ICYMI: Florida Department of Transportation Wins 2021 Perpetual Pavement Award



The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) announced today that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has won a 2021 Perpetual Pavement Award: By Performance (PPA) for a 2.558-mile section of a four-lane divided arterial on State Road 60 from milepost 1.661 to milepost 4.219 in Pinellas County originally constructed in 1960. This is FDOT’s 12th PPA: By Performance since the program began in 2001.

To qualify for this prestigious award, a pavement must be at least 35 years old and never experience a structural failure. The average interval between the resurfacing of the winning pavement must be no less than 13 years. In addition, the pavement must demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction, and value for the traveling public. Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations and validated the winners.

The award-winning section of SR 60 was constructed in 1960 as a multilane reconstruction project. The original pavement consisted of 12 inches of stabilization, 8.5 inches of limerock base, a Type 1-B bituminous surface treatment, 2 inches of asphalt binder course, and a 1-inch Type I asphaltic concrete surface course. The typical section noted a total asphalt thickness of 3 inches.

This four-lane roadway currently has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of approximately 51,500 vehicles. The estimated loading since the original construction is over 18 million equivalent single-axle loads (ESALs).

As the years between resurfacing have averaged 18.7 years, this section of SR 60 easily meets the criteria for a PPA: By Performance and has served the traveling public in Fla. well during its 61 years of use. As a result, FDOT will be honored by the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida (ACAF) and presented with an engraved crystal obelisk.

“Reliable infrastructure is critical to providing a sustainable quality of life, and Fla. continues to lead the nation in maintaining resilient transportation infrastructure for both our residents and visitors,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “FDOT is proud to receive its twelfth Perpetual Pavement Award recognizing the long life of State Road 60, which has been essential in the movement of people, goods and services in Pinellas County for over 60 years.”

“One key indicator of quality in construction is a smooth, long-life pavement,” said Amy Miller, P.E., National Director of the APA. “Long-life asphalt pavements serve the community, reduce the money needed for maintenance, and conserve raw materials, ultimately leading to a truly sustainable structure that exemplifies the triple bottom line. Asphalt roads can be engineered to last indefinitely with only routine maintenance and periodic surface renewal. Perpetual pavements use fewer natural resources and offer road owners and users what they want most – an economical, smooth pavement that serves the community for decades.”

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute, and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s mission is to establish asphalt as the preferred choice for quality, performance, and the environment.

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The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (www.driveasphalt.org) is a partnership of the Asphalt Institute (AI), National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s mission is to establish asphalt as the preferred choice for quality, performance, and the environment. The Asphalt Institute (https://www.asphaltinstitute.org/) is the international trade association of petroleum asphalt producers, manufacturers, and affiliated businesses. AI promotes the use, benefits, and quality performance of petroleum asphalt, through engineering, research, marketing, and educational activities. The National Asphalt Pavement Association (www.asphaltpavement.org) represents the interests of U.S. asphalt producers/contractors before Congress, federal agencies, and other national trade and business organizations. NAPA supports an active research program designed to improve the quality of asphalt pavements and paving techniques used in the construction of roads, streets, highways, parking lots, airports, and environmental and recreational facilities. The State Asphalt Pavement Associations (www.sapainc.org) represent the interests of asphalt pavement producers and paving companies at the state and local level across the United States.