The Foundation for Pavement Preservation honored Michigan Governor John Engler with its first President's Award for Pavement Preservation Excellence.
Pavement preventative maintenance is the application of various surface treatments early in the life of a road to reduce the rate of wear and tear and extend the road's overall service life.
Research shows for every $1 spent on pavement preservation state departments of transportation save at least $6 in road rehabilitation and reconstruction.
"Governor Engler has provided leadership and commitment to Michigan's Capital Preventive Maintenance Program. He has provided dedicated support for staff, resources to carry out the program and has promoted this philosophy to other states," said Foundation President Bill Ballou. "Under Governor Engler's leadership, the Michigan Department of Transportation created their Capital Preventive Maintenance Program, instituting a broad array of preventive maintenance measures. The state estimates $700 million less was required to achieve the same or better pavement conditions, making Michigan a leader in the management of transportation assets through preservation concepts."
Ballou noted that Engler's willingness to support outreach to other states has led to at least 10 state departments of transportation to adopt pavement preventive maintenance programs modeled after Michigan's.
