TDOT’s SmartFIX40 Project Wins Two National Communications Awards

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s SmartFIX40 project is being recognized with two national community outreach and communications awards. The National Partnership for Highway Quality recently selected SmartFIX40 for their national Gold Award for “Making a Difference – Public Communications.” In addition, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Subcommittee on Public Affairs recently selected SmartFIX40 as one of four Excel Award winners for best public outreach and communications work by a state department of transportation.

 

“Closing a major interstate is not an easy task and requires tremendous planning, and communications with citizens, stakeholders, travelers and commuters," said Governor Phil Bredesen. “The communications outreach for this project was absolutely crucial and I’m pleased TDOT is being honored for this work.”

 

“In May 2008, after extensive preparations and public outreach, we closed I-40 in Knoxville and reopened 13 months later without a major incident during the closure,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “We could not have achieved such a successful result without extensive public outreach. These awards are a testament to the efforts of numerous TDOT employees, our contractors and local government partners working together to keep the public informed.”

 

TDOT is one of three state departments of transportation honored with a gold award from the NPHQ, a national coalition of public highway agencies, industry organizations and private firms. Their national "Making A Difference" awards recognize projects across the nation with gold, silver and bronze awards in six categories.

 

“SmartFIX 40 became a successful model of creative community outreach with aggressive planning and construction that provided motorists with a new and improved I-40,” NPHQ Executive Director Bob Templeton said. “TDOT has set the bar for future construction projects not only in Tennessee but throughout the country.”

 

In selecting SmartFIX40 for the Gold Award in Public Communications, the NHPQ noted, “from 2005 to 2009, TDOT focused on public outreach through community meetings, media reports, public service announcements and involvement with community leaders. When TDOT closed Interstate-40 through downtown Knoxville on May 1, 2008, motorists had been exposed to newspaper articles, billboards, magazine ads, sports ticket inserts, maps and a 60-minute television special report to prepare them for the closure and the detours that would be implemented with ease in the days to follow.”

 

TDOT’s SmartFIX40 is also one of four projects honored with the AASHTO Subcommittee on Public Affairs annual Excel Award, the top honor given for communication campaigns. The Subcommittee is made up of public affairs professionals from the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

 

Broken into two separate contracts, SmartFIX40 was a multi-year road construction project with a total price tag of more than $190 million.  SmartFIX40 began in 2005 and was completed in June 2009. The second contract involved the complete closure of a 1.5-mile portion of I-40 in downtown Knoxville.  The closure of I-40 allowed around-the-clock work uninterrupted by traffic which dramatically reduced the time needed to complete the project and resulted in improved safety for motorists.

 

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