America's Byways® Press Room
August 29, 2001 - AASHTO Announces Awards
Eight States Win Awards for Outstanding Scenic Byways Projects
From an Illinois covered bridge to the scenic overlooks of Oregon’s Columbia River, some of the nation’s most picturesque highway and byway projects were recognized with awards today presented at the National Scenic Byways Conference in Portland, Oregon. Exemplary projects in eight states received awards showcasing best practices for scenic byways.
The competition, titled, The Road Beckons: Best Practices for Byways, was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the America’s Byways Resource Center. Twenty-one states submitted 41 applications for the inaugural competition.
“The winning projects generate a sense of pride and enthusiasm for those involved, and provide terrific destinations for byways visitors,” said John Horsley, AASHTO Executive Director. “Scenic byways are a key component in national tourism, and by getting out and exploring America, we help build a stronger economy.”
Award-winning projects are: the San Juan Skyway Historic Preservation Project and Multimedia Package, Colorado; the Cumberland County Covered Bridge, Illinois; the Flint Hills Scenic Byway Overlook, Kansas; Memorial Point Overlook, Nevada; Lake Champlain Byways Interpretive Projects, New York and Vermont; Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and Interpretive Panels and Preservation of Oregon Historic Coastal Bridges, Oregon; and Portraits in Time, Utah. A description of each project follows.
A publication highlighting the winning projects will be released at the 2001 AASHTO Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, November 30 - December 4.
The National Scenic Byways Program was established under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991, and reauthorized in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Under the program, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities. There are 72 such designated byways in 32 states.The Road Beckons: Best Practices for Byways Project Descriptions
COLORADO - San Juan Skyway Historic Preservation Project and Multimedia Package
The San Juan Skyway Historic Preservation Plan served as a catalyst for preserving 13 highly visible endangered historic sites along the byway and 3,320 acres of historic landscapes. The plan has stimulated significant partnerships and has served to leverage millions of dollars for improvements to the historic corridor.
Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Service partnered with byway officials, historical societies, state agencies, and others to produce a 30-minute, Emmy Award-winning video on the San Juan Skyway as the first in a multimedia series about byways, with a companion interactive web site and teacher’s guide for classroom learning. Over 100,000 households have viewed the video, and the teacher’s guide has been distributed to all elementary schools in Colorado.
ILLINOIS - Cumberland County Covered Bridge, The National Road
Using traditional construction techniques of a bygone era, the Cumberland County Covered Bridge is a replica of the original 1830s-era covered timber bridge that once existed at the same location along The National Road near historic Greenup, Ill. The project complements both existing and ongoing historic preservation efforts in Greenup’s business district. The new bridge is reported to be the longest single-span covered timber bridge in the United States without a posted load restriction.
KANSAS - Flint Hills Scenic Byway Overlook
By listening to the land and the locals, designers of the Flint Hills Scenic Byway Overlook celebrated and reflected elements of the surrounding landscape with an aesthetic design that complements the state’s tallgrass prairie. The overlook is an earthen mound contained by a limestone retaining wall that replicates the old stone fences and the natural rock outcroppings visible along the byway. Wildflowers have been planted on top of the structure, giving visitors the chance to experience native vegetation while taking in the vistas of the prairie.
NEVADA - Memorial Point Overlook, Eastshore Drive National Scenic Byway
The Memorial Point Overlook provides a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe, but with more than 250,000 visitors per year, the project site suffered from intensive public use with no developed facilities. In order to preserve the aesthetics of the area while addressing the need for public facilities, a “treehouse-like structure” for restrooms was placed on pillars and sewage treatment facilities and other utilities were installed underground. The project also included the landscaping of the parking area, the installation of a fence to guide visitors to the restroom facility and the newly created trails leading to the lakeshore. The overlook addressed a variety of design challenges with minimal impact to the pristine environment.
NEW YORK, VERMONT - Lake Champlain Byways Interpretive Projects
The 250-mile Lake Champlain Byways were the centerpieces for unifying a bi-state region around America’s sixth-largest freshwater lake. The comprehensive, grassroots approach to promote the region as a single destination featured a corridor management plan, a video for local officials and organizations, and a wayside exhibit manual to help local groups develop interpretive signs. The project connects visitors to the region with new bikeways, walkways and a birding trail.
OREGON - Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and Interpretive Panels
The project cleared, restored, and reopened the Mosier Twin Tunnels, abandoned since 1954 and filled with debris. The tunnels now feature windows overlooking the Columbia River, with two new scenic viewpoints. Four former gravel pits were reclaimed and restored with native plants. The project turned a 4.6-mile segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway into a multi-use hiking and biking trail with 39 interpretive panels that describe elements along the byway and its surrounding area.
OREGON - Preservation of Oregon Historic Coastal Bridges, Pacific Coast Scenic Byway
This preservation project has restored four of eight historic bridges that stretch the length of Oregon’s Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. By using the most appropriate time-tested technology to preserve the restoration, the state is able to protect its legacy of architecture and engineering that was in grave danger of being lost. The state’s goal is to restore all historic coastal bridges by 2020.
UTAH - Logan Canyon Scenic Byway: Portraits in Time
Made of timber and limestone, the “Portraits in Time” project was designed to share the stories of the natural forces that defined the area surrounding the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway. The common visual theme is representative of the area’s resources through design and the use of native materials for interpretive sites along the byway. The completed project includes 11 interpretive sites, eight new restrooms, two byway brochures, restaurant placemats, and a traveling exhibit.
Copyright 2000 AASHTO. All rights reserved.
For more information, see http://www.transportation.org/aashto/success.nsf/allpages/scenicbywaysawards?opendocument
