The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) has announced the winners of its 2007 Perpetual Pavement Awards.
The award is given to owners of asphalt pavements that are at least 35 years old and have never had a structural failure. The average interval between resurfacing of each winning pavement must be no less than 13 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.
The 2007 winners are:
• The Connecticut Department of Transportation for a 2.75-mile stretch of Route 82 in Haddam
• The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for a 4-mile section of US 60 in Boyd County
• The Michigan Department of Transportation for a 5.2-mile section of M-24 that runs from the north village limits of Mayville to M-46
• The Minnesota Department of Transportation for a 6-mile section of Trunk Highway 71 in Kandiyohi County
• The Mississippi Department of Transportation for 10.8 miles of US 78 in Desoto County
• The Missouri Department of Transportation for a 12.5-mile section of US Route 54 in Camden County
• The Montana Department of Transportation for a 6-mile section of Interstate 15 through the eastern portion of the city of Helena
• The Ohio Department of Transportation for a 4.7-mile section of US 30 in Stark County
• The South Carolina Department of Transportation for a section of Interstate 20 in Kershaw County between US Route 601 and US Route 521
• The Tennessee Department of Transportation for a 5-mile section of Tennessee State Route 11 in Marshall County
• The Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 41 from Suamico to Abrams.
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.
“Even though each of these pavements has been punished by more than 35 years of heavy use, motorists are still using the original pavement structures. The only maintenance has been periodic replacement of the surface,” said Mike O’Leary, APA Co-Chairman. “The extraordinary performance of these pavements is worthy of attention.”
“Perpetual Pavement is an industry standard that is extremely well represented by these winners,” added Gaylen Ghylin, APA Co-Chairman. “Long life, durability, and exceptional performance are hallmarks of hot-mix asphalt. These pavements are testimonies to high-performance asphalt as a marriage of excellent design and quality construction.”
Each winner will receive an engraved crystal obelisk and a plaque, and will have its name added to a permanent plaque that is kept at the NCAT Research Center. Presentations will be made on November 12, 2008 at a special ceremony during the International Conference on Warm-Mix Asphalt in Nashville, Tenn.
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute, and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The 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.
