COLUMBIA, Mo. – A Missouri Department of Transportation design-build project is a winner in the mid-America regional 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 competition recognizes transportation projects in three categories: Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Technology and Innovation and new this year, Operations Excellence. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges from within the transportation industry.
The Columbia I-70 Bridges Design-Build Project won in the Best Use of Technology and Innovation category for small projects. The award-winning effort involved replacing bridges on Interstate 70 at Garth Avenue, Range Line Street and Business Loop 70/West Boulevard in Columbia, Mo. Improving the interchanges at Range Line Street and Business Loop were also part of the project.
Three of the bridges that were replaced were built adjacent to the old bridges and slid into their permanent position to save time and money. The project scope also included building a double roundabout or “dogbone” interchange at Route 763/Range Line Street and dual-lane roundabouts on the north and south sides of I-70 at the Business Loop 70 interchange.
The project was completed in less than 14 months, and all construction work was performed with minimal impact to the 80,000+ vehicles that travel I-70 in this location each day.
Contractor Emery Sapp and Sons of Columbia and design partner Parsons of St. Louis designed and delivered the project, which began in June of 2015 and was completed in August of 2016.
“Every project nominated in this competition represents the hard work and dedication of state DOTs across the country to meet the transportation needs of the communities we serve,” said David Bernhardt, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. “For 10 consecutive years, the America’s Transportation Awards have given state DOTs the recognition they deserve for providing the essential connections that keep people, goods and our economy moving forward.”
The final regional winners will be announced in August. The three highest-scoring projects from each region will advance to the “Top 12.” Those 12 projects will compete for the Grand Prize, determined by an independent panel of expert judges, and the People’s Choice Award, selected by the general public through online voting.
The top two winning prizes also come with a $10,000 check to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing. Online voting begins Aug. 21. The winners of the top two awards will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Phoenix in September.
More information about the project is available at www.modot.org/ColumbiaBridges.
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