America—s 10 best transportation projects unveiled

WASHINGTON, D.C. —” AAA, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced the top 10 finalists in the 2009 America—s Transportation Awards competition. A panel of judges evaluated 50 highway projects from 33 states in three categories: On Time, On Budget, and Innovative Management. Twenty-two winning projects were selected during four regional competitions. The following top 10 projects scored the highest number of points overall during the judging:

• Dial an Engineer: Maryland Department of Transportation, MD 32 at Burntwoods Road Project
• Corridor Upated in Half the Time: Delaware Department of Transportation, I-95 Mainline Widening Project
• Smart Bridge Technology: Minnesota Department of Transportation, I-35W Minneapolis Bridge Replacement Project
• Preserving History: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Front Street Natchitoches Restoration Project
• Trimming 30 Minutes from Commute: North Carolina Department of Transportation, Clayton Bypass Project
• Improving International Connections: New York State Department of Transportation, I-86 Interchange Project
• Website Eases 3.8 Million Detours: California Department of Transportation, Fix I-5 Sacramento Project
• Two States Trim Time and Costs on New Bridge: Nebraska Department of Roads, Yankton Bridge Project
• Safety First: Michigan Department of Transportation, M-115 Clare County Improvement Project
• Technology Aids Urban Decongestion: Florida Department of Transportation, 95 Express Miami Project

Now the competition begins anew: America—s Transportation Awards— Grand Prize will be determined by independent judging and will be presented at the AASHTO Annual Meeting on Oct. 25, 2009, in Palm Desert, Calif. The top 10 projects will also compete for the People—s Choice Award, which will be decided by popular vote. Online voting is now underway at the competition—s official website through Oct. 23, 2009: www.americastransportationaward.org.