HOUSTON — At the 2024 WASHTO conference in Omaha, Neb., TxDOT was presented with the award for Safety by America’s Transportation Awards.

The hardware went to TxDOT’s $217 million State Highway 146 Expansion Project, which included the construction of a 2.1-mile express bridge as well as sidewalks, shared-used lanes, and a mile-long bike lane.

“The purpose of this project was to address design deficiencies on the roadway that greatly impacted the safety and mobility of the corridor and the economy of surrounding communities,” said Jamal Elahi, TxDOT Houston District area engineer. “Such communities had a lack of hurricane evacuation routes, lack of pedestrian/bicycle facilities, increased congestion, and more.”

The new express bridge diverts high-speed, freight traffic from local lanes, improving traffic situations in local areas with schools, businesses and residents. It also provides a reliable, high-capacity evacuation route in the event of hurricanes for coastal communities.

SH 146 runs through Seabrook and Kemah, popular tourist destinations that welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. To increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists and golf cart users, a 14-foot-wide shared used lane was added to the frontage roads and arterial lanes as well as sidewalks.

TxDOT also partnered with the cities of Kemah and Seabrook to build a 14-foot-wide, 1-mile-long bikeway with barrier protection.

This year, America’s Transportation Awards introduced Safety as a new category, aimed to celebrate projects that were initiated to address safety concerns and successfully did so.

“I felt incredibly proud of the team that delivered this project,” Elahi said. “From the TxDOT designers at the Houston District, to the area engineers and project managers who have managed it, to the CEI team who inspected it, the contractor who built it and the communities who lived through it and supported the project.

“This was truly a team effort and will provide long lasting safety, mobility and economic benefits to road users and communities.”