The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) today earned a regional award in the 2023 America’s Transportation Awards competition at the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Annual Meeting (SASHTO) held in Mobile, Alabama. Georgia DOT’s winning submission, the “Historic 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge Rehabilitation Project,” won in the Quality of Life/Community Development, Small Project category and competed alongside projects of similar size and scope from the 14-state SASHTO region which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia in addition to Georgia.

"This recognition highlights GDOT's continued commitment to collaborating with local stakeholders to deliver projects that are important to them and their communities, and demonstrates the value of the Transportation Investment Act program and the funding it provides to make regional projects like this one happen," said Russell R. McMurry, P.E., Georgia DOT commissioner. "The Georgia Department of Transportation is honored to receive this prestigious award."

The 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge project revitalizedView of the newly painted deck and lightingthe previously outdated and structurally-deficient 5th Street Bridge over the Savannah River in Augusta, Ga. and transformed it into an active pedestrian crossing which provides an attractive and viable option for those strolling on foot, jogging or exercising. It now serves as an active hub of community activity, with several community arts events and festivals scheduled for the bridge. The project included installation of numerous benches with shading, water fountains for people and companion animals, and substantial lighting for safety and aesthetic enhancement. The new bridge deck was colorfully and attractively painted to include important dates in the bridge’s history.

Georgia DOT worked collaboratively on this project with local governments and regional partners through the agency’s Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Program, which provides a unique process for Georgia regions to fund community-selected transportation infrastructure projects with a voter-approved one-cent sales tax. Georgia DOT’s TIA engineers ensured the project’s timely administration while The City of Augusta oversaw the construction and garnered community support. The bridge rehabilitation was one of the Central Savannah River Area’s (CSRA) 84 projects specially-selected by regional leaders on their final investment list for the TIA term 2013-2022.

“The transformation of this historic bridge from a potentially hazardous secondary passageway for vehicle traffic across the Savannah River to a historically preserved pedestrian destination and community beautification centerpiece is a welcomed improvement for downtown Augusta and North Augusta,” said Phil Wahl, a member of the CSRA’s TIA Citizen’s Review Panel.

Sponsored by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards serves to recognize state DOTs and highlights the projects they deliver that make their communities better places to live, work, and play. Project nominations fall into one of three categories: Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation, and Quality of Life/Community Development.