Modeling of the statewide transportation system is an important element in understanding issues and programming of funds to thwart potential congestion. As Alabama grows its manufacturing economy, the number of heavy vehicles traversing its highways will continue to rise, straining its already limited infrastructure. This project looks to improve existing modeling tools and develop future forecasts of roadway demand as a means to glimpse the future highway demand and identify locations where the existing level of roadway infrastructure in Alabama would be unable to handle the future demand. This involves modeling future growth scenarios and analyzing the traffic congestion arising from the scenarios. The results from this project include the identification of key congestion chokepoint locations in the existing infrastructure when facing the future demand and the creation of a modeling tool that can be used effectively to examine alternative scenarios in the future.

UTCA – Modeling Truck Traffic Volume Growth Congestion