Auburn marks 69 years of hosting Alabama Transportation Conference
Published: Feb 10, 2026 2:30 PM
By Dustin Duncan
Nearly 1,000 engineers, transportation officials and industry leaders gathered Feb. 4–5 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville for the 69th annual Alabama Transportation Conference (ATC), one of the state’s longest-running forums focused on infrastructure, safety and transportation innovation.
Gov. Kay Ivey told attendees that Alabama’s sustained investment in roads, bridges and other infrastructure has helped drive economic growth and job creation statewide.
“Thanks to the Rebuild Alabama Act, more than $2 billion has been raised to pave the way for about 500 road and bridge projects in all 67 counties,” said Ivey, who graduated from Auburn in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. “We have transformed Alabama into a can-do state.”
Larry Rilett, director of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) and a Ginn Distinguished Professor, presided over the governor’s luncheon and said Auburn has hosted the conference for nearly seven decades.
Ivey has addressed the ATC eight times, and this year marked her final appearance as she is concluding her service as governor in 2026.
“The mark of a true leader is that they leave the systems under their care better than they found them. That standard has been clearly reflected in the Alabama transportation system during Gov. Ivey’s tenure,” Rilett said. “The improvements visible across Alabama demonstrate the impact of the initiatives she championed, and their benefits will extend to future generations.”
The conference’s technical program was organized by the ATC Programming Committee, chaired by Anton Schindler, the Mountain Spirit Professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Auburn University Highway Research Center.
There are 40 members of this committee, whose expertise reflects a broad cross-section of Alabama’s transportation, engineering, academic and construction community.
Representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Auburn University, and leading industry and professional organizations — including road builders, asphalt and concrete associations, engineering societies, county engineers, transportation engineers, bridge contractors and the Precast/Pre-Stressed Concrete Institute — contribute invaluable insight and collaboration to this work.
The committee, which includes 10 Auburn faculty members, is responsible for assembling the slate of technical presentations each year.
“Our planning committee is proud to continue Auburn’s tradition of hosting the Alabama Transportation Conference and shaping a technical program that reflects the evolving needs of the transportation industry,” Schindler said. “The move to Huntsville this year brought new energy and opportunities for the conference’s future growth.”
Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster opened the conference’s keynote session, emphasizing federal efforts to accelerate infrastructure delivery and improve safety nationwide. He also highlighted Auburn University’s National Center for Asphalt Technology as a national partner in advancing safer, more durable roadway materials.
Auburn faculty and researchers also delivered technical presentations throughout the conference, highlighting the university’s ongoing work in transportation research.
Presenters included:
- Huaguo Zhou, the Elton Z. and Lois G. Huff Professor of civil and environmental engineering, presented “Guidelines for Traffic Analysis of Alternative Intersections.”
- David Timm, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Elton & Lois Huff Eminent Chair Professor, presented “Precision in Pavement – Maximum Thickness Design for Alabama Asphalt Pavements.”
- Nathan Moore, assistant director for Test Track research, presented “From Alabama to America’s Roads: 25 Years of the NCAT Test Track.”
- Wes Donald, research fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, presented “Developing a State-Wide Construction Stormwater Designer Certification Program.”
- Ernest Tufuor, assistant research professor with AUTRI, presented “Emerging Technologies for Railway Crossing Safety.”
AUTRI's Alabama Transportation Assistance Program, which houses Alabama's Local Technical Assistance Program, is responsible for managing all financial, logistical and organizational aspects of the ATC. The conference is funded primarily through registration, sponsor and exhibitor fees.
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Gov. Kay Ivey speaks during the governor’s luncheon at the 69th annual Alabama Transportation Conference in Huntsville. Larry Rilett, director of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute, is seated to her left, alongside Alabama Department of Transportation officials.
