The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) announced that the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) has won a 2019 Perpetual Pavement Award (PPA) for an 11.3-mi. section of North Dakota Highway 5 in Pembina County. This is NDDOT's first PPA.

To qualify for this award, a pavement must be at least 35 years old and never have experienced a structural failure. The average interval between the resurfacing of the winning pavement must be no less than 13 years. The pavement must demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction and value for the traveling public.

Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations and validated the winners.

Built by NDDOT in 1953, the award-winning section of ND 5 runs from reference point 302.001 to reference point 313.257. The original construction consisted of 5 in. of aggregate base; 2 in. of stabilized base; and 2.5 in. of hot bituminous pavement. In 1983, the project was overlaid with 2.5 in. of hot bituminous pavement, followed by the placement of 1.5 in. of hot bituminous pavement in 2002. In 2015, the project was milled to a depth of 2 in., followed by the placement of 2 in. of a Superpave mix.

Today, ND 5 has an average daily traffic (ADT) volume of 1,399 vehicles, 14 percent of which is trucks. Since its construction, ND 5 has carried approximately 3 million equivalent single-axle loads (ESAL).

The road has performed well during its 66 years of use. Resurfaced three times, ND 5 has exceeded the minimum average interval of 13 years required to win the PPA.

"We at the North Dakota Department of Transportation are honored to receive this national recognition for top quality pavement and preservation work in the eastern part of our state," said Bill Panos, NDDOT director. "North Dakota Highway 5 has supported the movement of agricultural commodities, freight and manufactured products for more than 66 years. We are proud North Dakota's transportation system is among the best in the nation. This award highlights the commitment our department and employees have to deliver outstanding projects and provide a system that safely moves people and goods."

As a winner of a 2019 PPA, NDDOT will receive an engraved crystal obelisk, and its name and project will be added to a permanent plaque that is kept at NCAT.

"One of the keys to sustainability is long life," said Amy Miller, executive director of the APA. "Asphalt roads can be engineered to last indefinitely with only routine maintenance and periodic surface renewal.

"The advantages of these perpetual pavements are significant. Life cycle costs are lower because deep pavement repairs and reconstruction are avoided. User delays are reduced because minor surface rehabilitation requires shorter work windows and can avoid peak traffic hours. And there are environment benefits because minimal rehabilitation, combined with recycling any materials that are removed from the pavement surface, reduces the amount of material resources required over the pavement's life."

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute and the state asphalt pavement associations. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance's mission is to establish asphalt as the preferred choice for quality, performance and the environment.

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