ARRA Celebrates Leaders in the Recycling Industry

At the 2026 Awards Ceremony & Recognition Breakfast during the AEMA-ARRA-ISSA Annual Meeting, February 17-20 in Austin, TX, ARRA recognized numerous people for their work in recycling industry.

ARRA is proud to continue its tradition of partnering with Roads & Bridges Magazine to recognize outstanding projects in our field. Gavin Jenkins, editor of Roads & Bridges, attended the ceremony to help the award the winners for Hot In-Place Recycling, Full Depth Reclamation, and Cold In-Place Recycling.

The Hot In-Place Recycling Award recognizes a project that successfully revitalizes existing pavement using efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective in-place recycling methods. This year’s recipient is Polk County Engineering, led by County Engineer Richard Sanders, and contractor Dustrol, Inc for their HIR project on County State Aid Highway 9 in Crookston, Minnesota. Polk County selected HIR to rehabilitate the top two inches of pavement along this heavily used agricultural corridor, which carries an AADT of nearly 1,100 vehicles – with heavy trucks increasing significantly during the sugar beet and grain harvest seasons. By choosing HIR over a traditional hot-mix overlay, the County drastically reduced hauling needs, minimized disruptions, and eliminated rutting that had previously hindered winter plowing. The process also reheated and reworked existing crack-fill material deeper into thermal cracks, improving long-term resistance to reflective cracking. The result is a smoother, safer roadway, delivered with strong environmental benefits and reduced overall material use.

Next, the Cold In-Place Recycling Award honors innovative use of CIR to rehabilitate pavements efficiently and sustainably. This year’s award goes to the City of Mesa, led by Pavement Management Supervisor, Matt Manthey, and contractor Arizona Pavement Profiling Inc. for the reconstruction of Southern Avenue, one of the city’s busiest arterial corridors. The project recycled 100% of existing asphalt in place along 1.75 miles of roadway carrying 20,000 to 25.000 vehicles per day. Despite working through multiple collector and arterial intersections, the team maintained traffic flow by phasing work to avoid peak hours and placing traffic on the CIR surface the next morning. The project achieved exceptional production – averaging roughly 1,900 tons per day – while delivering major environmental benefits: eliminating nearly 18,000 tons of haul-off, saving 5,300 plus gallons of diesel, and conserving nearly 17,000 tons of virgin aggregate. As Mesa’s first project to implement VRAM joint technology, it also introduced innovations that will improve long-term pavement performance and durability.

The last winner won in both Full Depth Reclamation and Cold Planing. The Full-Depth Reclamation and Cold Planing Award honors projects that strengthen pavement structures through advanced recycling techniques. This year’s award goes to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), represented by Project Supervisor, Stephanie Turner, and subcontractors Evergreen Roadworks and Specialties Company for the State Road 13 reconstruction project in Madison County. Facing a pavement system with inadequate structural integrity, INDOT shifted from a basic mill-and-overlay to a full pavement rebuild using a combination of Full-Depth Reclamation, Cold Central Plant Recycling, and Cold Planing. The project recycled nearly all existing materials on site, producing a 15-inch engineered pavement structure that was stronger, more sustainable, and 35% more cost-effective than a traditional remove-and-replace approach. Three well-staged full-closure phases minimized community impacts, while onsite CPPR production reduced hauling, eliminated waste removal, and significantly protected surrounding county roads from construction traffic. Completed within a single construction season, the project stands out as a model of efficiency, innovation, and responsible resource management.

The 2026 ARRA Special Recognition Awards honors public officials and consulting engineers who have demonstrated excellence and made outstanding contributions to the asphalt recycling and reclaiming industry. Nominations are submitted by ARRA members, and the ARRA Technical Committees review these to select the awardees. The categories for award nominees include: Cold Recycling (CR), Hot In-Place Recycling (HIR), Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR), Cold Planing (CP) and Soil Stabilization (SS). 

The Hot In-Place Recycling Award honors individuals who advance sustainable, cost-effective pavement rehabilitation using HIR technologies. This year’s recipient, Patrick Wolf of the Camden County Highway Department, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in expanding and optimizing HIR across the county. Patrick has championed HIR as a cornerstone of Camden County’s pavement preservation program, delivering smoother, longer-lasting roads while generating substantial taxpayer savings. Under his guidance, the County successfully integrated Hot In-Place Recycling alongside chip seals, micro surfacing, and rejuvenator treatments – saving millions of dollars and greatly extending pavement life. His commitment to innovation, sustainability, and responsible infrastructure management represents exactly what ARRA strives to recognize.

The 2026 ARRA Special Recognition for Full‑Depth Reclamation honors individuals who exemplify leadership in advancing sustainable, cost‑effective pavement rehabilitation through ARRA‑recognized recycling methods. This year’s recipient, Juan Rojas, Director of Engineering and Corporate Assets for the City of Kawartha Lakes, has demonstrated exceptional commitment to modernizing municipal pavement management and expanding the use of recycling technologies across the city’s extensive road network. Juan’s leadership was instrumental in the Kent Street Urban Recycling Project in Lindsay, Ontario — a highly traveled, five‑lane commercial arterial connecting residents to retail centers, restaurants, and the regional hospital. Facing the need for rapid rehabilitation with minimal disruption, Juan championed an innovative approach that combined Cold In‑Place Recycling (CIR) and FDR‑enhanced asphalt stabilization (FDREAS) to deliver a durable, lower‑carbon solution within a compressed schedule. Night‑work operations, pre‑milling, and careful coordination with local businesses ensured traffic access was maintained while achieving high‑quality results across the 1.5‑km corridor. Under Juan’s guidance, the City has significantly expanded its recycling‑based rehabilitation program — growing from 55,000 m² in 2020 to over 190,000 m² planned for 2025 — demonstrating a long‑term commitment to sustainability, cost savings, and reduced carbon emissions. His work has become a model for municipalities across Ontario, showing how thoughtful engineering leadership can deliver better pavement performance, stronger asset management, and healthier environmental outcomes.

The Charles R. Valentine Award for Excellence in Cold In-Place Recycling Award honors individuals who have meaningfully advanced cold recycling technologies through leadership, research, and implementation. This year’s honoree, Dr. Ashley Buss, Pavement Management Leader at the Iowa Department of Transportation, has made nationally recognized contributions to cold recycling practice. Dr. Buss has authored multiple foundational research studies on Cold In‑Place Recycling — demonstrating its long‑term performance benefits, providing guidance for CIR project selection, and advancing understanding of CIR layer coefficients and reflective crack mitigation. Under her leadership, Iowa DOT has become the nation’s leading agency for cold recycling, specifying more than 2.5 million square yards of CIR annually. Her research, advocacy, and program leadership have significantly advanced the recycling industry and delivered major value to taxpayers in Iowa and beyond.

Finally, the John A. Miller Award for Excellence in Cold Planing was awarded for the first time in almost 20 years. This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence in advancing pavement rehabilitation through precise, sustainable, and well‑engineered milling and surface preparation techniques. This year’s recipient, Clayton Weaver of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), has exemplified this commitment through leadership, innovation, and consistent advocacy for recycling‑based pavement preservation. As UDOT Region 3 Pavement Manager, Clayton played a pivotal role in the SR‑35 & SR‑87 Pavement Preservation Project, where Cold Planing was integrated alongside Full‑Depth Reclamation and Cold In‑Place Recycling to address significant pavement deterioration across more than 14 miles of rural roadway. His expertise guided the use of profile roto milling to remove distressed surface layers with precision, preparing the pavement for stronger, longer‑lasting recycled layers and new overlays. Through his leadership, the project reduced hauling, minimized waste, accelerated construction timelines, and reduced overall project cost — while significantly improving ride quality and extending pavement life. Clayton’s broader contributions to UDOT include championing deeper Hot In‑Place Recycling, promoting on‑site material reuse, and influencing statewide policy toward more sustainable, recycling‑centered pavement strategies. His collaborative work with contractors and engineering teams has advanced the understanding and adoption of ARRA methodologies across Utah, making him an outstanding and deserving recipient of this year’s John A. Miller Award for Excellence in Cold Planing.

The last award present was the 2026 ARRA Richard E. Lowell President’s Award. This award is presented periodically at the discretion of the President, to an individual who, through long term involvement, worked to advance the goals of ARRA and to promote the growth and technological advances of the industry. Dr. David Jones, University of California Davis was awarded with this prestigious award for his dedication and years given to advancing the industry.

Congratulations again to all the ARRA winners. Submissions for the 2027 ARRA Special Recognition Awards will open in June 2026 and will be due in September. Learn more on each award and how to submit by clicking here.