The Engineering Excellence Awards are presented annually by ACEC Indiana to recognize engineering achievements which demonstrate the highest degree of merit and ingenuity by Indiana consulting engineering firms.

Entries are judged based on engineering excellence, which includes uniqueness and originality; future value to the engineering profession; social, economic, and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and exceeding the owner’s/client’s needs.

The level of awards presented:

Grand Project Award is the highest honor bestowed. It recognizes an outstanding engineering achievement that demonstrates the utmost degree of merit and ingenuity. The winning project is chosen from the Honor Awards.

Honor Awards showcase the engineering achievements based on criteria, such as uniqueness and originality, technical complexity, social and economic value, and public awareness.

Merit Awards are presented for projects that deserve special recognition for engineering excellence that meet the needs of the client and benefit public welfare.

SR 37 and 126th Street Interchange
Firm: American Structurepoint
Client: City of Fishers, Hamilton County, and Indiana Department of Transportation

The City of Fishers, City of Noblesville, Hamilton County, and Indiana Department of Transportation joined together to address traffic congestion and safety challenges along the State Road 37 corridor. The SR 37 and 126th Street interchange is one piece of a large-scale plan to improve SR 37 traffic flow from 126th Street to 146th Street. This project removed the signalized intersection, converting 126th Street to a teardrop roundabout interchange. A new bridge and a pedestrian and bicyclist multi-use path allow 126th Street to pass over a reconstructed SR 37 lowered about 15 feet below grade. The new interchange vastly improves traffic flow, relieves traffic congestion, and provides more safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Citizens Reservoir
Firm: Arcadis U.S., Inc.
Client: Citizens Energy Group

Citizens Reservoir is the newest addition to Central Indiana’s surface water supplies. The Citizens Reservoir repurposed a decommissioned rock quarry into a 3-billion-gallon raw water storage reservoir without requiring traditional reservoir construction methods such as stream damming, and with relatively modest construction. The addition of Citizens Reservoir enhances the drought preparedness of Central Indiana by allowing use of the stored raw water under abnormally dry conditions. In the words of a national hydraulic expert, Citizens Reservoir is a “game changer” to the drought resiliency and water management in Central Indiana. An ancillary benefit of the project is the de facto creation of a nature preserve, which Central Indiana’s fauna and flora were quick to reclaim from the decommissioned quarry.

Lake Front Park and 3rd Street Bridge Replacement
Firm: Butler, Fairman & Seufert
Client: City of Hobart

The picturesque 3rd Street Bridge spans over Lake George where the historic downtown Hobart meets the popular Lake Front Park. Overtopped and washed out in 2008 during a flood event, the previous 3rd Street Bridge provided a span of 66 feet with only 40 inches of vertical clearance and was identified as a significant cause of area flooding. Subsequently the City started to organize a plan and funding and, in 2017, the City embarked on a total reconstruction with a visionary approach of the bridge and surrounding area. Project goals were to enhance overall safety, reduce the frequency and severity of Lake George flooding, provide better pedestrian connectivity, and improve boater access to Lake George all while providing aesthetics improvements that complemented the historic character of the City of Hobart.

Monon Trail Bridge Over 38th Street
Firm: CHA Consulting, Inc.
Client: City of Indianapolis

The Monon Trail Bridge over 38th Street significantly improves safety and mobility for trail users, connecting downtown Indianapolis to northern Marion County and beyond. For years the trail intersected 38th Street at grade, requiring people to cross six lanes of high-speed traffic. This 400-foot, 5-span bridge safely carries trail users over 38th Street, near the Indiana State Fairgrounds, while maintaining traffic on 38th Street and along the trail, mitigating impacts to the historic Boulevard Station, and navigating multiple utility conflicts. This $4.6 million project owes thanks to Indianapolis DPW, the Indiana State Fairgrounds, INDOT, the Indianapolis MPO, and Beaty Construction.

Newman Road Underpass Project
Firm: American Structurepoint
Client: Purdue University Joint Management Team, City of West Lafayette, KBS Railroad

The Newman Road Underpass project modernized Newman Road from SR 26 to Benson Drive, replaced a 100-year-old stone arch bridge structure, and improved access and safety to a growing Discovery Park District where high-tech aeronautics research and development occurs. Purdue University, the City of West Lafayette, INDOT, and the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) partnered to deliver the project providing improved access for passenger, commercial, and emergency vehicles traveling to and from the district, improved pedestrian and bicycle access in the area, and created a gateway and front-door presence to the 176-acre aerospace district. The project also included a multi-use trail and a dual-lane roundabout at SR 26 and Newman Road.

SR 39 Diverging Diamond Interchange
Firm: WSP USA
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation, Crawfordsville District

When a planned interchange upgrade at I-70 and SR 39 to support development was accelerated by a need to replace the rapidly deteriorating interchange bridge, INDOT and WSP teamed to deliver the innovative SR 39 Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) design in less than a year from Stage 1 to Letting. The rapid design allowed INDOT to avoid performing a stop-gap bridge rehabilitation, while improving safety and reducing disruption. The two-bridge DDI design allowed maintenance of traffic through the intersection while the new interchange was built to either side. The DDI layout, in this high truck-volume location, eliminates dangerous left turn conflicts and improves traffic flow. To accomplish the ambitious project schedule, right-of-way purchase and preliminary design were concurrent tasks.

US 421 Corridor Reconstruction
Firm: Crawford, Murphy & Tilly
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation

Reconstructing the Milton-Madison Bridge increased truck traffic along a half-mile approach section of U.S. 421 in Madison, Indiana, adding strain to the urban corridor and the potential for community resistance to recommended improvements. The “performance-based” design process used to evaluate needed improvements was a first of its kind approach in Indiana. Rather than a traditional standards-based design, this “outcomes-based” approach resulted in significant support from residents who took great pride in protecting the historic character of their community. This performance-based system, the first to be deployed for INDOT, resulted in an alternative solution that came in $4.9M less than the original design, while limiting the impact on historic homes and maintaining the connectivity of the community.

West Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion and CSO Storage Basin
Firm: Greeley and Hansen
Client: Evansville Water and Sewer Utility

As part of Evansville Water Sewer Utility’s (EWSU) Integrated Overflow Control Plan, EWSU was required to increase the West Wastewater Treatment Plant’s peak flow treatment capacity from its permit capacity of 30.6 million gallons per day (MGD) to 45 MGD and add 6.1 MG of upstream storage to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges to the Ohio River. EWSU was also required to meet a new effluent Total Phosphorus limit of 1 mg/l. Greeley and Hansen demonstrated engineering excellence by providing a cost-effective solution that utilized a dual benefit screening structure, improved operations of existing facilities, utilized a new technology for phosphorus removal in the biological aerated filters and re-purposed the existing main process building to a state-of-the-art operations building.

Loeb Stadium
Firm: American Structurepoint
Client: City of Lafayette

Melbourne Avenue Wet Weather Project
Firm: Lochmueller Group, Inc.
Client: Logansport Municipal Utilities

Cheeney Creek WWTP Expansion
Firm: Donohue & Associates, Inc.
Client: City of Fishers

Historic Eel River Bridge Relocation
Firm: Parsons Transportation Group, Inc.
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation

I-69 Finish Line – Contract 3
Firm: Crawford, Murphy & Tilly
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation

I-69 Finish Line Leonard Moline Mitigation Site
Firm: Lochmueller Group, Inc.
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation

IND Runway 5L-23R and Taxiway B Rehabilitation
Firm: CHA Consulting, Inc.
Client: Indianapolis Airport Authority

Infosys Pedestrian Bridge
Firm: American Structurepoint
Client: Indianapolis Department of Public Works and Browning Day

Singing Sands Trail Phases I and II
Firm: Butler, Fairman & Seufert
Client: Michigan City, Indiana

White River Rock Ramp
Firm: Greeley and Hansen
Client: Citizens Energy Group

HNB Runway Extension over County Road 200
Firm: Woolpert
Client: Dubois County Airport Authority

I42 Runway Extension, Rehabilitation, and Widening
Firm: Woolpert
Client: Paoli Board of Aviation Commissioners

Admirals Pointe Drive Bridge Over Geist Reservoir
Firm: United Consulting
Client: Indianapolis Department of Public Works

Boone County Bridge No. 202 Rehabilitation
Firm: USI Consultants, Inc.
Client: Boone County, Indiana

City of Richmond NW 13th Street Interceptor Replacement Project
Firm: Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.
Client: City of Richmond, Indiana

Crown Point Water Utility Improvements Division C Phase 1
Firm: Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.
Client: City of Crown Point

East Wastewater Treatment Plant Capacity Expansion, Phase 1
Firm: Clark Dietz, Inc.
Client: Evansville Water and Sewer Utility

Greenwood DPW Maintenance Facility
Firm: DLZ Indiana, LLC
Client: City of Greenwood

Hope Town Square Improvements
Firm: Strand Associates, Inc.
Client: Town of Hope

Howard Park Redevelopment
Firm: Lochmueller Group, Inc.
Client: South Bend Venues Parks & Arts

INDOT I-70 Concrete Pavement Restoration Project
Firm: Burgess & Niple, Inc.
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation

Pearl River Sewer Relocation
Firm: Butler, Fairman & Seufert
Client: City of Lafayette

Pennsy Trail Phase 3A
Firm: Infrastructure Engineering, Inc.
Clients: Indianapolis Department of Public Works and Indy Parks and Recreation

Rice Island Park Development and Abandoned Truss Relocation
Firm: VS Engineering, Inc.
Client: Town of Corydon

Shirley’s Arbor Stormwater Park
Firm: Lochmueller Group, Inc.
Client: City of Jeffersonville, Indiana

Silhavy Road and LaPorte Avenue Roundabout
Firm: DLZ Indiana, LLC
Client: City of Valparaiso

Town of Eaton Emergency Water Line Relocations
Firm: Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.
Client: Town of Eaton, Indiana

West Terre Haute Trail
Firm: RQAW Corporation
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation Crawfordsville District

White County Bridge 227 Replacement and CR 300 East Reconstruction
Firm: HWC Engineering, Inc.
Client: White County, Indiana