MassDOT Receives National Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that the agency's Highway Division is being awarded the Northeast Pavement Preservation Partnership's Jim Sorenson Award in recognition of its leadership and long-term commitment to pavement preservation and reducing the need for costly resurfacing.

The Sorenson Award is a national honor that recognizes agencies for excellence in preserving pavement assets through innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable treatments. MassDOT's program was selected for its long-term application of preservation principles across all classes of highways and for its success in keeping roadways in good repair using a variety of preservation techniques. 

The award is being presented at the Northeast Pavement Preservation Partnership Conference to be held May 5 – 7 in Springfield. ?Cody Holemo, MassDOT's Pavement Preservation Engineer, will accept on behalf of the agency.  

"This award is a testament to the outstanding work happening at MassDOT every day," said Governor Maura Healey. "Our administration has taken a proactive approach to maintaining our roads, saving taxpayers money and reducing disruptions for drivers. We're proud to be recognized as a national leader in pavement preservation and will keep making the investments needed to deliver safer, more reliable infrastructure for communities across Massachusetts." 

As background, MassDOT formally established its pavement preservation program in 2005 within the Highway Division's Pavement Management Section. This was preceded by decades of research and implementation in areas such as microsurfacing, diamond grinding, polymer-modified thin overlays, and ultrathin bonded wearing courses. The program is a key part of the Department's maintenance strategy which emphasizes early intervention to extend pavement life and stretch taxpayer dollars. 

Factors that weighed on the award decision included MassDOT's long-term commitment to pavement preservation and the Northeast Pavement Preservation Partnership. The agency was an early adopter of a centralized pavement condition database and pavement management system that supports data-driven decisions. In addition, it was a founding member of the Northeast Pavement Preservation Partnership and hosted the first NEPPP meeting in 2006.

MassDOT has also participated in national initiatives such as SHRP2-R26 and FHWA Every Day Counts. In 2021, the agency launched the Municipal Paving Program to bring preservation resources to municipally owned state-numbered roadways.  

MassDOT routinely applies a wide range of preservation and recycling treatments tailored to pavement conditions and context. Treatments include: 

• Crack sealing using multiple materials and mastics 
• Fog seals and rejuvenators including plant-based and specialty formulations 
• Chip seals with emulsion and hot-applied asphalt rubber 
• Microsurfacing in conventional and high-performance formulations 
• Ultrathin bonded overlays in conventional, polymer-modified, and asphalt rubber variants 
• Hot in-place recycling 
• Cold in-place recycling with emulsion and foamed asphalt 
• Thin HMA overlays with diverse mix designs, high RAP content, and performance modifiers 

Beyond these treatments, MassDOT continues to pilot and adopt innovations such as varied milling techniques, surface texture applications, void-reducing asphalt membranes, and expanded use of spray pavers.  

Overall, the preservation program has brought significant value to the taxpayer through reduced lifecycle costs, minimized delays during treatments, and decreased the frequency of needed major roadway reconstruction. 

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