Auburn hosts 67th annual Alabama Transportation Conference
Nearly 1,000 transportation professionals gathered in Birmingham on February 6-7 to explore cutting-edge technologies to enhance the transportation industry.
The two-day Alabama Transportation Conference (ATC) had a significant Auburn Family feel to it. Not only did the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) host the conference, but Auburn faculty opened the conference, presided over the luncheons, gave presentations and closed the program.
One notable Auburn alumna delivered a speech during the Governor’s Luncheon.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey addressed the crowd on the conference's second day, emphasizing that everyone in the room is part of Alabama’s journey toward smoother infrastructure on the state’s roads and bridges.
“You are one of the chief architects of Alabama’s progress,” Ivey said. “It’s a simple fact that economic expansion cannot occur or be maintained without a first-class system of highways and bridges.”
She said Alabama's businesses, schools and government can only function efficiently with top-notch modern transportation.
“Likewise, you cannot build and grow an economy without the foundation of great highways,” Ivey said.
The 67th iteration of the conference was held at a new location in 2024 — the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The conference had previously been hosted in Montgomery.
Anton Schindler, the Mountain Spirit Professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Auburn University Highway Research Center, opened the conference on Feb. 6 and later gave a technical presentation on the impact of initial curing of cylinders on concrete strength.
“This conference was a great success, and it would not be possible to deliver this high-quality event without the valuable contributions of ALDOT, industry leaders and Auburn University staff,” Schindler said. “Hosting this event at a new location created new challenges. However, in the end, being in downtown Birmingham improved the quality of the conference and helped us get more industry participation.”
Laurence Rilett, AUTRI director and Ginn Distinguished Professor, presided over the governor’s luncheon and said a conference is a must-attend event in Alabama.
"The fact that Auburn University has hosted the conference for 67 straight years speaks to our impact on the transportation profession in this state. There are very few universities in the country that host an impactful statewide transportation conference like the ATC," Rilett said. "The positive influence it has on the transportation profession, and by extension the transportation system, in Alabama is considerable. We are proud to continue this great tradition and look forward to hosting many more successful ATC in the coming decades."
Other Auburn highlights included Rod Turochy, the James Madison Hunnicutt Professor in Traffic Engineering, presiding over the Director’s Luncheon, featuring a speech by Alabama Transportation Director John Cooper. Additionally, Nam Tran, assistant director and research professor at Auburn’s National Center for Asphalt Technology, gave a presentation on benchmarking cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures in Alabama.
The Alabama Transportation Assistance Program, home to Alabama’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), is responsible for all financial and organizational aspects of the ATC. The ATC is funded through conference registration fees, exhibitor fees and ATAP and the ATC is an important part of Alabama’s LTAP outreach portfolio.
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Nearly 1,000 transportation professionals gathered in Birmingham on February 6-7 to explore cutting-edge technologies to enhance the transportation industry. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey gave a speech about the importance of top-notch infrastructure being integral to the state’s success.
