Cooke City, Mont.— The National Partnership for Highway Quality announced that its 2007 National Achievement Award Special Recognition for a Small Project will go to the Beartooth Highway, Segment 1, MTPFH 59-1(1) project.

Members of the winning team were the Federal Highway Administration Western Federal Lands Highway Division and its project partners, the Gallatin National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, the Montana Department of Transportation, Rice-Kilroy Construction Co. Inc., and Robert Peccia and Associates.

Known for its high elevations and breathtaking views, the Beartooth Highway has suffered decades of neglect. As the roadway deteriorated, the WFLHD began addressing these issues and created a partnership to restore the All-American Road, including Segment 1 between Cooke City and the Montana/Wyoming state line.

The $11.2-million Segment 1 project called for the reconstruction of 8.01 kilometers of US 212. The challenges on this project included rugged terrain, a short construction season and no weekend construction.

The NPHQ National Achievement Awards recognize overall project quality; the partnership between state departments of transportation and private contractors; technical and materials innovations; the effectiveness and creativity of public involvement; the teams' effectiveness in meeting or exceeding expected deadlines, costs and deliverables; responsiveness to environmental needs and opportunities; and adherence to other principles of quality management.