The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Day One Deployment District technology initiative was named a top 12 finalist for the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
In addition, projects from Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee won regional awards in the competition.
Thirty-four transportation projects were submitted by 11 states in the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) region for this year’s competition. The three top-scoring winners from the SASHTO region and three other regions across the country advanced to the top 12 to compete for national honors.
“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.”
The top 12 projects are competing for the Grand Prize, decided by an independent panel of transportation industry judges, and the People’s Choice Award, determined by online public voting, weighted by state population. AASHTO will reveal both winners at its annual meeting in November 2026.
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The following projects in the Dixie Contractor region won 2026 America’s Transportation Awards.
GDOT’s Day One Deployment District (DODD) is a real‑world, scalable initiative that demonstrates how connected vehicle technology can work with existing infrastructure to improve safety and mobility.
Covering approximately one square mile in downtown Atlanta — an area experiencing rapid growth, congestion, and increasing multimodal demands — the $1.3 million project bridges the current transportation system with vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) technology to deliver operational benefits. The first-in-the nation initiative also integrates enhanced network communication and cybersecurity protocols.
The system collects real‑time traffic data, giving transportation teams better insight to manage operations and improve safety. In addition, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology detects pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, allowing signals to adjust crossing times and delay turning movements when needed. Traffic signals across the district were also upgraded to help transit and emergency vehicles move through intersections more safely and efficiently.
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By leveraging 93 existing signalized intersections and previously deployed communications systems, GDOT avoided costly upgrades and accelerated deployment. Launched at the 2025 Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Atlanta, the DODD served as a live demonstration of V2X in action.
“DODD represents Georgia DOT’s commitment to technology and innovation as we work to deliver a safer, more efficient transportation network for the people of Georgia,” said Russell R. McMurry, PE, GDOT Commissioner.
Old National Highway in South Fulton, Georgia, is a five-lane roadway serving restaurants, retail shops, a hotel, schools, and residential neighborhoods. With about 48,000 vehicles traveling the corridor daily, along with frequent transit use and numerous commercial driveways, safety challenges were complex and persistent. In fact, the corridor ranked among the highest non-interstate routes for both pedestrian-related crashes and overall crash severity.
As part of the $2.9 million project, GDOT implemented data-driven safety improvements — including raised medians, reduced-conflict intersections, right‑in/right‑out access treatments, and pedestrian hybrid beacons — to transform the corridor into a safer, more efficient, and more accessible roadway for motorists, pedestrians, and transit users.
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GDOT said the upgrades have made traffic operations more predictable and organized, reducing dangerous turning movements, lowering vehicle conflict points, and providing safer, more visible crossing locations for transit riders and pedestrians.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) $60.4 million bridge replacement was a rapidly delivered, technology‑driven emergency project that restored a critical community lifeline while building resilience.
In 2024, remnants of Hurricane Helene caused historic flooding across eastern Tennessee, sending a 70‑foot wall of water through Greene County that destroyed the SR 107 bridge. Compounding the damage, the hurricane pushed the flow rate of the Nolichucky River to an unprecedented 84,000 cubic feet per second — over twice that of Niagara Falls — and altered the river’s course, leaving unstable banks and unpredictable hydraulic conditions that made traditional construction methods unviable. Detours exceeding 30 minutes delayed emergency response and jeopardized the region’s economic stability.
To restore safe access as quickly as possible while delivering a structure that could withstand future extreme weather, TDOT utilized progressive design‑build delivery for the first time. Real‑time hydraulic and geotechnical modeling, 3D design technology, digital scheduling platforms, and extensive use of precast components allowed design and construction to advance simultaneously. In addition, an engineered temporary causeway enabled safe access to the site and was later repurposed for long‑term riverbank protection.
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Work started within 72 hours of the disaster, and the project finished in just seven and a half months — one month ahead of schedule.
“If traditional methods had been applied to designing and constructing these structures, the duration would have been at least two years,” said Mike Svoboda, Project Manager with the project’s contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) $973.4 million I-275 Howard Frankland Bridge project increased capacity along a crucial evacuation corridor, enhanced safety, and improved mobility in the rapidly growing Tampa Bay area.
Archer Western and Traylor Bros., with BCC Engineering as Engineer of Record, led the joint venture design-build team for the state’s largest bridge.
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The team built a new structure adjacent to the existing, active bridge to limit traffic impacts. After the new span opened, they rehabilitated the existing bridge structure — which still has decades of remaining service life — and repurposed it for northbound traffic, maximizing cost savings and efficiency.
At its peak, the project utilized a massive marine fleet that included 27 cranes, seven tugboats, and 74 barges, in addition to a significant amount of equipment on land.
“Operations Excellence [the category in which the project won the award] is a just award to all those who worked on this project and reflective of the excellent team assembled,” said Greg Cangelosi, Southern Regional Manager at Traylor. “I am very proud to have been able to work alongside all of [them].”
Two new express lanes in each direction now connect with the existing express lane network to the south and future projects to the north. Overall, the project accommodates approximately 100,000 additional daily drivers.
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The work also extended the regional trail network more than 5 miles, and a new shared-use path provides a safe, direct connection for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
“This Howard Frankland Bridge project is a great example of how Florida continues to invest in infrastructure that relieves congestion, hardens coastal facilities, and solves critical transportation needs,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, PE.
Located at the SR 160/I‑65 interchange, the Alabama Department of Transportation’s (ALDOT) $8.6 million Blount County Triple Roundabout project addressed a longstanding issue caused by a confusing intersection layout and heavy traffic volumes. The previous configuration contributed to frequent wrong‑way movements at the I‑65 exit ramps, posing a concern for head‑on and other high‑severity crashes.
To boost safety, ALDOT installed three roundabouts that simplify traffic movements, reduce conflict points, eliminate left‑turn crossings, and significantly lower vehicle speeds. Sain Associates designed the project, Vulcan Materials Asphalt and Construction served as the prime contractor, and Neel-Schaffer provided consulting.
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Since opening to traffic, ALDOT crash statistics show a 50 percent reduction in crashes per month, with no injuries reported within the project limits. Local law enforcement also reported fewer accident responses.
