The American Council of Engineering Cos. of New York (ACEC/NY) has awarded Hardesty & Hanover's Woodrow Wilson Bridge Outer Loop Bascule Span project the Engineering Excellence Diamond Award, the highest honor at the state level, in the category of transportation. This project is now qualified to represent ACEC/NY in the national Engineering Excellence Awards competition.
"As anyone can imagine, delivering the largest bascule bridge in the world is very challenging. We were able to accomplish this effectively with the support of a great team of owners, constructor and consultants," said Sean Bluni, P.E., Hardesty & Hanover's project manager.
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge connects Maryland and Virginia just south of the nation's capitol. The bascule span that Hardesty & Hanover designed is the centerpiece of the 12-lane signature replacement structure. The bridge will now accommodate the estimated traffic volume of 300,000 vehicles daily. The new bridge is 20 ft higher, which decreases the bridge openings and traffic disruptions by 70%. The massive, side-by-side double leaf bascule bridges of the outer loop were completed, operational, and opened to traffic on schedule and on budget, representing half of what will be the largest movable bridge in the U.S. and possibly the world.
The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards showcase the contributions that member firms make, in specific projects, to the environment, to their communities and around the world. This award was presented on March 31 at a black-tie gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.
