Seven state departments of transportation in Arizona, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and Utah earned regional recognition in the 2021 America's Transportation Awards competition for projects providing safer access to kids walking to school, removing a highway to reconnect a community and creating a better way to inform motorists about weather events to save lives, among others.

Those state DOTs received their awards Sept. 15 during the 2021 annual meeting of the Western Association of State Highway Transportation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic forced many Americans to drastically change work patterns, state DOT employees continued the harrowing work of keeping our transportation systems operating safely and efficiently for those who had to travel, whether by vehicle or other means," said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in a statement.

"The America's Transportation Awards program highlights just a few of the projects and programs across the country that had a positive impact on our communities.

Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the competition serves as a way to recognize state DOTs and the projects they deliver that make their communities a better place to live, work and play.

Project nominations fall into one of three categories: Operations Excellence; Best Use of Technology & Innovation; and Quality of Life/Community Development.

"Quality of Life/Community Development" recognizes projects that provide significant benefits to the communities in which they are located, especially in the form of economic growth and the well-being of citizens. "Best Use of Technology" recognizes the use of new technology and creative solutions implemented by a state DOT. Finally, "Operations Excellence" recognizes projects that deliver a well-functioning, reliable, and safer transportation system through operational solutions.

In the Western region — the last of the America's Transportation Awards regional competitions — 13 states nominated 29 projects, with seven state DOTs taking home the following eight awards:

Arizona Department of Transportation

Fourth Street Bridge over Interstate 40 (Quality of Life/Community Development, Small category).

Texas Department of Transportation

U.S. 175/S.M. Wright Freeway Phase 1 project (Quality of Life/Community Development, Medium category);

U.S. 87 Truck Relief Route in Howard County project (Operations Excellence, Medium category).

Utah Department of Transportation

I-15; Lehi Main to SR 92, Technology Corridor (Quality of Life/Community Development, Large category).

Oregon Department of Transportation

I-84 Snow Zone Safety Improvements Project (Operations Excellence, Small category).

North Dakota Department of Transportation

New Long X Bridge (Operations Excellence, Medium category).

California Department of Transportation

S. Highway 50 Echo Summit Sidehill Viaduct Replacement Project (Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Small category).

New Mexico Department of Transportation

NM 136 Pete Domenici International Highway Concrete Overlay Project (Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Medium category). 

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