On Aug. 28, 2026, the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) recognized the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) with its first America's Transportation Award.
The new triple roundabout on SR-160 in Hayden received regional honors for Small Project in the Safety category.
The $8.6 million safety upgrade installed three roundabouts at the busy SR-160 intersection with I-65 in Blount County. It was designed to help reduce the number of wrong-way wrecks at Exit 234 ramps.
Sain Associates created the design while Vulcan Materials Asphalt and Construction served as the prime contractor and Neel-Schaffer provided consulting.
Pre-construction data showed there were 56 crashes in three years at the short stretch of SR-160, eight with injuries.
Following its completion in the summer of 2025, ALDOT crash statistics showed a 50 percent reduction in crashes per month by the end of the year, with no injuries through the project area.
“There's no doubt in my mind that without the roundabouts there, we would have already had a fatality at this intersection,” Hayden Police Chief James Chapman said in late 2025.
ALDOT was one of 12 winners from nine different states in the SASHTO region.
It competed against 34 projects from 11 states before receiving its first ever America's Transportation Award sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
“For almost two decades, the America's Transportation Awards has highlighted the innovative work state DOTs do to improve communities and enhance the lives of the people who live and visit them. But the truth is, these projects are just a fraction of the incredible work done by state DOTs every year,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO executive director. “AASHTO is proud to recognize the diverse and forward-thinking projects that are improving safety, mobility, and quality of life in communities across the country.”
Following this honor, the three highest scoring SASHTO winners will advance to the Top 12 national AASHTO competition. The 12 finalists will be unveiled over the next few weeks and compete in the 2026 America's Transportation Awards in November.
