Twelve departments of transportation (DOTs) in the U.S. were named winners of the 2020 Perpetual Pavement Award (PPA) by the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA).
This number ties last year’s record of awards in a single year since the awards were first presented in 2001. The award celebrates long-life asphalt pavements that reflect the characteristics of a perpetual pavement design.
Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University evaluated the nominations and validated the results for the 12 winners for 2020. Since the PPA was first presented in 2001, 156 pavements in 31 U.S. states and one Canadian province have been honored with the award.
The 2020 winners are:
Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), North Region, for a two-mile section of a four-lane highway with a center turn lane on U.S. Highway 411 (State Route 25) in Etowah County. The original construction of this roadway was completed in 1979. This is the twelfth PPA for ALDOT.
Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for a 2.46-mile segment of a four-lane divided highway on Interstate 40 in Mohave County originally opened to traffic in 1976. This is ADOT’s second PPA.
Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) for a 2.85-mile section of two-lane State Highway 1 (Section 17) in Craighead County. This roadway is over 44 years old. ARDOT has earned 11 PPAs.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for a 3.012-mile section of a two-lane roadway on State Road 40 in Marion County. This road was originally constructed in 1954. This is the eleventh PPA for FDOT.
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) State Highway Administration for a 66-year-old 8.89-mile section of four-lane Interstate 270 NB in Frederick County. MDOT has earned six PPAs.
Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for a 5.8-mile section of a divided four-lane state route, MS 63, in Jackson County. The original construction of this roadway was completed in 1977. This is MDOT’s fifth PPA.
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), District 2, for a 3.66-mile section of two-lane State Route 199 in Wood County. At 91-years-old, this is the oldest road at the time of the award to earn a PPA. This is the fifth PPA for ODOT.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Engineering District 9-0 for a 10.16-mile section of two-lane State Route 0096 in Bedford County. This project was originally constructed in 1958. PennDOT has earned 10 PPAs.
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for a 6-mile section of four-lane Interstate 26 in Berkeley County. This roadway is over 58 years old. SCDOT has earned nine PPAs.
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for a 2.93-mile section of two-lane State Route 72 in Loudon County. The original construction of this roadway was completed in 1962. This is TDOT’s sixteenth PPA.
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for a 2.51-mile section of Interstate 81 SB in Roanoke County. This road was originally opened to traffic in 1964. This is VDOT’s second PPA.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for a 6.9-mile section of two-lane State Route 395 in Franklin County. This project is over 40 years old. WSDOT has earned seven PPAs.
Winning agencies are honored by their local state asphalt pavement association and are presented with an engraved crystal obelisk.
“One key indicator of quality in construction is a smooth, long-life pavement,” said Amy Miller, P.E., National Director of the APA. “Long-life asphalt pavements serve the community, reduce the money needed for maintenance and conserve raw materials, ultimately leading to a truly sustainable structure that exemplifies the triple bottom line.”
Learn more about the awards at driveasphalt.org/awards/perpetual-by-performance.