Nine Projects Receive Global Recognition through IRF Awards

2012 GRAA Luncheon Keynote Speaker, Kirk Steudle, AASHTO President

The International Road Federation (IRF) recognized the winners of the 2011 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) Competition at the 11th Annual IRF Awards Luncheon in front of an audience comprising hundreds of high-level government officials, top executives, and other road industry professionals. Nine projects, ranging from Quality Management Oversight Systems to new highway connections with wide-ranging socio-economic impacts received the coveted award.

“Since 2000, IRF has used the Annual Awards Luncheon to recognize companies, organizations, industry professionals and students for their tremendous work and leadership in the road industry”, said Patrick Sankey, President & CEO of IRF-Washington in his introductory address. Congratulating the winners, IRF Washington Chairman Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel added: “much of what road builders do is lost or forgotten by the hundreds of millions of people who benefit so greatly from the work of the road development industry. This is precisely why IRF’s Global Road Achievement Awards provide a rare opportunity to celebrate our industry’s successes and highlight how our work helps achieve broader development goals.” “The award brought a lot of validation with it” stated Andrew Bailey, Senior Vice President at the Louis Berger Group who received the road safety award for a USAID-supported initiative to develop a Road Safety Program in South Sudan. “It clearly acknowledges that our peers recognize the success of all the hard work that went into it”.

Delivering the luncheon’s keynote address, Michigan State Transportation Director and AASHTO President Kirk Steudle noted that the international perspective that is available through IRF can assist in crafting solutions that also make sense in the United States. “States are – like all of you – looking for ways to innovate, improve efficiencies and get more performance from the workforce and systems we have” he added. “I congratulate the winners of the 2011 Global Road Achievement Awards. To earn this kind of significant recognition, you already understand the value of innovating and the importance of putting the best and brightest new ideas to practice.”