Turning Tragedy into Triumph, ARTBA Foundation Expands Scholarship to Help More Children of Fallen Construction Workers

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The ARTBA Foundation’s scholarship fund, which for 25 years has helped children of fallen highway construction workers attend college and trade school, is expanding its reach and impact.

The newly renamed Lanford Family Transportation Construction Worker Memorial Scholarship^SM now extends post-high school financial assistance to the sons, daughters or legally adopted children of workers killed or permanently disabled while working on projects in these sectors: airports, bridges, marine, ports and waterways, public transit, roads, railroads, tunnels, and utilities.

ARTBA’s analysis of available federal data has found that about 150 transportation construction workers are killed annually on the job.

“The 2021 infrastructure law is providing record levels of federal investment in all modes of surface transportation to repair and modernize an aging network,” Stan Lanford said. “The American people will be the ultimate beneficiaries of these improvements. At the same time, however, the increased investments also mean many more project work sites that put more construction workers at risk. That’s why now is the right time to expand the scope of the scholarship.”

“The Lanford family has further cemented its legacy as a transportation construction leader with its commitment to expanding the scholarship’s reach,” says Paul Yarossi, the ARTBA Foundation chairman and a senior executive with HNTB. “We will be able to provide a ray of hope for more children of construction workers who make the ultimate sacrifice while building a better America.”

The program was created in 1999 as the Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship with a generous gift from Roanoke (Va.) contractors and brothers Jack Lanford (Adams Construction) and Stan Lanford (Lanford Brothers Company). Nearly $800,000 in aid has been provided to worthy students in 33 states.

Applications will be considered for the 2024-25 academic year and are available at artbafoundation.org.

Established in 1985, the ARTBA Foundation is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt entity designed to promote research, education and public awareness about the impacts of transportation investment. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety training and certificates, special economic research and reports, and an exhibition on transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.