Research Pays Off: Developing and Implementing a Rockfall Management System and Mitigation Program for Tennessee

Rockfall management at the Tennessee Department of Transportation (DOT) historically was reactive. This approach did not make the best use of resources, and no mechanism was in place to approach the problem on a statewide basis. Tennessee therefore initiated a research project to develop a hazard rating system for the state and to produce a statewide map of sites. In 2008, Tennessee DOT used the rockfall hazard inventory, database, geographic information systems map, photographs, and other data to launch a rockfall mitigation program.

The rockfall management system has allowed Tennessee DOT to approach rockfall issues as a statewide problem and to apply resources in a rational way. Tennessee DOT plans to expand the database and web-based GIS to other geohazards such as sinkholes, landslides, and settlement areas, and to store the electronic data and the interactive map in a central location. The statewide map and system developed under this research project have allowed Tennessee DOT to implement a new management program and to improve tools, enhancing staff efficiency and ensuring safer roadways for motorists.