Photo by David Adams; courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Resources Available Related to the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Last week's tragedy in Baltimore at the Francis Scott Key Bridge enforces how crucial civil and structural engineering are to the nation's safety and economy.

TRB and the National Academies have helpful, relevant collections of resources on:

• Transportation emergencies
• Safe bridge design and construction
• Collisions involving bridges

Important Update to TRB Annual Meeting Paper Process

The Technical Activities Division has reevaluated the previous instruction related to TRB Annual Meeting submissions. For the 2025 TRB Annual Meeting, full-length research papers will be required for paper review. We are also still exploring short-format submissions for content required by our sponsors and meeting attendees. More information regarding the short-format content will be provided by April 30.

How Curves Affect Rural Highway Traffic Crashes

A research article from TRB's Transportation Research Record journal examined several curve features that increase the risk of single-vehicle crashes on rural highways. These include sharp curves, those with low-design speeds, and compound curves where the road bends multiple times. Sage Perspectives details how these characteristics affect the likelihood of traffic crashes.

April 9 - Attend the National Academies Navigating the AI Landscape: Strategies for State and Local Leaders webinar online. For state and local decision-makers, embracing this innovation comes with the responsibility to balance ethical considerations, public trust, and the equitable distribution of benefits in balance with various policies and laws. This webinar is openly available.

Various kinds of fenders can be included in bridge design, and one member of the National Academy of Engineering tells The New York Times that they Key Bridge in Baltimore may not have had strong enough fenders before its collapse.

Despite the possibilities with AI, humans are likely to remain a necessary key component of air traffic control for a long time to come, notes TRB Volunteer Amy Pritchett in Wings Magazine.

After the 2017 eclipse, traffic congestion lasted for up to 13 hours afterwards, reports Axios Indianapolis, citing TRB's TR News magazine.