How We Support Critical Transportation Infrastructure When It Matters Most
In the world of transportation and public infrastructure, downtime isn’t just an inconvenience—it can be a matter of safety, security, and millions of dollars in delayed operations. When a large government agency responsible for managing airports, tunnels, bridges, and major facilities faced some of its toughest IT challenges, they called on us.
At BlackHawk Data, we specialize in high-stakes problem solving. Whether it’s modernizing outdated infrastructure or responding to sudden outages, our engineering team is built for mission-critical environments where failure simply isn’t an option.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we’ve supported one of the country’s most complex public infrastructure networks—without ever disrupting operations.
Replacing Outdated Network Hardware Without Disrupting Services
The Situation:
The agency was sitting on a network full of aging equipment—much of it past manufacturer support and creating security risks. The sheer size and complexity of their environment made it difficult to even begin planning a replacement strategy.
What We Did:
We started with a full end-to-end network review. Our engineers mapped out each connection, device dependency, and third-party interface. This allowed us to fully understand the operational impact of any hardware changes.
The Outcome
We developed a phased upgrade plan tailored to actual usage—right-sizing hardware to avoid unnecessary spending while ensuring full compatibility and performance. By aligning device replacement with change windows, we eliminated disruptions to mission-critical services.
Emergency Network Recovery at a Major Airport
The Situation:
When the perimeter network at a major airport suddenly failed, the security systems that monitored restricted areas went offline. As a temporary solution, law enforcement was dispatched to manually monitor multiple zones—an unsustainable and costly stopgap.
What We Did:
Other vendors estimated weeks or months to restore the system. We stepped in immediately—sourcing the required equipment, assembling a team of six engineers, and launching a nonstop response effort.
The Outcome
In just over 30 hours, we staged, deployed, and restored full network functionality. Critical airport security systems came back online in record time—replacing manual patrols with reliable automated monitoring.
Isolating a Tunnel Network Outage in Record Time
The Situation:
A total network outage hit one of the region’s most important transportation tunnels. Internal teams couldn’t locate the cause, and connectivity was down across the entire site.
What We Did:
As the agency’s emergency Engineering-as-a-Service partner, we had intimate knowledge of their network. Our team mobilized immediately, going device-by-device to trace the root cause in the field.
The Outcome
We restored full network service within hours. Thanks to our deep understanding of their infrastructure and our boots-on-the-ground response, traffic and operations resumed with minimal delay.
What It All Comes Down To
When every second counts, having a responsive, experienced IT partner can make all the difference. At BlackHawk Data, we don’t just manage infrastructure—we protect it. We plan for complexity, respond to emergencies, and work side-by-side with public and private sector clients to keep vital systems online and secure.
If your organization can’t afford downtime, let’s talk.
If you’d like to learn more about BlackHawk Data’s Services and Solutions, schedule a time to chat with one of our experts.
