AASHTO News, 28 August 2012
WASHINGTON – Projects that restored bridges ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, devised overpasses over busy rail traffic to provide access for emergency vehicles and cut down on congestion, and utilized innovative pavement recycling methods to rehabilitate stretches of interstates were all recipients of top honors in the Southeastern regional America’s Transportation Awards competition.
“We’re immensely proud of the quality projects entered in this year’s competition,” said Kirk Steudle, Michigan Department of Transportation director and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “The America’s Transportation Award competition is a great way to highlight tremendous transportation projects that demonstrate how state DOTs continue to deliver value with limited transportation dollars. Our state DOTs deserve credit for these outstanding projects that keep our communities safe and contribute to our quality of life.”
Now in its fifth year, the America’s Transportation Awards competition – sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – recognizes the very best of America’s transportation projects in three main categories: Ahead of Schedule, Under Budget, and Best Use of Innovation. The categories are then split up by size: small (less than $25 million), medium (between $25 million and $199 million) and large ($200 million and more). The final regional winners were announced at the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2012 Meeting in Charleston, S.C.
Eleven transportation projects from eight Southeastern states were nominated.
South Carolina Department of Transportation’s SC Route 150 Emergency Bridge Replacement over Interstate 85 Project was named winner in the Ahead of Schedule (small project) category.
Two states took home awards in the Under Budget category: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department for its Prescott Railroad Overpass Project (small project) and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for its I-10 Twin Span Bridge Project (medium size).
In the Best Use of Innovation category, two states took home honors. Florida Department of Transportation was honored for its A. Max Brewer Bridge Replacement Project (medium category) while Virginia Department of Transportation’s I-81 Pavement Recycling Project was named the winner in the small category.
Other nominees are:
North Carolina Department of Transportation’s I-40 Widening Project
North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding N.C. 12
Florida Department of Transportation’s I-75 Rest Area Improvement Project
Tennessee Department of Transportation’s State Route 7 Rebuild
Georgia Department of Transportation’s Regional Traffic Operations Program (RTOP)
Georgia Department of Transportation’s I-285 Micro Milling Project
The Southeastern region was the final group of regional winners named in the competition. The 10 projects with the highest total judge votes will be announced in the upcoming weeks and will then compete for the Grand Prize, awarded to the state DOT project receiving the greatest number of points in judging by a panel of experts, and People’s Choice Award, presented to the transportation project that receives the most online votes. Online voting begins Sept. 10. The winners of both awards will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh in November.