10/29/2021
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
ITD wins trio of national transportation awards signifying industry excellence
The
Idaho Transportation Department won three national awards in the AASHTO
President’s Transportation Awards, announced Friday (Oct. 29) at the group’s
annual meeting in San Diego. The American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the national organization overseeing all the
departments of transportation from each state in the country. The AASHTO President’s Awards are considered the highest achievable honor for state departments of transportation. Under Director Brian Ness, ITD has won 20 of them, more than any other state.
“Over the past 12 years, the culture has shifted at ITD to a workplace where employees are encouraged to innovate, collaborate, and make decisions as close as possible to where the work is being done,” said Ness. “Our team has embraced this philosophy, resulting in award-winning projects that improve customer service for Idaho citizens.”
ITD
won awards in the following three categories this year:
Environment, for Building Wildlife
Sanctuaries as part of bridge work in south-central Idaho
Highways, for Pennsylvania Ave.
Overpass project in Coeur d’Alene
Highway Traffic Safety, for I-84 Traffic Corridor
Safety and Commerce Enhancement project
Environment
award
A pair of bridges
constructed on US-20 in south-central Idaho replaced culverts over Willow and
Rock Creek, remedied the failing multi-plate metal culverts that prohibited
fish spawning and wildlife migration for decades, and restored wildlife
habitats and streams for safe fish passage under the highway. The project
also addressed vehicle-wildlife collisions by building animal crossings into
the design of the bridges. The Rock Creek bridge section of US-20 saw 64
vehicle-wildlife collisions over the last five years. Idaho Fish & Game and
ITD installed game cameras to monitor the environmental benefits of the
projects, and within a few months, fish were discovered swimming upstream to
spawn, and multiple deer (and a moose) were seen traveling along the channels
under the bridges.
Highways
award
ITD replaced two concrete bridges carrying
Interstate 90 traffic over Pennsylvania Avenue in Coeur d’Alene with one
bridge. The project
used Accelerated Bridge Construction methods, which simplified construction
and reduced the amount of on-site concrete formwork required. Abutments, piers, and girders were cast off-site in nearby Spokane while work
proceeded at the site. Several key changes allowed the bridge to be constructed
faster and more effectively. For instance, a high-early strength concrete cut more
than 60 days of cure time from the overall project. The bridge provides a great
improvement for the community and drivers on the primary route through the
largest metro area and tourist destination in north Idaho. The design also allows up to six traffic lanes on I-90 in the future.
Highway Traffic Safety award
ITD
won this award for the work on Interstate 84 through the Treasure Valley, the
most heavily traveled route in the state, which sees more than 130,000 vehicles
per day. The work kept travel lanes open and moving, was delivered under budget
and on time and utilized a new-to-Idaho method to enhance safety. That safety provision was a towing service that moved
disabled vehicles off the road and out of the travel lanes to keep traffic
moving and assist first responders. Law enforcement was averaging 1.5 hours per
incident prior to the implementation of the Safety Service Patrol. The
service also saved hundreds of hours for the traveling public and millions of
dollars for shippers.