Seven Midwestern State DOT Projects Win Regional Awards for Cost Savings, Innovation and Community Focus

Seven Midwestern State DOT Projects Win Regional Awards for Cost Savings, Innovation and Community Focus

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – State transportation departments in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio are winners in this year's fourth and final regional contest in the America’s Transportation Awards competition. The announcement today was made at the 2015 Mid America Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual meeting. Seven projects won in each of the competition’s three categories: Best Use of Innovation, Under Budget, and Quality of Life/Community Development.

"These projects are winners for managing costs, meeting community needs and innovation," said John Cox, President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation. “When State DOTs succeed the nation wins because everyone depends on transportation.”

The America's Transportation Awards – co-sponsored by AASHTO, AAA and the US Chamber of Commerce – annually recognizes the best of America's transportation projects in four regional competitions. The 10 regional winners with the highest overall scores will compete for the National Grand Prize, the People's Choice Award and $10,000 prizes to be given by the winners to a transportation-related charity or scholarship program. The top two national winners will be announced in September at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Learn more about the projects and the competition at: AmericasTransportationAwards.org

Winning MAASTO Projects

Winning in the "Best Use of Innovation," category: Iowa Department of Transportation's eConstruction Program: small size designation. The project saved time and taxpayer money by managing construction documents in the field electronically. Instead of requiring paperwork for each project, the new system allows for a streamlined, organized, and efficient form of document management. Michigan Department of Transportation's $153 million 96Fix project: medium project designation. The project rebuilt and enhanced seven miles of freeway, 37 bridges, and improved safety conditions with a new LED freeway lighting system. 140,000 motorists use the highway daily. Ohio Department of Transportation's $200 million I-71/670 Columbus Crossroads: large size designation. The project relieved congestion, added capacity, and increased safety conditions for the nearly 150,000 motorists that utilize the highway each day.

Winning in the "Under Budget “category: Ohio Department of Transportation's $149 Interstate 71 Widening - The Golden Spike: medium project designation. The project relieved congestion on I-71 in Central Ohio by reconstructing the highway while expanding one lane in each direction. The project was completed more than $10 million under budget and an estimated three years early—reducing construction costs and inconvenience to motorists. Kansas Department of Transportation's $1.29 million K-TRIPS: small project designation. The program reduced paperwork and wait times for truck routing and permitting. Truckers can apply and pay for most over-dimensional permits within 10 minutes instead of hours. The project, originally budgeted for $3 million was complete more than 50% under budget.

Winning in the "Quality of Life/Community Development", category: Missouri Department of Transportation's $118.2 million Route 364/Page Phase 3: medium project designation. The project in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties relieved congestion along I-70 and I-64 by creating an alternate route between the two congested highways. Commutes were reduced as much as 15 minutes for local residents; the project also increased the number of people living within a 45-minute commute to 75 percent of the area's jobs. Ohio Department of Transportation's $3.7 million Wooster Pike Revitalization Project: small project designation. The project improved pedestrian access and safety conditions throughout the Wooster Pike Business District. The multi-modal project includes pedestrian, vehicular and transit traffic in its design. The project also is stimulating regional economic development.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aashtospeaks.