State Departments of Transportation Win Awards for Public Projects

Highlighted Transportation Projects Keep America Moving

As a supplier to Departments of Transportation (DOTs) throughout the U.S., Graphic Products congratulates the seven DOTs spotlighted for their excellent work on completing public transportation projects and for keeping America moving.

The seven winning DOTs are in the northeastern region of the U.S. and were heralded by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for their participation in America’s Transportation Awards. Each project was completed in 2015, well in time for the busy summer travel season in the United States. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The association’s primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.

The Award Criteria

According to the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO), the awards highlight “excellence in construction projects that improve travel safety, reduce roadway congestion and provide more mobility options.” NASTO’s membership includes some Canadian transportation agencies, as well as northeastern states. Winners were announced in early June 2016 at the NASTO conference in Quebec City.

Now in its ninth year, the competition is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the AAA motor club, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It aims to recognize the country’s best transportation projects in three categories: Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Innovation, and Under Budget.

A record 84 award nominations were submitted. All nominations were judged by officials representing diverse industries within the transportation sector, and all transportation projects completed in 2015 were eligible.

The Award Winning Projects

The New Jersey DOT won in the large project competition ($200 million and up) for its work on replacing a deteriorating bridge along state Route 3 over the Passaic River, near Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

The Massachusetts DOT’s Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge Replacement Project between Shrewsbury and Worcester took top honors in the medium project group ($26 million to $199 million).

The Maine DOT expanded Portland’s International Marine Terminal and won in the small project group, consisting of projects with budgets less than $25 million.

In the Best Use of Innovation category, NASTO named three winners:

• The Connecticut DOT won for its large project, replacing its Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven.
• New Hampshire DOT’s rebuilding of I-93 near Windham won for its medium-sized project.
• New York State DOT won for a small-sized project that replaced bridges and improved the ramp at Exit 4 off Interstate 87 near the town of Colonie, New York.

In the Under Budget category, Maryland DOT won for its safety improvements and resurfacing project on MD 210 to MD 373 in Accokeek.

What’s Next for the Winners

Winners in the three remaining regions (Southeast, Midwest and West) will be announced at meetings this summer. Then, the 10 projects with the highest overall scores will compete for a National Grand Prize to be determined by a panel of transportation experts and a People’s Choice Award for the project receiving the most online public votes.

AASHTO will announce the Top 10 finalists in September. Online voting for the People’s Choice Award will take place Oct. 1-30. Winners of both national awards will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Boston in November. As well as bragging rights, each winning State DOT will also receive a $10,000 check to donate to the charity or scholarship program of their choice.

Like the DOTs Graphic Products provides solutions for, we support leaders of all industries with resources and solutions for visual communication such as custom safety signage, Compliance Assessment Services, Personal Protective Equipment and more.