Two Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects won regional awards in the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
“For almost two decades, the America’s Transportation Awards has highlighted the innovative work state DOTs do to improve communities and enhance the lives of the people who live and visit them,” said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. “But the truth is, these projects are just a fraction of the incredible work done by state DOTs every year. AASHTO is proud to recognize the diverse and forward-thinking projects that are improving safety, mobility, and quality of life in communities across the country.”
Twenty-seven transportation projects were submitted by 10 states in the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials 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 three top-scoring projects from regional competitions throughout the U.S. advance to the Top 12 and compete for two national honors in the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards. The Grand Prize will be chosen by an independent panel of transportation industry 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 2026.
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| SITECH Northeast |
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The following projects in the Michigan Contractor & Builder area won 2026 regional America’s Transportation Awards.
The $269 million Interstate 96 Flex Route project reduced directional congestion (heavy traffic in one direction during the morning commute and the other direction during the evening commute) along a 12-mile corridor between Kent Lake Road and the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange in Oakland County.
Through three years of work, the project upgraded the interstate’s inside shoulders so they can serve as temporary lanes during periods of consistent congestion. The corridor now includes 166 lane control signs, 24 dynamic message signs, expanded coverage with 36 closed-circuit television cameras, and eight ramp meters.
The system allows MDOT's transportation operations center (TOC) personnel to quickly respond to traffic incidents and coordinate first responders and law enforcement to optimize traffic flow.
"The I-96 Flex Route project gives MDOT's TOC operators a rare kind of superpower: the ability to shape traffic in real time instead of just reacting to it," said Nathan Ross of the Southeast Michigan Transportation Operations Center. "From the control room, specialists can open or close the shoulder lane, adjust lane control signals, activate ramp meters, and quickly respond to crashes or congestion as conditions evolve.
“This direct management of traffic flow helps reduce delays, smooth bottlenecks, and keep vehicles moving more predictably. Just as important, it creates a safer environment for first responders by providing controlled lane closures and clearer guidance to drivers approaching incidents. The result is a smarter corridor where safety and mobility are actively managed, not left to chance."
Since the Flex Route opened, MDOT said travel time reliability during peak hours on I-96 improved 41 percent for eastbound traffic and 28 percent for westbound traffic. Overall crashes in the corridor dropped 37 percent, with westbound peak-hour crashes down 18 percent and eastbound peak-hour crashes reduced by 68 percent.
In partnership with the City of Walker, Michigan, MDOT invested $35 million to replace the Fruit Ridge Avenue bridge over I-96 and rebuild the interchange, removing a major travel pinch point in the growing area.
The original two-lane bridge, built in 1961, created congestion at the Fruit Ridge Avenue interchange because the eastbound exit ramp connected to a side street. The structure also lacked a connection between two regional trail systems on either side of the corridor.
Clark Dietz, Inc., (a subcontractor to Lead Design Consultant Fishbeck) designed the new bridge as two separate structures, one for each direction of traffic, to make future maintenance easier and help extend its lifespan.
In addition, the project reconfigured the I-96 interchange ramps to improve traffic operations, widened Fruit Ridge Avenue to five lanes, installed new drainage systems and traffic signals, and added bike paths and sidewalks to enhance safety and connectivity.
Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc., and Anlaan Corporation completed the construction work and Materials Testing Consultants assisted Fishbeck with the design.
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| Beauregard Equipment |
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"Receiving this recognition from AASHTO is a tremendous honor and a testament to what can happen when community partners all work together toward a common goal," said Walker Mayor Gary Carey Jr. "The Fruit Ridge Avenue/I-96 project was about much more than replacing a 60-year-old bridge. It removed a longstanding transportation bottleneck, improved safety and connectivity, and made a generational investment in an area that is critically important to Walker and the entire west Michigan economy."
Photos courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
