As 2015 draws to a close, I wanted to report on what the nearly 12,000 people on the staff at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have done this year.

On the road and bridge system, PennDOT awarded 608 highway and bridge construction contracts worth more than $2.5 billion, almost double what we were able to do about two years ago. In Carbon County and the other five counties in the region managed by PennDOT District 5, we awarded contracts for 52 projects valued at $260.2 million.We improved more than 6,000 miles of pavements this year.We are fixing more bridges and making headway against the backlog of bridges in need of immediate repair. We have reduced the number of structurally deficient bridges by 2,000.More resources are going to your communities to fix local roads as well. Local communities will receive nearly $434 million this year, a 35 percent increase from only two years ago.Transit agencies are acting on long-shelved, much-needed projects to improve facilities and service for the 800,000 people who use public transportation every day. In the 2015-16 state fiscal year, these agencies received an additional $360 million for capital improvements.Because we know transparency and proactive communication with the public and stakeholders is critical, we launched a new website this year showing where investments are being made across the state.The website -

www.Projects.PennDOT.gov - features statewide and county updates on:• Construction projects that are underway or will be bid or begin this year;• Projects that are completed, underway, planned or in development because of Act 89's historic investment; and• Projects included in the department's four- and 12-year plans.While we've made many improvements, we also have an eye on the future. PennDOT spent roughly $210 million over the past decade to repair flood damage to Pennsylvania roads and bridges. With this in mind, and the probability of an extreme weather event increasing with climate change, PennDOT is undertaking an Extreme Weather Resilience Study to assess vulnerable areas and assets.Based on an assessment framework from the Federal Highway Administration, the project, which includes professional, state and local stakeholders, will prepare strategies and a Climate Adaptation Plan for release and implementation in September 2016.We at PennDOT are doing our part to make sure we operate as efficiently as possible.We have set new goals that include delivering efficient winter operations, roadway maintenance and bridge improvements, investing in state of the art equipment and IT and making the best use of technology to deliver our services.One example of using technology to improve winter services is Gov. Tom Wolf's recent announcement of the expanded pilot of our Automated Vehicle Location system in more than 500 PennDOT plow trucks and more than 200 contracted rental trucks.The system will allow us to better manage storms, and later this winter, give our customers the opportunity to go on 511 PA and see just where trucks are operating.Another technology enhancement has been made in our driver and vehicle services. PennDOT implemented a new monitoring system to check wait times at driver license centers and take immediate steps to make improvements for customers.Through the deployment of a software upgrade, driver and vehicle service managers can monitor wait times at 27 driver license centers around the state in real time and deploy additional resources in response.We are working hard at PennDOT every day to keep you moving. We prepare to enter 2016 with a renewed commitment to put your dollars invested with us to effective and efficient use.By Leslie S. Richards, PennDOT secretaryThe foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.