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An innovative highway emergency repair project in Pennsylvania and the construction of a new bridge spanning the Ohio River took home top honors at the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s I-95/Cottman Avenue Emergency Response project received the contest’s Grand Prize, while the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Wellsburg Bridge project won the People’s Choice Award.
“We are incredibly proud of the two winning projects, which demonstrate how both states respond to their residents’ needs – whether through emergency repairs or reconnecting communities,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). “With more than 100 nominations this year, this annual competition showcases the most innovative projects from state DOTs across the country. From enhancing road safety to expanding multi-modal options, the top 12 exemplify the best of what state DOTs can achieve.”
Winner of the Grand Prize, PennDOT’s I-95/Cottman Avenue Emergency Response swiftly addressed a fire caused by a fuel tanker truck crash that closed a key national north-south highway corridor in Philadelphia on June 11, 2023. The $4.5 million PennDOT project installed a temporary wall and roadway; successfully reopening the highway in just 12 days.
As the winner of the People’s Choice Award, the $168 million WVDOT Wellsburg Bridge project reconnected the communities of Brilliant, Ohio and Wellsburg, W. Va., previously only linked by ferry before ceasing operations. This project eliminated a 30-minute detour while keeping the river open for barge traffic during construction.
Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards highlight the positive impact of state DOT projects on communities nationwide – attracting 106 nominations from 39 states for 2024.
The projects first competed in four regional contests, with the top three highest-rated initiatives from each of the four regions advancing to the final stage to compete for the two national awards. An independent panel of industry judges selected the Grand Prize winner, while the project that received the highest number of online votes from the public – weighted by state population – earned the People’s Choice Award.
The Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award come with a $10,000 cash award for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of the winners’ choosing.
To learn more about the America’s Transportation Awards, visit www.americastransportationawards.org.