https://transportationawards.secure-platform.com/a/gallery?roundId=14
State department of transportation projects that elevated quality of life in their communities, improved safety for transportation system users and the general public, found new ways to better utilize their current transportation systems, and utilized innovative technologies and solutions to benefit the public are among the 12 finalists competing for top honors in the 2019 America’s Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The three highest scoring projects in four regional contests became the competition’s Top 12 and are now competing for the national Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award, both of which come with a $10,000 check for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of the winners’ choosing.
Online votes will be weighted to each state’s population, allowing for greater competition between states with larger and smaller populations. The winners will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in St. Louis on Tuesday, October 8.
How voting works: You may vote on any number of projects, once per day. You may vote again for the same project(s) once 24 hours have elapsed. Voting period will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 6.
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project, Phases 1 and 2A
Category
Western Assoc. of State Highway and Transportation Officials > Best Use of Innovation & Technology – Western > Large Project
Description
The Snoqualmie Pass is one of three major cross-mountain passes and is a crucial freight corridor and transportation network for Washington State. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) knew that in order to address the projected traffic growth, improve safety, and consider the environmental impact on a 15-mile stretch of Interstate 90 that an innovative solution was needed. This $564 million project took a collaborative approach in order to keep the environment as a top priority. Working with resource agencies, WSDOT put together an advisory group from the various agencies to ensure that their needs would be met. WSDOT also worked with biologists to identify and construct structures that connected wildlife habitats as well as provide a safe passage for them to move under or over the interstate, while ensuring the safety of drivers by reducing collisions with animals.