The Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Rural Two-Lane Advancement and Management Plan (RAAMP) 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 RAAMP initiative won the Safety award among large projects.
ODOT launched RAAMP to address the state’s 5,162 miles of rural highways with inadequate shoulders. While just 34 percent of Oklahoma’s population lives in rural areas, 65 percent of serious injuries and fatalities happen on these roads.
With five Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan packages, ODOT has been able to fast-track over 30 projects aimed at improving road conditions and adding 8-foot shoulders. In 2024 alone, 12 projects were completed covering over 37 miles.
Many of the state’s rural roads and highways were not designed for increased traffic demands and higher operational speeds. In addition, the mix of heavy freight and agricultural vehicles on these roads makes the improvements critical for safety.
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ODOT’s RAAMP initiative aims to establish consistent road conditions, with a focus on adding 8-foot shoulders through widening, rehabilitating/resurfacing existing driving lanes, and completing associated drainage and grading work. The new shoulders reduce congestion caused by slow-moving vehicles and accidents while also providing space for emergency responders.
The overall $147 million initiative is helping reduce safety incidents from lane departures and overcorrections.
“The department has eagerly pursued Rural TIFIA loans, as they provide an additional financial vehicle necessary to drive safety improvements such as the RAAMP program, while also helping limit the effects of inflation,” said Tim Gatz, ODOT’s Executive Director.
