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What are America's Transportation Awards?
- States nominate their top projects in 4 categories
- On Time
- Under Budget
- Innovative Management
- Best Recovery Act
- An independent panel of judges selects the winners for each region; the Top Ten vie for the Grand Prize and the People's Choice Awards
- On-line voting determines the People's Choice Award
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Awards announced at:
- NASTO, June 15, 2010
- Mississippi Valley, July 9, 2010
- WASHTO, July 12, 2010
- SASHTO, August 30, 2010
- AASHTO Annual Meeting, October 31, 2010
Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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Regional Nominees and Winners
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Winning Transportation Projects Saving Lives, Time, and Money
(Little Rock, AR) - New bridges, "smarter" Interstates, smoother pavements, and upgrades to ports and airports were the results of some of the projects recognized today as winners of the America's Transportation Awards' southeastern regional competition. The state Departments of Transportation in Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and North Carolina were honored for their innovation and hard work in completing several critical projects that will significantly improve transportation in their states.
"These projects represent a tremendous value to the taxpayer and illustrate the complex tasks that go into modernizing and maintaining the nation's system of highways and bridges," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in announcing the winners at the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) annual meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. "In these tough economic times, state departments of transportation are making every dollar count and these outstanding projects clearly show how all of us benefit."
AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsor the competition to honor America's very best in transportation. "Clearly we are building great projects," said AASHTO President and Mississippi DOT Executive Director Larry "Butch" Brown. "State transportation departments are working hard and we are being accountable, and we are performing with pride. This is a message we need to drive home with Congress - we need to let them know how important transportation funding is, and that we need a committed and reliable program to keep the momentum going."
Nine transportation projects from seven southeastern states were entered into four project categories: Best Recovery Act; On Time; Under Budget; and Innovative Management. The seven winning projects are now in the running for the America's Transportation Awards' Grand Prize and the People's Choice Award, which will be announced this fall.
The Virginia Department of Transportation received two awards: one for the Battlefield Boulevard Chesapeake Project in Hampton Roads, which was honored in the Innovative Management, Medium Project category; and another for the Jeremy's Run Bridge Project in the northwestern part of the state, which won in the On Time, Small Project category.
Phase 2 of the SmartFIX40 Knoxville Project helped improve safety and reduced congestion, securing an award for the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the On Time, Medium Project category. The Arkansas Recovery Act Rehabilitation Project from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department won in the Best Recovery Act, Medium Project category. Mississippi's DOT won an award in Under Budget, Medium Project category for the Laurel S-Curve Reconstruction Project in Laurel.
An innovative program that encompassed hundreds of projects across the state - dubbed the Louisiana TIMED Project by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development - won in the Innovative Management, Large Project category. The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Morganton Bridge Replacement Project in Fayetteville won in the Innovative Management, Small Project category.
On September 8, the Top Ten winners from all four regional competitions will be announced and will compete for the Grand Prize and People's Choice Award. The Grand Prize is awarded by an independent panel of transportation experts; the People's Choice Award will be selected through on-line voting by the general public. The winners will be announced on October 31st, at AASHTO's Annual Meeting.
To learn more about the southeastern region's award winners and the overall competition, go to www.americastransportationaward.org.
Watch this space for news throughout the summer on the regional awards and Top Ten competition.
AASHTO's report on last year's honored projects is available at: www.transportation1.org/SmartSolutions. |