Three Kiewit projects in Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado — as well as two other Colorado projects — were among the winners in this year’s Baldwin Group Build America Awards.

The 2026 award winners were announced at the annual convention of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) in Orlando, Florida.

“These projects reflect the highest standard of craftsmanship, innovation, and collaboration in our industry — strengthening communities, advancing infrastructure, and demonstrating what’s possible when excellence leads the way,” said Joe Charczenko, Partner and Construction Practice President for The Baldwin Group.

For 44 years, the Build America Awards have recognized excellence in the construction industry. A panel of judges representing all areas of construction evaluated submitted projects based on factors including innovation, complexity, and contribution to the community.

In the Rocky Mountain Construction region, the following projects received 2026 Build America Awards.

Kiewit delivered the $390 million Interstate 15/Tropicana Interchange at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. The project raised and widened the Tropicana Avenue bridge, added new flyovers and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) ramps, and improved mobility for up to 300,000 vehicles per day.

Through innovative design and construction solutions, the team was able to save $23 million and accelerate the schedule.

For instance, “Rather than fully demolishing major structures, the team preserved the I-15 flyover bridge south of the interchange and utilized bridge jacking techniques to raise the Tropicana Avenue northbound on-ramp bridge,” said Dallan Affleck, P.E. (CE/SE), Senior Project Manager at the Nevada Department of Transportation. “Both actions minimized extended interstate closures and significantly reduced reconstruction time.”

For the I-15 southbound off-ramp, widening took place over a newly constructed, reinforced concrete drainage channel. In addition, “Lightweight cellular concrete fill was used behind MSE walls at the southbound on-ramp to avoid overloading existing drainage infrastructure,” Affleck said. “These approaches allowed construction to move forward without requiring full reconstruction of underlying systems.”

To avoid closures, the team used bore-and-jack methods beneath I-15 to relocate major transmission lines. Top-down construction techniques, including secant pile walls and tieback walls, allowed crews to build or modify structures over Frank Sinatra Drive, Dean Martin Drive, and the Tropicana southbound on-ramp while maintaining roadway operations below.

In addition, “A temporary diverging diamond configuration was implemented during critical phases to maintain efficient traffic movement across the Tropicana bridge, reducing signal phases and congestion while work was underway,” Affleck said.

Throughout the project, “Reusing and modifying existing structures avoided costly full bridge replacements and reduced material, labor, and schedule demands,” Affleck said. “Efficient construction sequencing and methods — including top-down construction and coordinated demolition — reduced overall construction time, which directly lowered project costs. Together, these strategies allowed the project team to deliver a complex interchange reconstruction more efficiently while minimizing disruption to one of the region’s most heavily traveled corridors.”

Kiewit also delivered the $1.34 billion South Central Extension, a 5.5-mile expansion of Valley Metro’s light rail system in Phoenix, Arizona. To improve regional mobility, the project added 12 stations and a new downtown hub and introduced the system’s first two-line service.

Crews replaced more than 220,000 feet of aging utilities while working through dense urban conditions and extreme heat. The team opened the extension one year ahead of schedule, expanding transit access in a corridor where 44 percent of residents lack a vehicle.

After inspectors discovered critical cracking in the Middle Bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison, Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation immediately closed U.S. 50, one of only three east-west routes across the state. Kiewit mobilized within days under an accelerated construction manager/general contractor contract, built a temporary detour, and began 24/7 emergency repairs.

Crews installed more than 400 tons of steel and 51,000 bolts using suspended work platforms to complete most repairs from beneath the structure. In less than three months, the bridge reopened to traffic, restoring a vital transportation corridor and stabilizing the regional economy.

To create the Chimney Hollow Reservoir in Loveland, Colorado, Barnard Construction Company Inc. constructed a 350-foot-tall hydraulic asphalt concrete core rockfill dam. The team also built a saddle dam, inlet/outlet works, tunnel, spillway, and major conveyance systems.

The project delivered resilient water infrastructure designed to serve the region for generations.

Encore Electric handled the electrical work for a new heart and vascular tower at AdventHealth Littleton in Colorado. The expansion added new operating rooms, labs, and a 24-bed cardiac intensive care unit to help the hospital serve more than 1,000 additional patients each month.

To strengthen power for the entire hospital, the team installed a new generator and control system. Working around patients and hospital staff, Encore carefully planned power tie-ins and used prefabrication to keep the job moving. The project was completed safely with zero recordable injuries.