FHWA Teams Up To Ensure National Defense Mobility
How well can the Nation’s highway infrastructure support a national
defense mobilization? One of the Federal Highway Administration’s
(FHWA) strategic goals is to “Improve the Nation’s National
Defense Mobility,” which includes the objective of improving “the
capacity and operations of the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET)
and STRAHNET connectors to support defense mobility.” The STRAHNET
routes are designed to readily accommodate the movement of military
supplies and personnel in times of national emergency. To test STRAHNET
readiness, a U.S. Department of Transportation Intermodal Planning Advisory
Group (IPAG), led by FHWA, analyzed the Southeast region’s transportation
infrastructure preparedness.
Following more than a year of data collection and study, the group’s
final report is now available on CD-ROM. “This study will help
bring Federal agencies and States together for national security readiness,”
says Robert Radics of FHWA’s Southern Resource Center and the pilot
study leader.
 |
| To test the preparedness of the Nation's Strategic Highway
Network, a pilot study looked at the readiness of the Southeast
region (highlighted above). |
The IPAG, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration,
the Military Traffic Management Command’s Transportation Engineering
Agency, and various State departments of transportation, conducted a
pilot study of the infrastructure readiness of six “fort to port”
routes in the Southeast. These routes included Fort Campbell, Kentucky,
to Jacksonville, Florida, and Fort Benning/Fort Stewart, Georgia, to
Savannah. The team’s three goals were to:
- Determine if the routes previously selected for the STRAHNET and
its connectors are the best available routes to support fort to port
deployment.
- Document how prepared the STRAHNET and its connectors are to handle
a major deployment.
- Develop generic procedures for all States and regions that define
the participants, issues, and methodology that should be considered
for STRAHNET analyses.
The report concluded that, with minor exceptions, the Southeast STRAHNET
was ready to support a major deployment. Recommendations included adding
national security more STRAHNET connector roads in some cases and, in
a few other cases, changing the designated connector roads and primary
routes to better handle traffic flow. The field evaluations also found
that short roadway sections providing access to ports were often in
need of repair.
The report recommends procedures for other States and regions to follow
if they should decide to conduct similar STRAHNET analyses. These recommendations
range from how to get the study started to advice on data verification
and report preparation. Detailed information on the team’s procedures
and methods are included as appendices to the report.
For more information on the pilot study or to obtain a copy of the
final report on CD-ROM, contact Robert Radics at FHWA, 404-562-3692
(email: robert.radics@fhwa.dot.gov).
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Articles in this issue:
After 9/11:Making Transportation Security a Way of
Life
New Initiatives Launched To Increase Structure Security
Sustaining a Qualified Transportation Workforce
FHWA Teams Up To Ensure National Defense Mobility
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