The roots of the Green Highway Partnership run back to 2002, when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) named environmental stewardship and streamlining one of three “vital few” goals (along with safety and congestion mitigation.)   This marked the beginning of a new era; substantial FHWA investments resulted in a wave of environmentally-focused programs such as Context Sensitive Solutions, the Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative, and others.

The need to consolidate the myriad aspects involved in the “greening” of U.S. highways soon became glaringly evident.  The FHWA consulted the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region 3 and determined that the effort would require an interconnected, multidisciplinary organization. To be effective, it would need to utilize market-based incentives that went beyond the traditional approaches.  After an executive planning charrette and culminating forum, followed by a retreat, the Green Highways Partnership was brought to life.

The inception of GHP had the transportation and environmental communities abuzz.  Robb Jolly, American Concrete Pavement Association Senior VP of Market Development and Communications declared GHP to be “a silo-smashing initiative. Whether one represents industry or agency, everyone involved welcomes the opportunity to advance to a more sustainable country and world.”  Said Shari Schaftlein of the FHWA, “Green Highways represents the next logical step in the evolution of FHWA and State Department of Transportation efforts in environmental streamlining and stewardship.”

Despite its brief history, GHP has already gained tremendous recognition.  The list of partners is constantly expanding; every unique perspective increases the initiative’s capacity for achieving its lofty goals.  With cutting-edge ideas, progressive ideals, and enthusiastic support, the Green Highway Partnership is revolutionizing our nation’s infrastructure.