Established in 1986, the Louisiana Transportation Research Center is a technology transfer and training center administered jointly by the state s Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and Louisiana State University (LSU). The center provides a setting in which the thresholds of technology can be explored and applied in practical ways. It merges the resources of state and local governments, universities and private industries to identify, develop and implement new technology to improve the state s transportation system. The Louisiana Transportation Research Center supports a technical assistance program that includes laboratory and field testing and forensic investigation in direct response to departmental inquiries for expert analysis on various projects. The center administers a research and development program that emphasizes applied research and technology transfer for further knowledge gathering in the field of transportation. It maintains a location in Baton Rouge, La.