Indiana, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recognized PennDOT employees with Innovation Awards for creating efficiencies and implementing best practices at a ceremony earlier this month. Two team members from PennDOT’s District 10, which represents Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson counties were among the honorees.
“The PennDOT workforce is more than 11,000 strong, and these award winners represent some of the most dedicated among us,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “I'm proud to see so many examples of that dedication and recognize those employees for their creativity in solving problems and working diligently for Pennsylvania travelers.”
The annual Innovation Awards Ceremony recognizes some of the best and most innovative ideas cultivated and implemented by PennDOT employees across the Department. The ceremony honors employees who looked at the work they were doing, the processes, systems and tools they were using, and found ways to improve the quality, safety and value of the products and services PennDOT provides. Each employee receives a custom award that represents PennDOT's appreciation for their dedication and commitment to efficient and effective operations at all levels of the organization.
Carroll and other department executives honored winners Armstrong County Manager, Aaron Raible and Armstrong County Welder, Corey Neal. Raible and Neal were recognized for the implementation of an air foil attachment for plow trucks. During winter snow events, as plow trucks treat highways, the rear of the trucks become coated with snow, slush and dirt covering critical safety and visibility features, which can often result in “hit from behind” crashes. The air foil attachment, originally piloted by Oregon DOT, is mounted on the top of the truck, and directs air onto the backside of the truck while the truck is in motion, which keeps the truck clean. The benefits include safety features such as increased visibility for the driver and motorists, less time spent cleaning the tailgates and more time on the roadways, as well as increasing the longevity of equipment.
District 10 piloted the use of the air foil during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 winter seasons and made make it lighter and safer. During the 2024-2025 winter season, District 10 plans to test the air foil on a truck plowing an interstate, either I-80 or I-79, and on a lower-volume route, where the truck would be going at a slower speed when plowing.
“This is both a safety enhancement to our trucks and a cost savings for our district,” said District 10 Executive, Brian Allen. “We’re looking forward to doing some additional testing of the air foil through our district and expanding the use of it.”
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District10. Find additional PennDOT news on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Information about infrastructure in District 10, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D10Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
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CONTACT: Tina Gibbs at 724-357-2829 or chgibbs@pa.gov.
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