The American Council of Engineering Companies released the finalists of its 36th annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The list of 155 included the C11A1 tunnel of Boston's "Big Dig" project; the Broadway Bridge in Daytona, Fla.; Rte. 21 freeway extension, Clinton, N.J.; and underwater sonar monitors from Hardesty & Hanover, New York.
The C11A1 tunnel is 2,200 ft long and carries I-93 to its maximum depth--110 ft--below the surface and beneath the existing Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red Line subway station.
Engineering challenges included underpinning the subway station, protecting adjacent office towers and historic South Station, maintaining traffic through the area, realignment and reconstruction of major utilities, and integrating the design with other projects such as the MBTA's South Boston Pier Transitway tunnel and station.
The Broadway Bridge is a 65-ft-tall, 3,008-ft-long structure that carries Rte. 92 across the Intercoastal Waterway. Drawing on input from local citizens, the aesthetically distinctive bridge incorporates 36 glass tile mosaics of Florida wildlife on the pedestrian walkways.
Feature lighting coordinated with that in downtown Daytona Beach crossed the bridge, while down lights highlight the shape of the piers at night. The bridge's western landing features decorative pavers, extensive landscaping and a welcoming gate.
The Rte. 21 project was a 1.8-mile extension, which added an interchange with Rte. 46. It marked the completion of a highway project that had remained unfinished for more than 30 years.
The freeway extension also served as a New Jersey Department of Transportation "demonstration project" to evaluate various options for improving aesthetics along the state's highways. Drawing on architectural elements from adjacent neighborhoods, the project team worked with landscape architects to enhance the project's bridges, noise barriers and retaining walls.
Hardesty & Hanover designed and implemented a scour-monitoring program for highway bridges on Long Island, N.Y.
The program utilizes sonar scour monitors installed on selected bridge piers. These custom-designed devices record changes in streambed depths.
