ICYMI: Top 12 Finalists Unveiled for Coveted America’s Transportation Awards

WASHINGTON — The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has revealed the Top 12 finalists for the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards. After four regional competitions this summer, state departments of transportation from California, Arizona, Washington State, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio achieved the highest scores. These finalists, selected from 106 nominations by 39 state DOTs, will now vie for the Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award, each offering a $10,000 cash award for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of their choice.

“These 12 projects serve as the best of the best transportation projects completed by state DOTs across the country, but they are only a fraction of the incredible work states are doing to better their communities,” said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. “State DOTs today are focused on a wide range of work, including projects that enhance every mode of transportation and increase safety, equity, and quality of life. This list of Top 12 contenders serves as a great example of just how diverse these state DOT projects are.”

Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards recognizes the positive impacts of state DOT projects on communities across the nation. Projects are nominated in four categories: Quality of Life/Community Development; Operations Excellence; Best Use of Technology & Innovation; and Safety. These awards emphasize the vital role of transportation in every community and for all travelers. In response to the recent rise in roadway fatalities, AASHTO introduced the Safety category for the 2024 contest; highlighting projects that have effectively tackled safety challenges.

The Top 12 projects in alphabetical order by state are:

• Arizona Department of Transportation: Loop 303 – 43rd and 51st Avenue Interchange Project
• California Department of Transportation: CA Interstate 10 Santa Monica Freeway Bridge Fire
• Delaware Department of Transportation: Claymont Train Station
• Florida Department of Transportation: Orange Blossom Trail Pedestrian Safety Improvements
• Illinois Department of Transportation: Connecting Illinois via High-Speed Rail
• Michigan Department of Transportation: High Speed Lane Separation on US-31, M-72 in Acme Township
• New Jersey Department of Transportation: I-76/676, Bridges and Pavement, Contract 1
• Ohio Department of Transportation: Downtown Ramp up I-70/71 Project 3B
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: I-95/Cottman Avenue Emergency Response
• Tennessee Department of Transportation: Broadway Bridge Replacement
• Washington State Department of Transportation: Winona Trestle Emergency Replacement Project
• West Virginia Department of Transportation: Wellsburg Bridge

The Grand Prize will be decided by an independent panel of transportation experts, while the People’s Choice Award will be determined by online voting, weighted by state population. Winners will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in October. Online voting begins today at americastransportationawards.org and continues through 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Individuals can cast no more than one vote per day per project.

Visit https://americastransportationawards.org/ to learn more about this year’s top 12 nominees.