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6/25/24, 3:44 PM How tech can change transportation challenges - Construction Week India
Recently, we have seen some promising use cases for digital twins in sustainable infrastructure maintenance,
upgrades, and retrofits. One of these examples is an ongoing project to realign and upgrade a section of I-70
at Floyd Hill, some 25 miles west of Denver. The goal is to relieve a severe bottleneck, improving traffic flow
and safety, as well as lowering emissions through this mountainous and heavily traveled section of roadway.
By using collaborative 3D modeling and digital twin applications, project lead AtkinsRéalis evaluated
geometrics and parameters such as sight distance, visualized a range of different possible designs, and
determined construction impact and feasibility—all of which were undertaken collaboratively with
stakeholders, leading to an estimated savings of USD 7 million in project costs and 50,000 work hours.

Another successful use case is the upgrade of the East 138th Street Bridge in the Bronx, New York. Built in
1938, the bridge—which crosses over the Major Deegan Expressway and links Manhattan to the Bronx,
approximately one mile from Yankee Stadium—needs to accommodate heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic,
as well as eliminate vertical clearance issues that have resulted in vehicles striking the old bridge several
times. Digital twins were used to review 180 different potential designs for this critical section of city
infrastructure, determining which would be the most functional both during bridge replacement and in
perpetuity, and accommodating an array of utilities connected to the bridge. The collaborative digital context
established by digital twins not only optimized structural design but also kept the project on track during
pandemic restrictions.

It’s a challenging time for the Indian transportation sector, but also an exciting one. Public and private
organizations both are transforming the infrastructure landscape, leveraging the newest technologies to
enable a 20th-century system to address 21st-century challenges. Using digital twin capabilities, we can
repair ageing assets and contend with geographic, transportation, and environmental challenges—all while
meeting the needs of a country on the move.

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