About TERRA
The Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance is a dynamic partnership of government, industry, and academia that continuously advances innovations in road engineering and construction.
TERRA was conceived as a new road research governance structure that will facilitate a comprehensive research program, with strategic focus to take advantage of the MnROAD test facility and associated resources. TERRA was created after a task force of government, industry, and academic representatives investigated road research governing structures and evaluated ways to broaden the use of the unique capabilities of MnROAD.
Mission Statement
TERRA’s mission is “To develop, sustain and communicate a comprehensive program of research on pavement, materials, and related transportation engineering challenges including issues related to cold climates.”
Strategic Directions
TERRA’s Strategic Plan (860 KB PDF,) outlines three major strategic directions for the organization. The implementation of these directions is carried out according to the TERRA Business Plan (164 KB PDF).
Strategic Direction 1: Expand Productive Research Partnerships
- Provide leadership in creating a strong public/private/academic partnership
- Increase the value of transportation engineering and road research through expanding partnerships and attracting new funding
- Fully engage research partners to increase the capacity of transportation engineering and road research
- Increase investment in research by leveraging the MnROAD facility and TERRA partnerships
- Pursue federal funding opportunities in SAFETEA-LU
Strategic Direction 2: Provide Effective Transportation Engineering and Road Research
- Maintain and develop a high level of pavement research capacity
- Develop a transportation engineering and road research plan with short, mid and long-term goals
- Provide broader research opportunities at the MnROAD research facility through entrepreneurial activities
- Invest in reconstruction of the MnROAD test facility
- Undertake research that is stake-holder defined and results-driven
that:
- Addresses issues unique to cold weather climates
- Reduces life-cycle cost of roadways (design and construction cost, maintenance and repairs, reconstruction cost, and life of pavement)
Strategic Direction 3: Communicate Transportation Engineering and Road Research Activities, Benefits, and Results
- Market research results by communicating them to alliance members, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, potential partners, the public, and other stakeholders.
- Communicate the research results and products to all audiences according to their needs and interest on the research. Start by communicating research results to date.
- Develop ongoing processes, formats and systems for communicating the results of all research efforts
- Develop communication exchanges with associations and other stakeholders
in ways appropriate to each group
- Exchange of research results
- Communicate joint research opportunities
TERRA Strategic Plan
Outlines strategic directions for TERRA activities.
TERRA Strategic Plan (860 KB PDF)
TERRA Business Plan
Defines implementation strategies for goals in the Strategic Plan.
TERRA Business Plan for Fiscal Year 2008 (164 KB PDF)