NDSU transportation and logistics student Mingwei Guo presented his work on the Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool at the Geographic Information Systems for Transportation Symposium in Little Rock, Arkansas, March 19-22.

His paper, “Analytical Research on Minor Structures in North Dakota for GRIT Database,” describes work to establish the initial database for minor structures in NDSU’s GRIT. His work involved more than 3,600 records from both county transportation departments and the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

Minor structures are small bridges, culverts and other structures that are important to both environmental protection and road safety. Adding the minor structures makes GRIT more useful for road supervisors, planners and local decision makers who use the online tool to plan road investments. 

The symposium is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to give persons in government and private industry with an interest in the use of GIS for transportation purposes an opportunity to share research and experiences and learn more about the field. 

GRIT is an online tool developed by NDSU’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute for road managers, planners and policy makers.

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