2006 success stories

Route 29 wins silver award

U.S. 29 Madison Heights Bypass in Amherst County was a 2006 silver co-winner for rural divided highways in the 17th Annual "National Excellence in Concrete Pavements Awards" sponsored by the American Concrete Pavement Association and Concrete Construction magazine.

The awards recognize contractors, engineers, and owners for their work on quality concrete pavement projects.

Smart Road in Top 25

The May edition of Roads and Bridges magazine recognized the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Smart Road Bridge (right) in Montgomery County among the “Top 25 Bridges of the Past 100 Years.” The Smart Road Bridge was selected as number 23.

Potter Chosen for NAFA Award

Erle Potter, assistant division administrator for equipment, Maintenance Division received the 2006 international “Larry Goill Award for Quality Fleet Management Ideas” from the National Association of Fleet Administrators.

The award was made for Potter’s implementation of the department’s TRUCKS Team, which stands for “Training Rewards Us with Compensation, Knowledge and Skills.” The TRUCKS Team identifies training needs, sets training priorities and reviews program progress for VDOT’s equipment technician training program. 

The award is given for program ideas that “improve productivity or favorably impact bottom-line cost savings.”

Route 1 interchange project wins national award

VDOT won a Silver Award in the National Partnership for Highway Quality’s 2006 Making A Difference Awards. The award was given in the "partnering" category for the Route 1 interchange project, which involved the complete reconstruction of an interchange as part of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement project in Northern Virginia.

The interchange project contains 11 bridges and represents more than three lane miles of seven and a half mile Wilson Bridge project.

The success of the project is attributed to a strong formal relationship among VDOT, its prime contractor and local, state and federal authorities. Issues included wetland mitigation and relocation of apartment building residents.

The project was built in two years, was on time, and $1.6 million under budget.

VDOT Receives Bridge Research Award

The Federal Highway Administration awarded VDOT $1.15 million under the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction program. The award money is being used toward innovative materials on three new bridges.

Virginia is the only state to receive more than $1 million from the program this year.

Governing Magazine Cites Hammer 

Maureen Hammer, director of VDOT’s Knowledge Management Division, is cited in the February edition of Governing magazine as one of “a new breed of government employee” as she leads the agency’s efforts to retain the knowledge of retiring employees.

In “Expert Exodus,” the author highlights Hammer’s work to bring the concepts of effective knowledge use from the private sector into the public sector through VDOT.

Two of the techniques employed by Hammer, knowledge mapping and communities of practice, are noted as important in VDOT’s environment of outsourcing, retirements and fewer opportunities for employees to network for know-how.

See the article here.

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