Now Accepting Top 10 Submissions

Since 2000, the Roads & Bridges Top 10 Awards have recognized the construction projects that are reshaping America's infrastructure. Today, Roads & Bridges is proud to announce that submissions are officially open for the 2026 Top 10 Roads and Top 10 Bridges Awards. 

Submit here. The deadline is Sept. 4, but between today and July 10, we are offering an early bird special, so don’t wait.  

Each year, Roads & Bridges’ Top 10 Awards honors the most innovative, impactful and challenging projects completed across North America. From major interstate reconstructions and complex urban corridor improvements to signature bridge replacements and landmark crossings, the awards celebrate the engineers, contractors, owners, and transportation agencies whose work is advancing the nation's mobility and safety. 

The Top 10 Awards highlight excellence in planning, design, construction and project delivery. Winning projects demonstrate not only technical achievement but also a commitment to improving transportation networks and the communities they serve. 

The Top 10 Awards are judged by Roads & Bridges’ editorial team. Each year, we are amazed by the ingenuity and determination that transportation professionals bring to their work. The Top 10 Awards showcase the projects that overcome extraordinary challenges, introduce new technologies and deliver lasting benefits for motorists, freight movement and local communities. 

Road projects of all sizes are encouraged to apply, including highway expansions, interchange reconstructions, complete streets initiatives and safety improvements. Bridge submissions may include new crossings, rehabilitations, replacements, preservation efforts and projects that feature unique engineering solutions or construction techniques. 

Entries will be evaluated on a variety of factors, including: 

• Engineering and technical excellence 
• Innovation in design or construction 
• Project complexity and challenges overcome 
• Safety improvements 
• Community impact 
• Environmental stewardship 
• Cost-effectiveness and project delivery success 

The awards are open to public agencies, private firms, engineering consultants, contractors and project teams involved in transportation infrastructure projects. Eligibility rules include: 

• Projects must have been complete or have reached the final construction phase within the past 14 months. 
• The entire project must be submitted (not one specific phase or aspect of the project). 
• You must submit a completed entry form for each individual project entered 
• A project may only be entered once (we know a bridge also is a road, but we are judging bridges separately). If you are submitting a long highway project with multiple bridges, that goes in the roads category. 
• Editorial has the right to move entries to more appropriate categories if necessary (company will be notified of category change). 

The annual Top 10 Roads and Top 10 Bridges lists have long served as a showcase for the best work being performed across the industry. Past winners have included transformative urban highway projects, record-setting bridge structures, innovative preservation efforts, and critical infrastructure investments that have improved mobility and strengthened regional economies. 

In addition to celebrating project accomplishments, the awards provide an opportunity for project teams to share lessons learned, highlight innovative practices, and demonstrate the value of transportation investment to the broader industry. 

Project teams interested in submitting entries are encouraged to begin gathering project information, photography and supporting materials as early as possible. Strong submissions typically include detailed project narratives, descriptions of unique challenges, measurable outcomes and high-quality images that illustrate the project's impact. 

The winners will be announced later this year and will be featured in Roads & Bridges’ November/December issue.