AASHTO video screenshot
By Headquarters Public Affairs
Caltrans received top regional awards for operations excellence, technology, and safety at a July event in Missoula, Montana, hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
The AASHTO event drew submissions from 13 states in the organization’s western region. Of the 11 categories, Caltrans was the only department to have three projects recognized.
Caltrans’ Stratford Kings River Bridge project on State Route 41, which replaced a 78-year-old span with severe structural and seismic deficiencies, won the award in AASHTO’s “Operations Excellence, Medium Project” category. To accomplish the work, Caltrans engineers constructed a 330-foot successor span using a groundbreaking precast pier cap system developed jointly with the University of Nevada. The featured technology allowed the work to proceed with fewer environmental impacts and improved safety protocols for workers.
Also recognized at the event was Caltrans’ Division of Research, Innovation and System Information (DRISI) in the “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Small Project” category for its use of technology in a project costing less than $10 million.
When DRISI hosted its first-ever Vendor Day in March 2024, participants were asked to tailor submissions to specific challenges facing Caltrans. Vendors were provided “problem statements” intended to elicit proposals offering targeted solutions related to contracting and procurement, hiring and recruitment, and worker safety. The event drew more than 300 participants and nearly 100 vendor submissions. One result was the creation of the Caltrans Vendor Portal, which helps the state better evaluate contractor proposals.
In addition, Caltrans was singled out in the “Safety, Medium Project” category, and its advanced use of a highway turbo roundabout at an intersection in San Benito County with a long history of accidents and traffic delays. By replacing an obsolete four-way signal with a roundabout at the confluence of State Routes 25 and 156, Caltrans engineers promoted slower traffic and safer lane mergers. Although the new system has only been open since January 2024, it has already resulted in a dramatic reduction in collisions.
Caltrans’ three award winning projects will join those from other regions to vie for one of AASHTO’s top honors — the Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award, whose names will be announced in Salt Lake City at the organization’s annual national meeting in November.