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Georgia DOT earns top honors in 2026 America's Transportation Awards for safety and technological innovation
ATLANTA, GA - The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) won two awards in the 2026 America's Transportation Awards during the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) annual conference in Greenville, South Carolina. Georgia DOT projects won in the "Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Small Project" category, which recognizes innovative technology and creative solutions implemented as part of a transportation project; and the "Safety, Small Project" category, which recognizes projects that successfully address local roadway risks, protect vulnerable users, and implement proven safety countermeasures.
"Winning these awards in the technology and safety categories highlights Georgia DOT's continued commitment to advancing innovative transportation solutions and improving safety for everyone who uses our roadways," said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry, P.E. "Both projects are prime examples of how the department leverages technology, innovation and data-driven solutions to address transportation challenges and make our roads safer and more efficient."
Georgia DOT's first submission, "The Day One Deployment District," won in the "Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Small Project" category. Launched at the 2025 ITS World Congress in Atlanta, the Day One Deployment District (DODD) is an approximately one-square-mile Vehicle -to-Everything (V2X) environment in downtown Atlanta. This first-in-the nation initiative integrates cutting edge technology, enhanced network communication, and cybersecurity protocols to create an operational environment where traffic signals, roadside units, and vehicles communicate in real time to improve safety, efficiency, and mobility. ITS World Congress attendees from around the world were provided an up-close look at connected vehicle technology through tours in specially equipped Georgia DOT vehicles that demonstrated how V2X communicates with roadway infrastructure and other vehicles in real time.
The department's second winning project, "The Old National Highway Safety Improvements," tied for first in the "Safety, Small Project" category. Old National Highway, in the city of South Fulton, is a five-lane roadway serving restaurants, retail shops, a hotel, schools, day cares, strip malls and residential neighborhoods. The corridor ranked among the highest non-interstate routes for both pedestrian-related crashes and overall crash severity. To address these safety concerns, the department implemented data-driven safety improvements, including raised medians, a modified intersection design known as a Half-RCUT and pedestrian hybrid beacons, transforming this high-crash corridor into a safer, more efficient and accessible roadway for motorists, pedestrians and transit users.
The America's Transportation Awards, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), highlight transportation projects that deliver meaningful community benefits. As a regional winner, Georgia DOT's winning projects will advance to contend for a spot on AASHTO's "Top 12" of nationwide finalists, which will be announced in early September. The chosen "Top 12" will then compete for a Grand Prize, selected by an independent panel of judges, and a People's Choice Award, chosen by public vote. Winners will be announced in November at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Each winner in the national competition will receive $10,000 to donate to a charity or scholarship of their choice.
Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia's state and federal highways. We are involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and it's nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovations, safety, sustainability and mobility. The Department's vision is to boost Georgia's competitiveness through leadership in transportation.
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