Seven projects in five northeastern states have received regional recognition in a national transportation industry awards competition.
Projects in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania all earned regional recognition in the America’s Transportation Awards competition. Put on by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the competition recognizes projects from state Departments of Transportation that reduce crashes and save lives, expand access to economic opportunities, and revitalize 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.”
The competition awards state DOTs in three categories – Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Technology and Innovation, and Operations Excellence. Each category is further broken down by budget size: small (less than $25 million), medium ($25 to $200 million), and large (over $200 million).
Projects are first judged within their regions and are awarded points. The three projects that receive the highest points will move on to the national competition where they will compete for a national Grand Prize, selected by an independent panel of industry judges, and a People’s Choice Award, chosen by the general public.
The winning departments will receive $10,000 in cash to be given to the charity or scholarship of their choosing.
Winning projects included the Community Connectivity Grant Program – Boxer Square Revitalization by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the I-895 over Patapsco River Flats Superstructure Replacement by the Maryland Department of Transportation.