The 67th annual Alabama Transportation Conference, held in Birmingham, Ala. at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex February 6-7 brought together industry leaders, contractors, exhibitors and ALDOT employees to discuss the future of the transportation industry and how safety will play a large role.
Approximately 1,000 transportation professionals attended the conference. Opening the conference was keynote speaker David Harkey, Ph.D., with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with a presentation 30 by 30 – Moving Toward Safer Roads. Participants then heard from Luther H. Roberts, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Huntsville Port Authority who gave an update on The Port of Huntsville and how it plays a part as one of Alabama’s top Multimodal Transportation Centers.
Director’s and Governor’s Luncheon
ALDOT Director John Cooper addressed the crossroads of politics and planning road projects at the Transportation Director’s Luncheon on Tuesday, February 6. Director Cooper explained that, with the passing of the Rebuild Alabama Act, Mobile has seen improvements on I-10, Prattville has seen construction on US-82 and West Alabama is finally in the the beginning stages of the much-anticipated Linden Bypass and the West Alabama Corridor.
Gov. Kay Ivey addressed the conference on Wednesday, February 7 at the Governor’s Luncheon. She praised attendees on being some of the chief architects of Alabama’s progress, explaining that economic development and quality of life depends on Alabamian’s access to safe roads and bridges throughout the entire state. The Governor thanked conference attendees for their support in approving a plan to increase funding to repair and upgraded Alabama’s aging transportation system and praised the Rebuild Alabama Act as one of the most transformative pieces of legislation in decades.
Looking back, we can definitely state that the Rebuild Alabama act has become one of the most transformative pieces of legislation in decades. We are literally rebuilding our state from the ground up.
Governor Kay Ivey
Steve Walker, East Central Assistant Regional Engineer for Operations, was recognized at the Governor’s Luncheon on February 7 for his 25 plus years of service with the Alabama Department of Transportation.
Auburn University Transportation Research Institute and the Program Committee designed the 67th Annual Alabama Transportation Conference for federal and state highway personnel, road building contractors, general contractors, city and county engineers, consulting engineers, construction material vendors and university faculty members. It provides an opportunity for these groups to share ideas and innovations in transportation planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance.
