SPTC is the USDOT 2023 Region 6 University Transportation Center.

Explore our website for more information on the SPTC. A full list of grantees can be found on the announcement website. Additionally, SPTC is also a partner of the ABC-UTC at Florida International University. Please visit their website to learn more and see what projects they are undertaking.

FIU and IBT/ABC UTC will be hosting the 2026 World Bridge Engineering Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Miami, Florida on December 1-2, 2026. Please visit their website to submit your paper abstracts, book a hotel room early, or find out more information.

Who We Are

The Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) is a consortium of 11 academic institutions dedicated to providing solutions for extreme weather-related transportation challenges across the region. Representing every state in the region, each member institution has demonstrated expertise in addressing weather-related infrastructure issues, leveraging their connections with state departments of transportation, private stakeholders, and other partners. 

SPTC also has access to key facilities such as the National Weather Center, NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, Radar Innovations Laboratory, and the Oklahoma Mesonet. With these resources, partnerships, and talent, the Center is uniquely qualified to respond to weather extremes and will support transportation research that will help increase the longevity and resilience of transportation infrastructure in an economically competitive way.   

About the Consortium

The SPTC is a U.S. Department of Transportation Region 6 Regional University Transportation Center. The Center was established in 2013 based on an award from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) to conduct a multidisciplinary program of transportation research, education, and technology transfer.

The eleven consortium members consist of:

Announcements

  • Our website has recently undergone some major revisions. If you have questions, comments, or cannot find what you are looking for, please email us for assistance. We appreciate your patience.

  • FIU and IBT/ABC UTC will be hosting the 2026 World Bridge Engineering Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Miami, Florida on December 1-2, 2026. Please visit their website to submit your paper abstracts, book a hotel room early, or find out more information.

  • The following SPTC members will represent us at TRB 2026:

  • Andrew Braham is the Chair of a TRB committee, AKN18: “Pavement Maintenance, Preservation, and Rehabilitation”

  • Soheil Nazarian is the Chair of the Standing Committee AKN16: “Pavement Foundation”

  • Anand Puppala is the senior associate editor of the infrastructure area of TRB Journal - Transportation Research Record.

SPTC’s video about their partnership with ODOT. Featured image is their sign against a pebbled wall.