WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Council of Engineering Companies has recognized 17 HDR projects with national awards. The projects represent a wide range of disciplines and regions across the United States.
Three HDR projects received Grand Awards at the ceremony of ACEC’s 52nd Engineering Excellence Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. A panel of nearly 30 judges selected the year’s most outstanding engineering accomplishments from nearly 200 entries, in what’s known as the “Academy Awards” of the engineering industry.
The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Design-Build Project, spanning from Westchester to Rockland counties, New York, replaces the Tappan Zee Bridge. The $3.98-billion bridge features parallel three-mile structures, each with a 2,230-foot, cable-stayed main span and ten 1,750-foot, five-span continuous approach units. Providing eight general traffic lanes, dedicated bus lanes and shoulders for emergency access, the new bridge will also support a shared-use path with six viewing platforms and future commuter or light rail. 
San Antonio River Authority’s San Pedro Creek Culture Park revitalized a once-sacred creek with art, paseos, native plantings, plazas, places of respite and cultural reflections. When all four phases are done, the project will result in a $1.5-billion economic impact, with 2,100 new housing units; 1,428 new downtown employees; 7,300 new downtown residents; a 150 percent increase in property value; and $225 million in tax revenue. HDR’s engineering and construction methods turned this once-forgotten creek into a community asset. San Pedro Creek Culture Park was co-submitted with Pape-Dawson Engineers.
The Infinity Loop rail design solves the decades-old question of how to process multiple unit trains at a high-throughput facility while not impacting mainline rail operations or increasing acreage. While the first Infinity Loop is still in construction, it could monumentally affect shipping, receiving, operating costs and maintenance of port and rail facilities throughout the world.
Three HDR Projects Won Honor Awards
• Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, Nebraska
• I-70 Mountain Corridor Eastbound Mountain Express Lane, Idaho Springs, Colorado
• Murray Wet Weather Facility, Seattle, Washington
11 HDR Projects Won National Recognition Awards
• Bridge Street Pump Station, Hampton, Virginia
• Columbus Rapelje – Nye Auto 115 KV Transmission Line, Rapelje to Nye, Montana
• Flanagan Lake, Omaha, Nebraska
• Henderson CSO Reduction, Seattle, Washington
• I-71 at MLK Drive Design-Build, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Minne Lusa Pump Station, Omaha, Nebraska
• NE Alpine Avenue Reconstruction, McMinnville, Oregon
• SR 520: West Approach Bridge North, Seattle and Bellevue, Washington
• West Vancouver Freight Access, Vancouver, Washington
• Wildfire Risk Assessments, Chelan County, Washington
• Yesler Way Bridge Reconstruction, Seattle, Washington