TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) highlighted its accomplishments from 2021, all of which have advanced transportation throughout the state and kept Florida free under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis.
“This year, FDOT remained focused on bringing together innovation and new technologies to our transportation modes in order to move people and goods to shape Florida’s future,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. “Through Governor DeSantis’ leadership and the support of our partners, the department continues to be a leader in multi-modal transportation system development.”
FDOT’s accomplishments during 2021 include:
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
- The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, River of Lakes Heritage Corridor, and 30A as official 2021 America’s Byways.
- Received two regional awards for the repair and rehabilitation of American Legion Drive Bridge over Peace River and the Cow Key Bridge from the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) as part of the annual America’s Transportation Awards competition.
- Received a 2021 National Roadway Safety Award [fdot.gov] for the successful use of advanced technologies to improve safety in arterial roadway work zones, demonstrably slowing down drivers and improving driver behavior. Also received a National Roadway Safety Award Honorable Mention for the successful transition from in-person training to virtual webinars, helping enhance the skills and knowledge of Florida’s transportation workforce on a variety of roadway safety issues.
- Improved in three major categories (ports, bridges, and roads) in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) infrastructure report card [fdot.gov] despite a population growth rate of 1% per year, putting Florida’s 2021 grades higher overall than the National Report Card average.
- FDOT and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) received a 2021 Transportation Achievement Award [fdot.gov] for SunTrax by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
- SR 116 Wonderwood Bridge Post-Tensioning Repair project won the Post-Tensioning Institute Award of Excellence in the Repair/Rehab/Strengthening Category at the 2021 Post-Tensioning Institute Awards.
- Received national recognition for “Interactive Marketing” for the Mobility Week 2020 Virtual Conference Center at AASHTO’s 2021 TransComm Skills Award.
STATEWIDE RECOGNITION
FDOT received Outstanding Project Awards [fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net] from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Florida for seven transportation projects:
o Outstanding Major Project: I-95 Interchange at Ellis Road/ St. Johns Heritage Parkway
o Outstanding Design-Build: Crosstown Parkway Extension
o Outstanding Roadway Project: S.R. 542 from 1st Street to Buckeye Loop Road
o Outstanding Bridge Project: Howell Drive/ Ribault River Bridge No. 724147
o Outstanding Planning Project: Tampa Interstate Study Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
o Outstanding Environmental Project: SR A1A at Fort George Inlet Park
o Outstanding Special Project: Lake-Wekiva Trail AMG Project
· Received a Design-Build Project of the Year Award at the 2021 Florida Region Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Awards for the I-275 Sunshine Skyway Rest Areas and Seawall Repairs Project.
· The Wekiva Parkway Section 3 was awarded a “Best in Construction” award from Florida Transportation Builders' Association (FTBA) in the “Major Bridge” category.
