RICHMOND – You might call US 58 in Lee County the Smoothest Road in Virginia. It’s not because of the road’s smooth talking, debonair ways. It’s because this stretch of road in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) Bristol District has won the agency’s Outstanding Pavement Award for 2002. Michael Cole, pavement management coordinator, accepted the award at the Virginia Asphalt Association’s Annual Fall Conference held in Richmond on Monday.

Contractor Keith Barton with Elmo Greer & Sons; Inspector C. C. Moore, Jonesville Residency; and Byron Coburn, state scheduling and contract engineer, accept plaques for the Bristol District.

VDOT and asphalt industry representatives evaluate projects based on workmanship, material properties, difficulty of construction, and ride quality. This is Bristol’s fourth consecutive construction award. C. C. Moore of Jonesville Residency was the inspector on the project. Keith Barton with Elmo Greer & Sons was the paving superintendent.

A review committee consisting of employees from VDOT’s materials division, asset management division and construction division, and representatives from the Virginia Asphalt Association, evaluate finalists from VDOT’s nine construction districts and select the statewide winner in two categories – construction and maintenance.

In the maintenance category, the westbound lane of US 50 in Frederick County in Staunton District received this year’s Outstanding Pavement Award.

The competition began in 1991 to stress the importance of quality workmanship in new construction and maintenance projects.

Page last modified: Oct. 9, 2003