The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) has announced the winners of its 2009 Perpetual Pavement Awards.
The award is given to owners of asphalt pavements that are at least 35 years old and never have had a structural failure. The average interval between resurfacing of each winning pavement must be no less than 12 years. The road must demonstrate the qualities expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction and value to the traveling public.
Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations for the Perpetual Pavement Award and a panel of industry experts validated the winners. They are:
• The Alabama Department of Transportation for a section of I-59 in Etowah County.
• The Arkansas Department of Transportation for a section of Highway 71 near the town of Fouke in Miller County.
• The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for a 12-mile section of I-65 in Hart County near Munfordville.
• The Michigan Department of Transportation for a six-mile section of US 31 from Third Street in Ottawa County to a point near Hile Road in Muskegon County.
• The Minnesota Department of Transportation for a section of US Trunk Highway 10 eastbound between Detroit Lakes and Perham.
• The Mississippi Department of Transportation for a three-mile section of MS 613 in Jackson County in Pascagoula.
• The Missouri Department of Transportation for six-mile stretch of State Route 47 in Franklin County.
• The Nebraska Department of Roads for a four-mile stretch of pavement on US 30 near the Colorado state line in Deuel County.
• The South Carolina Department of Transportation for a section of Interstate 20 in Kershaw County.
• The Tennessee Department of Transportation for a 3.5-mile section of State Route 56 in DeKalb and Putnam Counties.
The winners were recognized at a special ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio in February.
“Even though these pavements have been punished by nearly 40 years of use, motorists are still using the original pavement structures,” said Mike O’Leary, APA co-Chairman. “The extraordinary performance of this pavement is worthy of attention.”
“Perpetual Pavement is an industry standard that is extremely well represented by these highways,” added Gaylen Ghylin, APA co-Chairman. “Long life, durability and exceptional performance are hallmarks of hot-mix asphalt. These pavements are testimony to high-performance asphalt as a marriage of excellent design and quality construction.”
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s mission is to further the use and quality of hot-mix asphalt pavements. The Alliance will accomplish this through research, technology transfer, engineering, education, and innovation.
