“Restoring the historic Wurts Street Bridge was a labor of love for our team at New York State DOT as we worked to connect the communities that benefit from this important travel route with an updated structure that preserves its grandeur for future generations,” said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. “This award belongs to all the dedicated women and men of the New York State Department of Transportation who make projects like this possible and whose focus is to advance safe transportation for all. Our sincere thanks to AASHTO for recognizing the hard work of our team.”

Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards competition recognize the projects and programs that make their communities better places to live, work, and play. In its 18th year, the awards help to showcase why transportation infrastructure is so vital.

Originally built in 1921, the Wurts Street Bridge is a popular route for travel between the City of Kingston and the Hamlet of Port Ewen in the Town of Esopus in Ulster County. As one of the first suspension bridges built in the Hudson Valley, the bridge is unusual in that its two approaches and its towers rest at different elevations, with a vertical difference of 20 feet.

The rehabilitation project, which was completed last year, used more than 700 tons of U.S.-made steel to stabilize and strengthen the 103-year-old structure, enhancing public safety and fully restoring the bridge’s stunning grandeur. A new, continuous bridge deck and supporting trusses were installed to negate the need for deck joints and reduce long-term maintenance costs. New, wider sidewalks were also added on the bridge to improve access for pedestrians. The project cost approximately $60 million and was performed by Wurts Bridge Constructors LLC—the professional team of Northeast Structural Steel, Inc., GCCOM Construction Company, Inc., A. Servidone, Inc./B. Anthony Construction Corp/JV, and J. D’Annunzio & Sons, Inc.— which won a best value award from NYSDOT in August 2021.

The Quality of Life/Community Development category recognizes transportation projects that have significantly benefited the community in which they exist, especially in the form of economic growth and well-being of citizens., and Best Use of Technology & Innovation. After all regional meetings have taken place over the summer, the three highest scoring projects from each region will be named the “Top 12” and will go on to compete for the top two national prizes. The Grand Prize is chosen by an independent panel of judges while the People’s Choice Award is determined by the public through online voting. Winners will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City this November.