Champions
of Highway Quality Honored
Champions
for continuous quality improvements of America's highways were recognized
at the National Partnership for Highway Quality's (NPHQ) awards banquet
in Fort Worth, Texas, in November 2001. Winners in five categories
were announced, including the 2001 "National Achievement"
award honoree.
The NPHQ,
a partnership among the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and 10
industry organizations, presents the NPHQ "National Achievement"
award every 2 years, while presenting the "Making a Difference"
awards in intervening years. The "National Achievement"
award recognizes the best State, county, or city highway, road, or
street project that is completed in a timely, nondisruptive, and safe
manner for roadway users.
This
year, 26 States submitted nominations in the five achievement award
categories:
- The
National Achievement Award Winner
- Special
Recognition of a Structure Project
- Special
Recognition of a Small Project (under $20 million)
- National
"Gold Level" Projects
- State
Award Winners
This
year's "National Achievement" award winner, the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (DOT), was recognized for its "22/renew"
Expressway Improvement Project, a $70 million reconstruction and renovation
of a 13-km (8-mi) section of U.S. 22. The project included 12 bridge
renovations, 5 interchange modifications, and deployment of an Intelligent
Transportation System with ramp metering, variable message signs,
and Highway Advisory Radio components.
Using
innovative traffic management strategies, which included maintaining
four lanes of traffic during peak traffic periods, compressing the
construction schedule, and deploying a "real-time" traffic
control and motorist advisory system, the Pennsylvania DOT managed
to minimize delays on an urban expressway that carries an average
of 85,000 vehicles a day. The Pennsylvania DOT also implemented a
public information and involvement campaign to ensure the project's
success. The campaign included launching a project-specific Web site
and distributing more than 100,000 copies of an informative 22/renew
"Survival Guide." These efforts resulted in 22/renew being
completed on budget and 65 days ahead of schedule.
The "Structure
Project" award went to the North Carolina DOT for the completion
of the Neuse River Bridge in New Bern, North Carolina. This $93 million
project involved a series of 12 interconnecting bridges joining 2
major U.S. transportation routes and 1 State route. The Neuse River
Bridge replaced the John Lawson Bridge, which presented navigational
barriers and was unable to handle the increasing traffic load. The
North Carolina DOT worked closely with local interest groups and the
Army Corps of Engineers to not only restore the surrounding wetlands
as they built, but to maintain water quality for wildlife and enhance
the view of the river at this popular tourist destination.
The Maryland
State Highway Administration's (SHA) first large-scale utilization
of the design-build process, the U.S. 113-Phase 1-Design Build project,
earned the "Small Project" award. Working at the local level,
the Maryland SHA strove to build trust and cooperation with a customer-focused
approach for a project aimed at improving the infrastructure of an
area experiencing rapid growth. Completed
18 months ahead of schedule, the project included innovations such
as a streamlined permit process, creation of a flexible design adaptable
to onsite modifications, and Maryland's first use of cement-amended
fly ash. Successful efforts were made to preserve and complement the
natural elements of the site, and adjacent natural marshes and ponds
were used to assist in highway drainage and to protect the environmentally
sensitive Coastal Bays watershed.
|
2001
NPHQ State Winners
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Louisiana
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia
Washington State
|
2001
NPHQ Gold Level Winners
Arizona
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan
Oregon
Texas
|
Eight
States were recognized as NPHQ "Gold Level" winners (see
sidebar). The Iowa DOT was recognized, for example, for its unique
"Design Partnering" process, which was used to garner local
support for improvements to U.S. 71. Local opposition to the project,
which involved potential environmental risks, dated back to the 1960s.
The Iowa DOT's innovative cooperative efforts resulted in the widening
of a roadway that bisects lakes, small communities, and two cities.
The construction of a new bridge in an environmentally sensitive area
involved special erosion control measures to protect West Okoboji
Lake, a rare deep-blue spring-fed lake. These successes were highlighted
by the fact that the project finished a full construction season ahead
of schedule.
Another
"Gold Level" winner, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
(TC), completed a bridge joint replacement project on a section of
Interstate 65 in a record 107 hours. The project, located in Louisville,
involved a section of highway that carries more than 133,000 vehicles
a day. Such high volumes made it clear that traditional construction
methods would cause major headaches to highway users and construction
crews alike. Adopting a "Get In, Get Out, and Stay Out"
philosophy, the contractors and the Kentucky TC created a six-point
strategy that increased safety and avoided unnecessary inconvenience.
This strategy included using such techniques as the whole-piece replacement
process, which eliminates cold joints in the replaced concrete and
asphalt and allows better compaction of the laid asphalt.
An additional
15 States (see sidebar) were recognized and showcased as "State
Award" winners. An NPHQ Achievement Award Booklet highlighting
all of the award winners is currently being developed.
The diverse
2001 award winners and nominees reflect NPHQ's goals, which include:
- Improving
cooperation among industry; State, Federal, and local agencies;
and academia.
- Regularly
identifying customer needs through national and State surveys.
- Championing
the development and implementation of strategies that address customer
needs.
- Promoting
safe highways and work zones through such means as identifying and
publicizing best practices and innovations; encouraging education
and training; and recommending improvements in benchmarking and
evaluation.
For more
information on NPHQ or its activities, contact Julie Trunk in FHWA's
Office of Asset Management at 202-366-1557 (fax: 202-366-9981; email:
julie.trunk@fhwa.dot.gov),
or NPHQ Administrator Bob Templeton at 512-301-9899 (fax: 512-301-9897;
email: btemplenphq@aol.com).
