Western state DOT projects that save lives, focus on resiliency and improve community quality of life win regional awards

Transportation projects in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington State earned regional recognition in the America’s Transportation Awards for providing solutions that increase safety and save lives, make infrastructure more resilient, and improve the quality of life for the citizens of their communities.

“The people who planned, engineered and built these projects deserve recognition for the positive impacts they have provided through these investments in local communities,” said Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2019-2020 president. “Their work represents a dedication to connecting people and improving local economies while implementing creative solutions.”

In the America’s Transportation Awards competition sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, state DOTs compete in three categories: Quality of Life/Community Development; Best Use of Technology and Innovation; and Operations Excellence. Each category is also designated by budget size: small (less than $25 million), medium ($25 million to $200 million), and large (more than $200 million). Projects are judged within their region.

In the Western region, 15 states nominated 30 projects. The top Western region projects are:

Arizona Department of Transportation — State Route 347 at Union Pacific Railroad (Quality of Life/Community Development – Small category tie)

Montana Department of Transportation — Van Buren Street Interchange (Quality of Life/Community Development – Small category tie)

Washington State Department of Transportation —Alaskan Way Viaduct Demolition (Quality of Life/Community Development – Medium category)

Texas Department of Transportation— Border West Expressway (Quality of Life/Community Development – Large category)

North Dakota Department of Transportation— Highway Safety Corridors (Operations Excellence – Small category)

Arizona Department of Transportation— I-10/SR87 Improvement Project with Dust Detection System (Operations Excellence – Medium category tie)

Hawaii Department of Transportation— Kauai Emergency Repairs (Operations Excellence – Medium category tie)

Washington State Department of Transportation—State Route 99 Tunnel Project (Operations Excellence – Large category)

Oklahoma Department of Transportation— SH-33 Safety Corridor (Best Use of Technology & Innovation – Small category)

California Department of Transportation — Shasta Viaduct (Best Use of Technology & Innovation – Medium category)

Arizona Department of Transportation — Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway (Best Use of Technology & Innovation – Large category)

More on the America’s Transportation Awards categories:
The three highest-scoring projects from each regional competition earn a place on a “top 12” list of projects that will compete for the national Grand Prize – selected by an independent panel of industry judges – and the People’s Choice Award, chosen by the general public through online voting. These top national winners each receive $10,000 cash awards to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing.

• Community Development/Quality of Life - Recognizes projects that provide significant benefits to the communities in which they are located, especially in the form of economic growth and the well-being of citizens;
• Best Use of Technology - Recognizes the use new technology and/or creative solutions implemented by a state DOT
• Operations Excellence - Recognizes projects that deliver a more reliable, well-functioning, and/or safer transportation system through operational solutions

The 12 finalists will be announced and online voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin in August. National award winners will be announced later this year.