The Idaho Transportation Department’s (IDT) U.S. 12 Clearwater Memorial Bridge project was among the regional winners in the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
“The America’s Transportation Awards shine a spotlight on the vital projects state DOTs deliver for their communities to enhance safety, expand mobility for users, deliver a better quality of life for residents and visitors, and keep our economy moving,” said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. “The America’s Transportation Awards competition continues to show us that state DOTs are able to transform communities in a variety of ways. And as Congress works toward a new federal surface transportation bill, lawmakers need to only look at the tangible benefits that states deliver to their customers through examples like these winners to see why robust federal funding to states is so important.”
Thirty-six transportation projects were submitted by 13 states in the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) region for this year’s competition. Projects are judged in four categories: Quality of Life/Community Development, Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology and Innovation, and Safety.
All nominated projects first compete at the regional level against projects of their own size (small, costing up to $10 million; medium, costing between $10 million and $100 million; or large, costing more than $100 million).
The top three scoring projects from regional competitions throughout the U.S. will advance to the Top 12 and compete for two national honors in the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards. The Grand Prize will be chosen by an independent panel of judges and the People’s Choice Award will be decided through online public voting. AASHTO will reveal both winners at its annual meeting in November 2025.
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In the WASHTO region, the Clearwater Memorial Bridge project won the Best Use of Technology and Innovation award among medium projects for its use of robotics.
The historic U.S. 12 bridge in Lewiston, Idaho, underwent rehabilitation to enhance safety, functionality, and economic opportunity in the region. Originally built in 1951, the bridge required upgrades to several components that were nearing the end of their service life.
Prime contractor Wadsworth Brothers Construction of Draper, Utah, and their subcontractor, Nucor Harris Rebar, opted to use the TyBOT robotic system from Advanced Construction Robotics to autonomously tie horizontal rebar intersections. The advancement significantly improved worker safety and accelerated construction.
“Tying rebar is back-breaking work,” said IDT’s Project Manager George Elliott. “The TyBOT production is roughly equivalent to what can be completed in the same time by two experienced manual laborers.”
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The $40 million project eliminated load-carrying restrictions and enhanced safety and multimodal mobility with wider shoulders, sidewalks, and a painted median.
