DOTs honored for innovative processes

DOTs in Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah and Oregon won the top awards in four categories: risk taking, partnering, "breaking the mold" and state quality initiative.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet won the risk-taking gold for its completion of the I-65 maintenance project in Louisville seven weeks ahead of schedule, which allowed the contractor on the job to earn a $5.3 million bonus. The early completion and overall project was made possible by creative information efforts that made partners of the motoring public and project neighbors.

The Utah DOT claimed the "breaking the mold" gold for its use of design-build in the reconstruction of I-15 in Salt Lake City, a choice which vastly reduced construction time in order to deliver an improved highway in time for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The partnering gold award went to the Tennessee DOT for its Forest Heights Bridge replacement over I-40 and I-75 in Knoxville. The partnering team worked with the trucking industry and other road users to allow full closure of the bridge, accelerating the replacement process.

Oregon DOT took the state quality initiative gold for work done on a new flyover and pedestrian structures on the I-5/Highway 217 project. Two facilitators worked with stakeholders to assess and eliminate risks, identify $10 million in potential added direct costs and up to another $5 million in indirect costs, ultimately avoiding project delays of up to five years.