FHWA Announces 1999 Awards Under National Quality Initiative |
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Federal Highway Administration
October 7, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 7, 1999
Contact: Jim Pinkelman
Tel.: 202-366-0660
FHWA 63-99
Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth R. Wykle today announced the winners of the 1999 Achievement Awards under the National Quality Initiative (NQI), which focuses on continuous quality improvements within the highway industry.
"This recognition underscores President Clinton’s commitment to re-inventing government and putting people first," U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater said. "I applaud the winners of these awards – they are helping to ensure that Americans reap the full benefit of their investment in transportation."
Awards were presented in three categories: national, gold level and state.
The Texas Department of Transportation is the national winner for the U.S. 75/North Central Expressway in Dallas. The five-year, $105 million project widened the expressway from four to eight lanes, adding auxiliary lanes and frontage roads. Because of strong planning and involvement from the state and the contractors, the project was finished nine months early, avoiding some $60 million in user delay costs.
Gold level winners are the Colorado Department of Transportation for the I-70 Airpark Road-East in Adams County; the Indiana Department of Transportation for "The Pride of I-69" in Dekalb County; the Maryland Department of Transportation for I-695 widening and reconstruction in Baltimore County; the Nebraska Department of Roads for I-180 in Lincoln; the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department for the I-40 upgrade in Albuquerque; the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the U.S. 219 / Meyersdale Bypass in Somerset County; and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the East-West Freeway / I-94 westbound rehabilitation project in Waukesha County.
State winners are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.
"We are committed to building and maintaining a safe, modern and efficient transportation system," Wykle said. "These awards are part of NQI’s goal to ensure that the quality of highways remains a focus throughout the transportation industry."
The NQI is a partnership founded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and 10 other related organizations. They are: the American Concrete Pavement Association, the American Consulting Engineers Council, the American Public Works Association, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the American Traffic Safety Services Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Asphalt Institute, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and the National Stone Association.