For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Contact: Kristi Sandal, Public Information Officer, 605-773-3265       

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation has won an award in a national competition highlighting excellence in projects that have improved travel safety, reduced roadway congestion and provided more mobility options.

The department’s Jackson Boulevard project in Rapid City was a regional winner in the Best Use of Innovation category for a small project.

The Jackson Boulevard Reconstruction Project (Phase II) consisted of the complete reconstruction of 1.26 miles of Highway 44, which is a five-lane urban highway along the frontage of the Meadowbrook Golf Course and Canyon Lake Park in Rapid City. The project included new concrete road surfacing, street lighting, traffic signals, pavement markings, storm drain, and city water and sewer utilities, which were installed concurrently under a separate city contract.

The project qualified in the Best Use of Innovation category for the outstanding use of new policies created through partnerships with the South Dakota Association of General Contractors, along with the use of new scheduling software and practices that resulted in the early completion of a multi-year, multi-million dollar urban reconstruction project.

“The Jackson Boulevard project showcases the outstanding teamwork and coordination of several entities, as well as the use of cutting edge technology to save time and money,” says Secretary of Transportation Darin Bergquist. “Completing this project in one construction season instead of two reduced the impact to drivers, residents and businesses and created a safer and aesthetically pleasing roadway through the heart of Rapid City.”

The Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, known as WASHTO, announced the winners earlier today at its conference in Laramie, Wyoming. WASHTO’s membership includes 18 western states and it’s the second of four regional groups naming recipients of this year’s “America’s Transportation Awards.”

Now in its ninth year, the competition – which is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the AAA motor club and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – recognizes the best transportation projects in three categories and sizes: Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Innovation, and Under Budget. The project sizes are small, less than $25 million; medium, from $26 million to $199 million; and large, $200 million and up. 

Transportation projects that were completed in 2015 are eligible to compete. All nominations are judged by officials representing diverse industries within the transportation sector.

AASHTO will announce the Top 10 finalists during the last week in September. Online voting for the People’s Choice Award will be from Oct. 1 – 30. Winners of both national awards will be announced in November at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Boston. Each winning state DOT also receives a $10,000 check for donation to a charity or scholarship program of its choice.

Learn more about all of the nominated projects and the competition at AmericasTransportationAwards.org.

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* Jason Baker, Rapid City area, project engineer on the Jackson Boulevard project, accepts the award on behalf of the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

Left to right:  Bud Wright, executive director of AASHTO, Jason Baker, and Paul Trombino III, current AASHTO president and Iowa Department of Transportation director.