Northeast State DOT Projects Win Top Honors in National Competition

Baltimore- Eleven state department of transportation projects from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have earned regional accolades in the 2026 America's Transportation Awards competition. From streamlining access to government services to reducing crash risks along key urban corridors, these projects deliver lasting benefits that improve safety, mobility, and quality of life in the communities they serve.

Selected from 30 projects submitted by eight states and the District of Columbia in the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO) region, these entries are part of a record 127 nominations from 45 state DOTs in this year's overall competition. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the America's Transportation Awards honor transportation projects that deliver meaningful benefits to communities. Projects compete in four categories-Quality of Life/Community Development, Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation, and Safety-showcasing the essential role transportation plays in improving mobility, safety, and quality of life for all users.

"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. But the truth is, these projects are just a fraction of the incredible work done by state DOTs every year," said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. "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. As we look forward to Congress completing a federal surface transportation reauthorization bill by the end of September, this year's winners underscore the importance of sustained federal investment in transportation and demonstrate how those resources are delivering meaningful benefits to residents, businesses, and travelers nationwide."

Many of this year's NASTO regional winners benefited from IIJA funding, demonstrating the critical role the next federal surface transportation legislation will play in continuing progress toward safer communities and improving mobility and access for all.

All nominated projects first compete at the regional level against projects of their own size: "Small" (projects costing up to $10 million), "Medium" (projects costing between $10 million and $100 million), and "Large" (projects costing more than $100 million). This year's winning NASTO regional projects are:

• Maryland Department of Transportation's One-Stop Government Shop (Quality of Life/Community Development, Small Project)
  
  
• Connecticut Department of Transportation's Reconstruction of Route 34 (Main Street) in Derby (Quality of Life/Community Development, Medium Project)
  
  
• Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Route 79-Davol Street Corridor Improvements (Quality of Life/Community Development, Large Project)
  
  
• New Jersey Department of Transportation's Shrewsbury Maintenance Dredging (Operations Excellence, Small Project)
  
  
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Automated Permit Routing and Analysis System Modernization (Operations Excellence, Medium Project)
  
  
• New York State Department of Transportation's NY Route 347 Safety, Mobility and Environmental Improvements Project (Operations Excellence, Large Project)
  
  
• New Jersey Department of Transportation's Statewide Advanced Traffic Management System (Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Small Project)
  
  
• Maine Department of Transportation's Acadia Gateway Center (Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Medium Project)
  
  
• New York State Department of Transportation's Safety and Operational Improvements on Jackie Robinson Parkway (Safety, Small Project)
  
  
• Maryland Department of Transportation's I-95 Interchange at I-695 - 10 Bridges Rehabilitation Project (Safety, Medium Project)
  
  
• Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Reconstruction of Route 20 in Charlton and Oxford (Safety, Large Project)
  

Following the NASTO competition, additional regional competitions will continue throughout the summer. Once all regional winners are announced, the three top scoring winners from each region will advance to the Top 12, which will be revealed in early September. These standout projects will then 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, while the People's Choice Award will be decided through online public voting. AASHTO will reveal both winners at its annual meeting in November 2026 in Louisville, KY. The winners of both of those awards will each receive $10,000 to donate to a scholarship fund or charitable cause of their choice.Visit https://americastransportationawards.org/ to learn more about this year's NASTO nominees.