Presented during its 2009 Annual Meeting, the President’s Award recognizes individuals or teams who have performed exemplary service that benefits transportation regionally or nationally. The recipient is selected by the president of AASHTO and the four regional associations of state highway and transportation officials.

The Katy Freeway Reconstruction Team, made up of employees in TxDOT’s Central Houston and West Harris Area Offices, and the two prime highway contractors, Dallas-based Balfour Beatty and Houston-based Williams Brothers Construction Co., worked over the past six years to rebuild 23 mi of IH-10 West.

This $2.8-billion mega-project was completed ahead of schedule and within budget, giving the traveling public additional capacity, including two high-occupancy/toll lanes in each direction. The team worked seven days a week to manage designs, schedules, costs and overall quality assurance.

The Katy Freeway reconstruction was the largest undertaking in TxDOT history. An aggressive schedule provided the framework for project completion in less than six years.