Two Parsons Projects Win Top Honors in ACEC-NY’s 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC-NY) has announced the winners of the 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards, and two Parsons projects have secured top transportation awards. The Goethals Bridge Replacement Project won a Diamond Award, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Upper Level Deck Replacement won a Platinum Award—both in the structural systems category.
Goethals Bridge Replacement Project
Parsons was the lead designer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge project. The bridge links Staten Island, NY, to Elizabeth, NJ, and includes twin 7,300‑ft structures with 900‑ft cable-stayed main spans, a five-span trestle bridge, and unique approach spans featuring three different configurations. The project included a weekend accelerated bridge construction roll-in replacement of five railroad spans for the Travis Spur. We enhanced safety conditions and performance reliability by meeting structural integrity, security, and seismic standards and reducing life-cycle cost.
We carefully addressed environmental concerns, such as preserving and protecting nearby wetlands, and contributed relevant Historic American Engineering Record documentation to the Library of Congress. The design accommodates potential future mass transit and uses state-of-the-art smart bridge technology.
The Goethals project is now a finalist in the 2019 ACEC national competition and will compete for the Grand Conceptor Award.
Verrazano Narrows Bridge Upper Level Deck Replacement
Parsons was the lead designer providing design engineering and construction support services for the replacement and widening of the upper-level roadway at the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. This project was performed for the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA)/MTA Bridges and Tunnels (TBTA B&T) and focused on improving performance and user safety. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects the Staten Island Expressway (SIE) and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) and is a critical link along the I-278 corridor.
The new deck is constructed of steel plates which, unlike the prior concrete deck, will not develop potholes that make driving hazardous and require repair work to be performed near heavy traffic. The project has resulted in a safer and timesaving ride for cars, buses, and trucks and supplied a continuous HOV/bus lane connecting the SIE and BQE. The HOV/bus lane serves more than 35,000 commuters per day and reduces daily commutes by an average of 15 minutes per commuter.
Both awards will be presented at the 52nd Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala, which will take place at the Hilton Midtown in New York City on April 13, 2019.
The Engineering Excellence Awards are presented to projects that encompass both the public and private sector in the following categories: studies, research, and consulting services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; energy; industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities; and special projects.