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Just-in-time
use of Portable Highway Advisory Radio Stations helped the
Montana Department of Transportation manage traffic, while
wildfires raged.
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Living at
disaster's door meant the Montana Department of Transportation
(MDT) had to be prepared for fires this fall that unexpectedly
endangered motorists' lives. So MDT called United Rentals'
Alpine Construction Branch (UR) into service, leasing 3
RoadRunnR® Portable Highway Advisory Radio (HAR)
Systems to help manage traffic in fire-ravaged areas. ISS
interviewed UR's Jeff Hollenback to learn how the units were
used to forestall the emergency.
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 The American Dream to
many means moving to a wilderness area. There, unfortunately, unpredictable wildfires
often wipe out huge sections of landscape and endanger lives.
The
encroachment by people into the untamed natural settings of Montana
sporadically poses special new challenges for the Department of Transportation
and the National Forest Service, two government agencies charged
with serving and protecting. Raging fires across the North
and West now routinely make the news, along with other natural
disasters (hurricanes and floods). These events insinuate
themselves more and more often into the lives of an ever-growing
population seeking the dream of living close to nature —
perhaps too close.
Last fall, as fires neared Missoula,
George Schwartz of the Montana Department of Transportation
contacted UR's Alpine Construction Branch for assistance.
In the nick of time, the supplier provided portable RoadRunnR
units from Michigan's Information Station Specialists to help
divert traffic around the forest fires south of the city.
Relates Jeff Hollenback, UR branch
manager, "The fires were burning across . 
. . Highways 93 and 12, which resulted in . . . road
closures and delays. When the road was open, traffic was .
. . escorted through by pilot cars, due to low visibility.
[In response, we] placed portable units
on US Highway 93 near the junction of Highway 12 at Lolo,
Montana, and south of Darby, Montana, on 93." MDT
managed the messages for these HARs, which related to
"the current status of road closures and delays on Highway
93 and Highway 12," according to Hollenback.
Although MDT and the Forest Service
can't prevent naturally occurring disasters like forest fires,
with the help of portable ISS RoadRunnR HARs, they can
diminish the imminent human danger posed — just in time and
for as long as needed. |
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