Daily News Briefs: Monday, September 15, 2025

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AASHTO Names 12 America’s Transportation Awards Finalists

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) announced the finalists in competition for this year’s two top America’s Transportation Awards. The awards contest, which AASHTO co-sponsors with AAA and the US Chamber of Commerce, honors state DOT projects and programs “that make their communities better places to live, work and play.”

This year’s contestants, the highest vote-getters in regional competitions involving 113 entries submitted by 35 state DOTs, will now compete for the Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award. Two toll projects are included: a segment of Florida DOT’s I-95 Express Phase 3 project and North Carolina DOT’s Complete 540 Phase 1 project.

AASHTO will announce the final award recipients at its annual meeting in November. The 12 competitors are:

Source: AASHTO Journal

95 Express (South Florida Express Lanes Network) Connecticut Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) Delaware Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Florida Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Idaho Idaho Transportation Department Illinois Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Industry Awards & Recognitions Kansas Kansas Department of Transportation Kentucky Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Missouri Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) NC 540 (Triangle Expressway) New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) North Carolina North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) North Carolina Turnpike Authority North Dakota North Dakota Department Of Transportation Utah Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)

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TRB Selects David Harkey As 2026 Deen Distinguished Lecturer

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) announced that Dr. David Harkey, is the 2026 recipient of the Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship, which recognizes career contributions and achievements by an individual in one of the areas covered by TRB’s Technical Activities Division.

Over a 40-year career, Dr. Harkey has conducted applied research that has influenced road safety public policy and decision-making. According to TRB, he has led over 40 major research projects focused on all modes of transportation, and his work “spans safety analysis, information systems, roadway design, traffic operations, and road user behaviors.” Dr. Harkey has collaborated with FHWA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and other federal, state, and nonprofit agencies, and he has produced more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, reports, and guidance documents. He has served as president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and its affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute since 2018.

Source: Transportation Research Board announcement

Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Industry Awards & Recognitions Transportation Research Board

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Briefer Still: Other Developments TRN Is Following

Commercial Truck Driver Strikes Maine Turnpike Median Barrier And Bridge Abutment After Possibly Suffering Medical Problem (Bangor Daily News)

Privately Owned Wayne Six Toll Bridge Connecting West Virginia and Ohio Gets “Minor Repairs” (The Review)

Former Illinois Tollway Employee Sentenced For Fraudulently Obtaining Federal COVID Loans And Grant In Case Investigated By Tollway Inspector General (Illinois Attorney General’s Office news release)

USDOT And National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Begins Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Rulemaking To Promote US Self-Driving Vehicle Development (NHTSA news release, CleanTechnica)

Groundbreaking Study Establishes Causal Link Between Heat Waves And Emissions From Cement And Fossil Fuel Production (Associated Press, “Nature”)

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