Description :  Storm water from transportation land uses is a complex, heterogeneous mixture of heavy metals, particulate matter, inorganic, and organic compounds with variations in flow and mass loadings that vary by orders of magnitude during a single hydrologic event. This complexity has made storm water very difficult to manage. To ensure effective management in light of the recent NPDES Phase II storm water regulations, issues associated with the transport and toxicity as well as the viability of treatment, and cost/benefit alternative must be examined. Management is particularly challenging in a state where many transportation-related discharges are directly to receiving waters. Although elevated highways are not peculiar to Louisiana, there exist a disproportionate amount of elevated structures in Louisiana. Given its small size and population, Louisiana has one of the largest elevated roadway areas of any state, with over 80% of this area located over water. Therefore, the experimental sites proposed for this project are elevated and over water. These sites were designed and equipped to address project objectives. Three sites have been selected, and transport and toxicity objectives will be examined at all sites.

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Principal Investigator:  Griffin, Dixie  --  Civil Engineering

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Collaborators:  Dr. John J. Sansalone, LSU; Dr. Mary Tittlebaum, UNO; Dr. Frank Cartledge, LSU

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Funding Agencies:  Louisiana Transportation Research Center

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Amount Awarded:  $299,892

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Start Period:  05/01/2003

End Period:  04/30/2006