The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) was recognized this week at the 2018 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Annual Conference as one of three states to receive the 2018 State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Excellence Award.

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Center of Accelerating Innovation and the AASHTO Innovation Initiative have partnered to promote innovations and to recognize excellence within a STIC.

The STIC Excellence Award recognizes a STIC that has made significant impact toward fostering a strong culture for innovation.

DelDOT was recognized for its commitment to innovation throughout the department. This includes the use of innovative practices on projects such as such as Accelerated Bridge Construction and Ultra High Performance on the Blackbird Creek bridge project, installing High Friction Surface Treatment at 23 locations to reduce roadway departure crashes fatalities and serious injuries, and using Design Build to bundle nearly two dozen culvert replacement projects across the state into one contract, instead of addressing each as an individual project.

The department also held its first annual Innovation Fair in fall 2017 to provide an opportunity for employees to showcase innovations they’ve implemented to improve safety and efficiency, reduce costs, and save time.

Lastly, DelDOT along with two state agencies, the Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Control and Government Information Center, partnered with two non-profit organizations, Open Data Delaware and TechImpact, to host the 2018 Open Data Challenge. Tech savvy teams utilized transportation, environmental and recreation data sets to develop applications that improve accessibility for residents and visitors of the First State.

“We are building a culture of innovation within the Department, and being recognized for our work on a national level is a credit to the DelDOT employees who are working every day to develop and implement these innovative practices,”  said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan.

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.