PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation’s (SDDOT) Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) located on Interstate 90 at exit 59 and North LaCrosse Street in Rapid City was recently honored as a winner within the Western Association of State Transportation Officials (WASHTO) region for the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition. Selected from 32 projects nominated by 15 state DOTs in the WASHTO region, the SDDOT project is among 106 nominations submitted overall by 39 state DOTs as part of the annual America’s Transportation Awards contest.
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). Find additional information about the SDDOT project that won in the Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Medium Project category at South Dakota Department of Transportation’s Interstate 90 LaCrosse Street Diverging Diamond Interchange.
“We are honored to earn a 2024 America’s Transportation Award for the I-90 & LaCrosse Street DDI project which was designed to improve safety and address future travel needs,” said Joel Jundt, SDDOT Secretary of Transportation. “The DDI project successfully increases vehicle capacity and reduces congestion and traffic delays particularly during the peak tourism season. Moreover, it ensures compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, improving pedestrian access between shops and hotels on both sides of I-90 which further bolsters the economy of South Dakota’s second-largest city and tourism destination.”
Projects are nominated in four categories: Quality of Life/Community Development; Operations Excellence; Best Use of Technology & Innovation; and Safety. The projects showcase transportation’s crucial role for every person in every community—regardless of how they travel. In response to rising level of fatalities on our nation’s roadways over the last several years, 2024 marks the inaugural year of the safety category, celebrating projects that successfully addressed safety challenges.
“The America’s Transportation Awards competition highlights the critical role state DOTs play in improving safety, enhancing mobility, and improving quality of life for their communities,” said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. “Our new safety category, implemented as part of AASHTO President Craig Thompson’s emphasis areas, allows us one more avenue to learn from each other on ways to drive down fatalities and serious crashes across the country. We certainly started the competition off strong with these incredible WASHTO region projects.”
Following the WASHTO regional competition, the “Top 12” nationwide finalists will be announced in early September, featuring the three highest-scoring projects from each region. These top contenders will then compete for the two 2024 America’s Transportation Awards national prizes.
Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards competition highlights state DOT projects and their impact on the communities in which they reside. Visit https://americastransportationawards.org/ to learn more about this year’s WASHTO nominees and award winners.
