SACRAMENTO — The Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials honored two projects in California for its 12th annual regional America’s Transportation Awards competition..

The two projects honored were:

• The Interstate 880 Safety and Operational Improvements at 23rd and 29th Avenues, which benefits the community’s economic growth and its citizens well-being.
• The Highway 1/Mud Creek Emergency Restoration, which innovatively collected and collaboratively analyzed data to create a resilient solution to the slide plagued route.

“Caltrans is proud of the recognition that these very worthy projects have received, and it underscores our commitment to improving local communities,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “Whether it was innovatively rebuilding a slide-torn Highway 1, or creating safe, healthy biking and walking options in Oakland and Alameda, these projects demonstrate when we improve transportation, we improve people’s lives.”

These two awards recognized medium sized projects in different categories. The 23rd and 29th Avenues Project was in the Quality of Life and Community Development, gauging the project’s benefit to the community’s economic growth and its citizens well-being. Mud Creek was in the Best Use of Technology & Innovation category for utilizing new technology and creativity to create solutions.

These accolades emphasize the significance of these projects to their communities. People in Oakland and Alameda, by foot or pedal, have new ways to connect, commute and commune that don’t require the use of a personal automobile. Communities on either side of Big Sur, all too familiar with the toll of weather and weathering of one of California’s most iconic highways, are newly and resiliently reconnected thanks to innovation and creativity.

In both these cases, the many years’ worth of work would not have been possible without the department’s local partners and all the public servants who dedicated themselves to these projects. These awards belong to them.

Caltrans is one of the eighteen members of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO), which is one of four regional associations affiliated with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) represent State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.