The Nebraska Transportation Center and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering will host the next Transportation Engineering Seminar Series presentation on Friday, October 9, 2026.
This week's Transportation Engineering Seminar on October 9, 2026, will feature Dr. Aemal J. Khattak, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Director of the Mid-America Transportation Center (MATC) where he will present “Effects of Bridge Width on Crashes in Nebraska.”
The presentation will discuss research examining how bridge width influences crash outcomes on Nebraska roadways. The study combined bridge inventory data for approximately 9,300 structures with geocoded Nebraska crash records from 2020–2024 using a GIS-based methodology to associate crashes with bridge decks and transition zones. Researchers classified bridges according to their relative width compared to approaching roadways and analyzed crash frequency and severity patterns. Results showed that narrower bridges were associated with higher crash frequencies, while no robust relationship was identified between bridge width and crash severity. The findings support the use of Relative Bridge Width as a practical safety screening factor for transportation agencies.
Dr. Khattak's research focuses on transportation safety, including rail crossing safety, crash and injury-severity modeling, and AI/ML applications for safety prediction. He serves as Director of the Mid-America Transportation Center, the U.S. Department of Transportation Region 7 University Transportation Center.
The seminar will be held from 10:50–11:50 a.m. Central Time on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Kiewit Hall Room A510 in Lincoln, with remote participation available from Peter Kiewit Institute Room 160 in Omaha.
For complete event information and attendance details, visit the calendar event page.
Seminar Event Page Visit the Transportation Engineering Seminar Series Website
