Short Span Steel Bridges 
Industry Leaders Weigh In on AASHTO’s 2026 Transportation Priorities
The following information was provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
March 27, 2026
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently released video of a knowledge session held during its 2026 Washington Briefing in February that focused on the emphasis areas of Russell McMurry, AASHTO’s 2025-2026 president.
McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation, moderated a panel that offered a broader transportation industry perspective on his emphasis areas, which focus on reauthorization of federal surface transportation funding, improving safety, and improving project delivery.
That panel featured:
- Marsha Anderson Bomar, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers
- Laura Chace, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America
- Jeff Shoaf, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America
McMurry described his emphasis areas during the knowledge session as a “back to basics” approach to the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill – one that:
- Prioritizes robust federal funding
- Improves safety outcomes
- Speeds up project delivery
“[Reauthorization] legislation is a means to those ends; one that can deliver tangible outcome in the states,” McMurry said. “Also, technology offers a real opportunity to improve our work flows here, so there is an opportunity to work technology into the reauthorization discussion.”
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