Maryland Department of Transportation Honored at Annual Maryland Quality Initiative(MDQI) Conference in Baltimore

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has received new honors for delivering outstanding transportation projects throughout the state. Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn and MDOT Business Unit executives last week proudly accepted 16 of 21 Maryland Quality Initiative (MdQI) Awards of Excellence presented for transportation-related planning studies and transportation projects completed in 2018.

The MdQI consortium of public sector transportation agencies and private sector industry associations hosted the annual awards presentation January 31 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

“We have some of the most talented people in the country right here in Maryland and these projects demonstrate the innovative ways they are changing our transportation network for the better,” said Secretary Rahn.

Projects earning accolades included: MDOT State Highway Administration’s (MDOT SHA) $110.7 million project to widen MD 404 between US 50 and East Holly Road in Talbot, Queen Anne and Caroline counties won three awards, including the MdQI Project of the Year. The MDOT Maryland Aviation Administration’s (MDOT MAA) $10.5 million project to expand cargo operations at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Anne Arundel County also won three awards (list of categories and winners attached).

“These awards underscore our agency’s commitment to delivering excellence in our work as well as our relationships with our partners and customers,” MDOT SHA Administrator Greg Slater said. “We are honored that the MdQI awards panel recognized the talent, hard work and dedication of the men and women in our agency.”

A panel of experts representing public and private sectors of the transportation industry evaluated the 2018 Award of Excellence nominations. Criteria included: design, specification compliance, traffic maintenance, cooperation, contract administration, materials compliance, production equipment, erosion and sediment control, project management, adherence to schedules, subcontracting and overall project quality.

This year, awards were presented in the following categories: Planning (project development); Green/Sustainability/Environmental; Partnering (private /public sector teams); MBE/WBE Award; Subcontractor Award; Modal Awards for State and County agencies; Project of the Year Under $5 Million; Project of the Year Over $5 Million.

MDOT is comprised of five business units and one Authority: the Secretary’s Office, State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration and the Maryland Transportation Authority. This unique approach provides the state’s leadership with the ability to develop a coordinated and balanced approach to transportation. MDOT’s mission is to be a customer-driven leader that delivers safe, sustainable, intelligent, and exceptional transportation solutions in order to connect our customers to life’s opportunities.

MdQI is a consortium of agencies and associations representing the private and public sector of Maryland’s transportation industry. MdQI is dedicated to continuous quality improvement in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of Maryland’s transportation system. MdQI was founded by MDOT State Highway Administration and private sector representatives in 1993. Since its founding, the group has expanded its mission and activities to include the Authority, four more MDOT transportation business units, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), local government transportation agencies, and industry associations.

The MdQI consortium includes: MDOT, the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA),

American Council of Engineering Companies – Maryland (ACEC), Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT), County Engineers Association of Maryland (CEAM), USDOT Federal Highway Administration – Maryland Division (FHWA), Maryland Asphalt Association (MAA), the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association (MRMCA), and the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association.

For more information on MDOT and the transportation business units, follow us on Twitter @mdotnews or visit our website, www.mdot.maryland.gov

For more information on MdQI, visit the website www.mdqi.org.