Cold Weather Research for Chile
I n Chile, the National Highway Agency faces the challenge of maintaining the International Pass with Argentina, an important road for trade and commerce which lies high in the Andes mountains.
Keeping mountain passes like this open throughout the received a winter is very important in Chile. To learn more about winter maintenance and how to keep passes such as this open, a group of engineers from Chile visited the United States for 2 weeks. The visit was a result of the High-Mountain and Winter Engineering Conference held in Chile in January, which was sponsored by FHWA's Pan American Institute of Highways.
In collaboration with the States and the Office of International Programs, the group visited the highway departments in Colorado, Idaho, and Minnesota. The Chilean delegation was well received; they were able to get some hands-on experience with the latest technologies used in each of the States. While in Minnesota, the team visited with the 3M company and received a day and night presentation on traffic control devices.
The group ended their visit with a 1-day tour of TFHRC. This provided a wonderful opportunity to complete a visit that was focused on state-of-the-practice technology with a quick view of state-of-the-art and futuristic technologies.
-- Greg Speier, (703) 235- 0549.
