Transportation. All All materials submitted become the John P. Edwards news items may be reproduced property of SCDOT unless their Chad G. Ingram Commission Chairman with credit to The Connector or the return is stipulated. The Connector 2nd Congressional source. News, photos and informa- is distributed free by mail to employ- District SCDOT Commission- Harrison Rearden tion to appear in The Connector ees and to er John P. Edwards was Commission Vice should be submitted to Stan Shealy, others upon Chad Ingram repre- elected Chairman of the Chairman Office of Communications, S.C. request. sents the 2nd Congressional Commission. Department of Transportation, P.O. Robert J. District. Ingram, of Aiken, Edwards, who repre- Commissioner Har- Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202, no St. Onge Jr. is president and CEO of sents the 4th Congressional rison Rearden, represent- less than three weeks prior to date is the South South Carolina of publication. Copy should include Carolina Secretary Press Association Garvin Oil Company Inc. District, was elected by ac- ing the 6th Congressional Associate Member clamation during the Jan. District, was elected Vice the name and phone number of the of Transportation. 17 Commission meeting. Chairman. source or person submitting the The South Carolina Department Mike Wooten of 7th Congressional District Transportation Jim Rozier Chad G. Ingram Eddie Adams John P. Edwards Mike Wooten is the first Commission 1st Congressional 2nd Congressional 3rd Congressional 4th Congressional Commissioner to represent District District District District the newly formed 7th Con- gressional District. Wooten, of Murrells Inlet, is presi- dent and founder of DDC Engineers, Inc., in Myrtle Beach. Because of reappor- tionment, Commissioner Craig Forrest no longer resides in the 2nd Congres- sional District. Forrest will serve as an at-large mem- W.B. Cook Harrison Rearden Mike Wooten Clifton Parker J. Craig Forrest 5th Congressional 6th Congressional 7th Congressional Commissioner Commissioner District District District At-Large At-Large SCDOT l THE CONNECTOR l WINTER 2013 3 Cameras getting the green light at SCDOT By Bob Kudelka for green. “People get frustrated if they don’t get their arrow or can’t pull out of a side street because they haven’t CDOT is tapping into a new way of solving been detected,” Langland said. an old issue: who gets the green light at an There are 4,000 state-owned intersections with Sintersection and for how long. signals statewide. As of December, there were 400 After decades of relying on embedded loops in video detection cameras installed at 200 locations, the pavement to trigger traffic signals, the agency Langland said. is installing video detection cameras more than ever The video detection cameras are white, 14 inch- before. es long and 3 inches in diameter, and housed in a The reason: the traditional loops are expensive weatherproof container with a sun visor. They are to maintain, while cameras in some areas can do a usually mounted on a signal support pole on the side more accurate job with less upkeep. of the road, 30 feet above ground. “They’re easier to install and they don’t require The cameras work by “memorizing” a static as much traffic control,” said Patty Langland, who background and recognizing when there is a change works with Traffic Engineering’s Signals and Sys- (vehicle) to that background image. tems group. “I think this is the new wave of detect- Internal software is used to set up “zones” drawn ing vehicles. They seem to be working very well.” on the computer in the image captured by the cam- Langland studies traffic signals with co-workers era. When a vehicle goes through the zones, it trig- Pierre Rambharose, Mark Sheetz, Minhkhai gers the camera and sends a signal to the signal con- Nguyen and Joey Lucas. It’s headed up by State troller. Signals and Systems Engineer, Carol Jones. “Video detection is ideally used in design where Making intersections more efficient not only the area is well lit, have mast arms, low speed/down- means less waiting for motorists, but better gas town locations, or a history of pavement problems,” mileage and less pollution. Langland said. “We also use it temporarily during Traditional vehicle detection at intersections has construction projects until loops can be installed.” been done using in-road wire inductance loops. A The cameras work day or night, but one weather loop of wire, buried in the road about 2 ½ inches condition can be troublesome: fog. When that oc- deep, along an area of 6 feet by 30 feet. curs, the signals switch automatically to “safe The loops detect metal objects by the change in mode” to give a maximum green light time for each inductance (similar to a magnetic field) when a ve- approach. hicle drives over the loop, sending a message to the And while some people wonder whether the signal control box at the intersection to determine cameras are installed for surveillance, that is not the which traffic gets the green light and for how long. case, Langland said. Problems occur because wire loops are suscep- “They don’t record anything,” she said. “They tible to changes in pavement (asphalt shifts or heav- get set in a certain position and see traffic from that ily traveled sections) as well as inadvertent cuts by direction.” utilities. Either way, when the loops find their way While video cameras