Eight transportation projects from six western state DOTs received top honors in the regional America’s Transportation Awards competition.
Some of the winning projects were recognized for improving safety for schoolchildren, protecting wildlife habitats, and restoring access to communities after massive mudslides.
The 12th annual America's Transportation Awards competition is sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It divides transportation projects up into three categories: Quality of Life/Community Development—recognizing projects deemed to have significantly benefited the community in which they exist; Best Use of Technology & Innovation—for new technology and/or creative solutions implemented by a state DOT; and Operations Excellence—which recognizes projects determined to deliver a more reliable, well-functioning, and/or safer transportation system through operational solutions.
Project categories are also designated by size: small (projects costing less than $25 million), medium (projects that cost between $25 million and $200 million), and large (projects costing more than $200 million).
The winners from the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) regional competition include:
- North Dakota DOT’s Pop-Up Demonstration Projects (Quality of Life/Community Development—Small)
- California DOT’s I-880 Safety and Operational Improvements at 23rd and 29th Avenues (Quality of Life/Community Development—Medium)
- Texas DOT’s U.S. 290 Reconstruction from I-610 to Beltway 8 (Quality of Life/Community Development—Large)
- Washington State DOT’s S.R. 500—42nd Ave to 54th Ave Safety Improvements Project (Operations Excellence—Small)
- South Dakota DOT’s I-90 Exit 14 (Operations Excellence—Medium)
- Nebraska DOT’s Maintenance Decision Support and Automatic Vehicle Location Project (Best Use of Technology & Innovation—Small)
- California DOT’s Highway 1/Mud Creek Emergency Restoration (Best Use of Technology & Innovation—Medium)
- Washington State DOT’s I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project, Phases 1 and 2A (Best Use of Technology & Innovation—Large)
The WASHTO winners are the first to be announced in what will be a total of four regional competitions. The three highest-scoring projects from each region will earn a place on the list of “Top 12” projects. Those 12 projects will compete for the Grand Prize, selected by an independent panel of industry judges and the People’s Choice Award, which is chosen by the general public through online voting. The top two winners also receive $10,000 cash awards, to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing. The Top 12 projects will be announced on Aug. 23, when online voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin. The winners of the top two awards will be announced Oct. 7, at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.
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SOURCE: America's Transportation Awards
IMAGE: Caltrans — Interstate 880 Safety and Operational Improvements at 23rd and 29th Avenues; courtesy of America's Transportation Awards
