A GROWING NUMBER OF STATES ARE TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS TRANSPORTATION FUNDING. Faced with the improbability that we will see any relief or vision at the federal level, funding has become an unavoidable public policy issue.
JOHN R. COOPER
Director
Alabama Department of Transportation
alabama
The 75-year-old Edmund Pettus Bridge c was the focal point of the historic Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery.
A rendering of the Mobile River Bridge that will carry Interstate 10 over the Mobile River.
Horton Mill covered bridge is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. Built in 1934, the bridge remains open to traffic.
A portion of the construction phase of the Birmingham Northern Beltline, a 52-mile, six-lane corridor.
/// Accomplishments
■ In March 2015 ALDOT assisted with celebrating the month-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march. This event resulted in about 100,000 people converging on Selma and Montgomery. ALDOT’s Edmund Pettus Bridge was a focal point of the commemoration.
■ The Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) provides funds for the construction of critical projects across the state of Alabama. ATRIP will continue to generate jobs and help provide improved infrastructure.
■ Fleet Management: Based on ALDOT’s award winning fleet management program, Governor Robert Bentley and the Alabama Legislature designated ALDOT to manage Alabama’s fleet of nearly 10,000 state vehicles.
/// new Initiatives
■ ALDOT launched its new traffic safety marketing initiative, Drive Safe Alabama. The goal of Drive Safe Alabama is to strengthen Alabama’s highway safety culture. By providing safe driving information through online resources and educational opportunities, ALDOT aims to reduce crash-related injuries and fatalities on Alabama’s roadways. Learn more at DriveSafeAlabama.org.
■ Accelerated Bridge Construction is just one way ALDOT is implementing “Every Day Counts.” A bridge replacement project in Dothan, Ala., will be the first place in Alabama to use a bridge sliding technique for rapid replacement of a 50-year-old bridge.
■ In January 2015, ALDOT completed its transition to a new organizational structure, consolidating its nine divisions into five regions. The new structure is aimed at providing increased decision-making authority at the local level, along with greater accountability and efficiency.
/// Looking Ahead
■ As funding for transportation continues to be a challenge across the nation, ALDOT will work with Alabama’s Legislature to find new methods for funding in the future.
ALABAMA