Exploring Michigan's transportation infrastructure with Jason Gutting, newly named director of MDOT Field Services

Jason Gutting joins the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast this week to talk about his new role as director of MDOT’s Bureau of Field Services. He talks about standards and specifications for paving materials and how MDOT engineers confer with counterparts from across the country; innovations in road building, winter maintenance and operations; and ongoing challenges because of inflation and supply chain pressures since the pandemic began.

Gutting was previously the administrator of the Construction Field Services (CFS) division. He also worked in operations and was the construction contracts engineer for CFS as well as the construction engineer and an assistant construction engineer at the MDOT Lansing Transportation Service Center (TSC).

Other references in the podcast:

Iowa State University’s National Concrete Pavement Technology Center
https://cptechcenter.org/

Inflation in road building
https://enotrans.org/article/highway-construction-costs-have-risen-50-in-two-years/ 

MDOT winter road maintenance
https://www.Michigan.gov/MDOT/Travel/Safety/Road-Users/Winter-Safety 

Chapters

• 0:08 Conversation With MDOT Field Services Director
• 13:42 Challenges and Excitement of Government Operations
• 20:58 Appreciating Maintenance Staff and Transportation