The TRIKO Valley Section of the American Society of Highway Engineer's (ASHE) proudly presented the first annual Donald C. Schramm Transportation Improvement Awards at its meeting on March 27, 2001. The Michael A. Fox Highway Project in Butler County, Ohio and the Five Mile Road Bridge Project in Hamilton County, Ohio were the award winning projects for the year 2001.

The ASHE TRIKO Valley Section membership is made up of contracting, consulting and governmental transportation professionals from southeast Indiana, northern Kentucy and southwest Ohio. The membership established the Donald C. Schramm Transportation Improvement Awards to recognize completed transportation projects that truly improve efficiency, safety and quality of life.

The awards were named after the late Donald C. Schramm, P.E.-P.S. who was a leader in the transportation engineering field and in Hamilton County government. He served as the Hamilton County Engineer in the Cincinnati area from 1973 to 1992. Mr. Schramm and his administration made every attempt to hasten the completion of the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway Project through the very complex federal aid development process. The personal and professional attributes displayed by Mr. Schramm during his tenure inspired the ASHE TRIKO Valley Section to name the Transportation Improvement Awards in his honor.

The Michael A. Fox Highway was named the award winning project for the "over $2 million" category. The $158 million facility provided the long awaited freeway connection from the City of Hamilton, Ohio to Interstate 75 through central Butler County. The work also included the creation of six acres of wetlands, a wetlands park, and a critical link of a planned bikeway system. The project owner was the Butler County Transportation Improvement District, which utilized innovative methods to finance and administer the construction of this most needed facility which saved taxpayers approximately $562,000. Kokosing Construction Company Inc. was the general contractor. LJB Inc. provided engineering design services.

The Five Mile Road Bridge Project in Hamilton County, Ohio was named the award winner for the "$2 million and under" category. This $651,000 project included the replacement of an existing concrete deck with a revolutionary new lightweight Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite deck. The application of placing composite deck panels over concrete beams was the first of its kind in the country. This new impermeable, corrosion proof, high strength superstructure could last for more than 100 years. The project owner was the Hamilton County Engineer's Office. Ft. Definance Construction and Supply Inc. was the general contractor. LJB Inc. provided engineering design services.

The ASHE TRIKO Valley Section is pleased to recognize the above noted projects through the Donald C. Schramm Transportation Improvement Awards Program. The organization looks forward to recognizing future projects in years to come that provide positive benefits to the traveling public and region.