WASHINGTON, D.C. — The work of three photographers has been honored with the announcement of the winners of the Faces of Transportation competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Julie Duewel of the Nevada Department of Transportation took the overall grand prize. David Gonzalez of the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Mel Coulter of the Idaho Department of Transportation were also winners.

From WDTN-TV (Dayton): Stimulus funds net 8,000 Ohio road jobs
From Bloomberg.com: House passes funding plan for highway, railway, and transit
From WCCO.com: Electric highway signs implemented to slow congestion in Minnesota

SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has awarded a contract for the installation of a system designed to automatically close the Alaskan Way Viaduct within two minutes of an earthquake.

From PressofAtlanticCity.com: Road project to create new Atlantic City entryway
From VirginiaBusiness.com: Virginia authorizes construction of I-495 toll lanes
From D.C.StreetsBlog.com: Why isn’t traffic reduction a top public health concern?
 

Just two months away from one of the most exciting events of the year!

Departments of Transportation (DOTs) aren’t just focusing attention on infrastructure projects, but also on the processes and technologies that support the design, construction, and management of their vast assets.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — "Continued uncertainty about passage of a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill is hindering chances for a sustained economic recovery." That was the thrust of the message delivered by Kevin Gannon, vice president of Northeast Asphalt Inc., at a July 27 House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on implementation of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

From WisDOT: Report explores concrete inlay for pavement rehab on Wis. roadways
From the Brenham Banner-Press: TxDOT says billions needed to repair U.S. 290
From The Orange County Register: O.C. freeway connectors project to begin

From the Chicago Tribune: Illinois considers 'diverging diamond' interchange design
From DiscoveryNews: 'Chia Wall' to muffle highway sound
From U.S. DOT: Project to reduce congestion on Colorado turnpike gets greenlight

SALT LAKE CITY — Hanson Structural Precast is participating in the $135 million EXPRESSLink project in Salt Lake City by designing and manufacturing 92 of the largest concrete girders, or support beams, in Utah.

From The Bismarck Tribune: Multi-Purpose Data Collection Vehicle gathers roadway information
From Roads & Bridges: Toledo I-475 reconstruction project to cause long-term traffic obstructions
From NPR: Michigan moves forward with “Complete Streets” bill
 

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced the expansion of an internship program designed to encourage young women to pursue careers in transportation. LaHood made the announcement at a Women’s Small Business Day hosted by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — Civil engineers at Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are teaming up on green projects around the state, including work aimed at saving taxpayers $300,000 annually by recycling a waste product from cement manufacturing.

A Federal Transit Administration (FTA) study has estimated the cost of bringing the nation’s rail and bus transit systems into a state of good repair at $77.7 billion. In addition, a yearly average of $14.4 billion would be required to maintain the systems.

VANCOUVER — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has announced that $42 million in federal transportation funding is headed to the Columbia River Crossing project. The funding is a significant step forward toward completing environmental reviews and starting final design on the project.

Congressman Jim Oberstar comments on the need for improving bridge inspections as the three-year anniversary of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis approaches.

From KansasCity.com: Missouri highway engineers to replace collapsed ramp
From U.S. DOT: LaHood announces ARRA funds for Chicago bottleneck improvements
From Roads & Bridges: Expressway resurfacing back on schedule as Chicago strike ends

From Roads & Bridges: GDOT delays U.S. 411 project due to environmental concerns
From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Transportation funding uncertain for Pennsylvania
From The Journal of Commerce: Spending shift from rail to roads urged in Ohio
From MercuryNews.com: UC’s pursuit of quieter, smoother asphalt
 

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released the 2010 version of its Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), which is a suite of software analysis tools for evaluating safety and operational effects of geometric design decisions on two-lane rural highways, rural multilane highways, and urban/suburban arterials, announced the Transportation Research Board (TRB).