FAIRFAX, COUNTY, VA. ― Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews continue to assess road and bridge damage in northern Virginia from Tropical Storm Lee, which destroyed three bridges on secondary roads and damaged pavement on dozens of roads.

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three distinguished American engineers have been selected for induction into the highest place of honor in the transportation design and construction industry: the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Foundation’s Transportation Development Hall of Fame. Launched in 2010, the hall honors individuals or families from the public and private sectors who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. transportation development during their careers.

 PORTLAND, ORE. — David Evans and Associates Inc. (DEA) hired four industry veterans to fill leadership positions in its Denver, Los Angeles, and Portland offices. “The last two years have been challenging for DEA and for the nation,” said Transportation General Manager Jay Lyman. “It is gratifying to be going on offense and to start growing our business again. 2011 has been a good year for DEA and we are excited to be adding key leaders to our bridge, railroad, and transit groups.”

  PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has been recognized nationally for its creative and innovative solutions on a project that makes traveling safer for motorists, while protecting wildlife and connecting ecosystems. The Federal Highway Administration awarded one of its top environmental honors — the 2011 Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award — to ADOT for the successful completion of the US 93 Hoover Dam to milepost 17 project, which opened to the public before Thanksgiving in 2010. The project widened US 93 to a modern four-lane divided highway and includes three wildlife crossings for bighorn sheep in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

 WASHINGTON, D.C.- America’s rural heartland is home to approximately 50 million people and its natural resources provide the primary source of the energy, food and fiber that supports the nation’s economy and way of life. But, according to a new report, the roads and bridges that serve and connect the nation’s rural areas face a number of significant challenges, including inadequate capacity to handle the growing levels of traffic and commerce, limited connectivity, the inability to accommodate growing freight travel, deteriorated road and bridge conditions, a lack of desirable safety features, and a traffic fatality rate far higher than all other roads and highways.