Awards for three US bridge projects

These awards are given by the ASBI every two years to bridges of special engineering merit. They were presented at the ASBI Annual Convention on November 5th 2019 in Orlando, Florida.

However the plaudits for these three projects could go further still, with the chance of further awards to come. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently announced the finalists for its top project honour, the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award. In all 10 projects from across the United States were recognised, including the Bayonne Bridge , the Marc Basnight Bridge and the West Vancouver Freight Access project in Washington.

Of note is that the engineering consultancy firm HDR was involved closely in all of these projects. With regard to the ASBI awards, HDR Bridges & Structures director Manuel Carballo commented, “It is an honour to see the hard work of our teams recognised. These awards speak to our teams’ technical innovation, dedication to the practice and fearlessness when faced with design challenges.”

And with regard to the ASCE awards HDR’s Transportation Professional Services director Pat Hickox commented, “Each of these projects showcases the innovation our teams bring to even the most complex of our clients’ infrastructure needs. To be recognised by ASCE is a well-deserved honour and further speaks to how our teams make great things possible.”

The 10 ASCE finalists will be showcased on March 13th 2019 in Washington, DC, with two runners-up and the OCEA winner announced at the event.

The latest honours for these projects add to a number of previous awards from industry organisations, including the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Road & Transportation Builders Association, American Society of Highway Engineers and American Public Works Association, among others. The Bayonne Bridge was named the nation’s best overall engineering project in 2018 by ACEC.

Built in one of the most challenging marine environments on the East Coast, the Basnight Bridge was designed with a 100-year lifespan to provide better, more reliable access to residents on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, improving access to education, healthcare and tourism. Serving as the lead design firm, HDR provided all roadway, geotechnical and bridge design, and environmental permitting services for the bridge. HDR worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and builder PCL Construction.

https://www.worldhighways.com/categories/road-highway-structures/features/award-winning-bridge-for-north-carolina/

The 1,030m St Croix River Crossing connects the Twin Cities area and Wisconsin with an innovative part-cable-stay and part-box-girder design. HDR partnered with COWI to design the structure, developed in collaboration with the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation.

Serving as the lead designer in a design joint venture with WSP USA on the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Project, HDR partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The work raised the bridge deck and the clearance under the bridge to 65.5m. This was carried out within the existing arch span over the existing roadway, a never-before-attempted solution to allow the passage of taller modern freighters. All four lanes of the new bridge opened in February 2019.

The recent expansion of the Port of Vancouver’s internal rail system is the largest project in the port’s history. It improves unit train capabilities, rail access and overall rail operations. Leading the project as the port’s program/construction management consultant, HDR planned, designed and delivered the multi-year program, which was completed under budget and ahead of schedule in July 2018.