Tennessee DOT wins pavement award for I-81 section

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) recently announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation won a 2004 Perpetual Pavement Award for a section of Interstate 81 in Washington and Sullivan counties.

Jack Lettiere Jr., 2005 president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, presented the award during a special May ceremony at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

To qualify for the award, a pavement must demonstrate hot mix asphalt's long-life characteristics and must have been constructed at least 35 years ago.

"We take great pride in this achievement," said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "Our Materials and Tests Division team strives to utilize the latest technology to put the best product available on our roadways."

The award-winning pavement was an 8-mi. section of Interstate 81 in the northeastern corner of Tennessee. When the road opened in 1969, the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) was 8,400 vehicles per day. In 2002, the ADT was approximately 39,900 vehicles per day.

Since its construction, this stretch of interstate has withstood an estimated 29 million ESALs (Equivalent Single Axle Loads) without any sign of structural failure.

"I think there are several reasons this road has held up so well," said Gary Head, civil engineering director of the Materials and Tests Division of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. "First, for its time and day, it had a very good crushed stone base - 8 in. of limestone. A good base is vital to a good roadway."

The design also used a large stone base, providing a conduit to allow water out of the pavement.

"This stone mix had a lot of stone-to-stone contact, which is something that the industry is getting back to," he added.

Finally, the DOT successfully designed the pavement to handle future loads.

"Even though this pavement has been punished by more than 35 years of use, motorists are still using the original pavement structure," said Larry O'Donnell, APA co-chairman.