At its 70th Annual Meeting, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) recognized The Gerken Companies with four 2024 Quality in Construction Awards for excellence in asphalt pavement construction.

“The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building high-quality projects that deliver superior performance to the traveling public,” said 2024 NAPA Chair Brady Meldrem. “All contractors’ projects earning a Quality in Construction award are measured against best practices designed to live up to that commitment.”

Gerken Paving, Inc. won for resurfacing I-75 from SR 199 to Glenwood Avenue in Wood County. The multi-year project included repairing and replacing two bridge transitions in the first year, then milling and overlaying all lanes of I-75. The company used reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the mixes, a sustainable paving practice that conserves resources, reduces emissions and landfill waste, and improves pavement longevity. Performing the mainline paving over 25 night shifts, crews produced a smooth, high-quality asphalt road while minimizing disruption to commuter traffic.

Gerken Paving, Inc. also won the award for rehabilitating the west general aviation ramp at Toledo Express Airport. The company addressed drainage issues with a variable depth leveling course of asphalt and built a new taxiway connector with nine inches of asphalt base and surface course. It milled and resurfaced the general aviation ramp with four inches of surface mix and resurfaced the apron with two inches of asphalt, resulting in smooth, high-quality asphalt pavements for the airport.

Bluffton Paving, Inc. received the award for its work on US 30 from SR 68 to SR 37 in Hancock County. The company milled the road and placed a six-inch base course of asphalt and a 1.5-inch surface course. The pavement’s excellent joint density will ensure the road’s durability and performance. Bluffton Paving’s high-quality asphalt pavement earned a bonus for its smoothness.

Gerken Paving Inc. won for its work on the Ohio Turnpike from MP 14.80 to MP 27.55 in Williams and Fulton Counties. The project included the milling and asphalt overlay of 51 lane miles of the turnpike and incorporating RAP into the asphalt mixes. Gerken Paving worked at night, used shorter-duration maintenance of traffic zones, and followed an accelerated schedule to keep the project on schedule.

Founded in 1955, the National Asphalt Pavement Association is the only
trade association that exclusively represents the interests of the asphalt pavement industry on the national level. NAPA supports an active research program designed to improve the quality of asphalt pavements and paving techniques used for roadways, parking lots, airports, and environmental and recreational facilities. NAPA provides technical, educational, and marketing materials and information to its members and supplies product information to users and specifiers of paving materials.

Earning the Quality in Construction Award demonstrates that Gerken teams have met or exceeded NAPA’s rigorous standards.