AL SJR123

Recognizes the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University for its service to Alabama, created in 1986 in partnership with the National Asphalt Pavement Association Research and Education Foundation.

Center attracts several million dollars in annual research funding from outside Alabama and generates more than $125 million in annual economic development impact to the state.

Operates the nation's premier full-scale asphalt testing center with a 1.7 mile oval test track that has driven over 8 million miles of heavy traffic, advancing pavement design and construction nationwide.

Research at the center has produced pavement designs for Alabama Department of Transportation that are 18 percent thinner, saving the state an estimated $40 million annually and saving transportation organizations nationwide $160 million per year.

Legislature honors the center's staff, researchers, and leaders for establishing themselves as the foremost entity in the nation providing engineering solutions for safe, durable, and sustainable asphalt pavements and transportation infrastructure.