Michael Lewis RIDOT, AAA CEO Mark A. Shaw, and Gov. Donald Carcieri.

Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri (R) and State Department of Transportation Director Michael Lewis accepted the award at a special ceremony in Providence last week. The presentation was organized by AAA Southern New England, in conjunction with the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). All three organizations are partners in "America's Transportation Award."

The IWay, which is also known as the Providence River Bridge, won the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO) first prize for "Innovative Management." The award puts RIDOT in the running for the National America's Transportation Award which will be presented at the AASHTO Annual Meeting, October 19th, 2008.

Governor Carcieri said that the entire state was proud of the IWay project and the recognition it has brought to Rhode Island. William D. Warner architects designed the IWay with a single unit of arches as its centerpiece. Cardi Corp., the general contractor, assembled it about a dozen miles from the bridge location and Dutch-based Mammoet Corp., experts in moving offshore oil-drilling platforms, transported the IWay to its current location.

The $610 million dollar project has been years in the making. When it's finally completed in the year 2012 it will replace the current I-195 bridge, making room for significant redevelopment in and around the Providence waterfront.

To find out more about the America's Transportation Award, visit http://www.americastransportationaward.org.