Central Dauphin School District Team Named PennDOT Regional Innovations Challenge Winner

Mentored by teachers Cody Leisey and Ron Michael, team members are Kyle Peck, Ryan Sowers, Alex Mendelsohn, and Alex Keeney.

The PennDOT Innovations Challenge is a statewide competition for high school students from around the Commonwealth to develop creative solutions and strategic solutions to real-world transportation challenges. The Innovations Challenge allows students to explore the actual challenges PennDOT and the transportation industry face as well as consider the possibility of working in the industry later in life.

Since last Fall, students around Pennsylvania have been developing an implementable plan for redeveloping a stretch of roadway that, when constructed, separated an existing neighborhood, requiring people and businesses to relocate. Plans were required to address the needs of the community, including accommodating bicycle and pedestrian traffic, connecting the separated neighborhood, allowing for new business development and ensuring the smooth flow of traffic.

"As our transportation infrastructure ages out of its useful lifespan, we're presented with opportunities to improve on past decisions," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. "These students display the kind of diligence and creativity that our future transportation planners must have to better meet the needs of Pennsylvania's communities."

The winning regional team's innovation was to create a bridge that would use 3D printing for construction and regrind rubber paving specifically for the pedestrian walkway. The pedestrian walkway would be separated from the motorists and contain plantings of species native to Pennsylvania. The thought is to make it kind of a "modern day Village Square" concept that would allow for social gatherings that would unite communities on either side of the bridge.

"I was impressed by the creative and innovative approach students took in finding ways to connect communities," District 8 Executive Kevin Keefe said. "These students did an outstanding job of addressing these issues."

Regional Innovations Challenge winners will present their solutions to Secretary Carroll and a panel of judges in Harrisburg on May 1, where a statewide winner for 2024 will be determined. For this year's challenge, the Transportation Policy and Education Foundation, an educational arm of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) organization and the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA (ACEC/PA) are providing a combined total award of $4,000 to the statewide winning team.

For complete Innovations Challenge details, visit Innovation at PennDOT (pa.gov) and click on Innovations Challenge.

Subscribe to statewide PennDOT news and traffic alerts or choose a region to subscribe to. Information about the state's infrastructure and results the department is delivering for Pennsylvanians can be found at www.penndot.pa.gov/results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov​.

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