The Kleinfelder Blog

Three Kleinfelder Projects Receive Recognition at the ACEC National Engineering Excellence Awards

Kleinfelder is proud to announce that three projects for which we served as prime consultant or a subconsultant recently received recognition in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition.

The awards celebrate projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering excellence at the national level, honoring the most innovative and impactful engineering endeavors of the year. Read on to learn more!

National Recognition: Carlton Street Footbridge Restoration

Brookline, MA
Kleinfelder role: Prime consultant — learn more here

Originally constructed in 1894, the Carlton Street Footbridge served as a vital link in Brookline, until its closure in 1974 due to safety concerns. Led by Kleinfelder in collaboration with the Town of Brookline, MassDOT, and MBTA, the restoration process revived the historic 70-foot steel Pratt truss structure.

The project presented numerous challenges, including the need to provide universal accessibility, ADA/MAAB compliance, and accommodation for bicycle traffic while ensuring safety above an active MBTA track. Moreover, the bridge needed to be raised to provide additional clearance above the MBTA tracks, adding to the complexity of the project. Despite its technical complexity, the Carlton Street Footbridge Restoration project successfully revitalized a cherished historic landmark while meeting modern infrastructure demands.

Honor Award: The Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge

Newburg, MD
Kleinfelder role: Subconsultant (independent design quality management services — learn more here)

The new Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge (Nice-Middleton Bridge) improves regional traffic speeds and maritime travel for a key gateway over the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. The new four-lane Nice-Middleton Bridge replaces the existing 1.9- mile, two-lane bridge originally opened in 1940 that had reliably stood the test of time. But after seven decades of dedicated service, the bridge no longer met current safety standards. The new Nice-Middleton Bridge now provides twice the traffic capacity with its four 12-foot-wide lanes. It also includes shoulders to improve safety and facilitate access for emergency response, maintenance, and wide-load vehicles. Navigational vertical clearance of 135 feet also has been enhanced to enable tall ships to pass beneath.

Honor Award: Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply Program

Bonham, TX
Kleinfelder role: Subconsultant (quality assurance and construction materials testing services — learn more here)

Facing some of the most explosive population growth in the U.S., the North Texas Municipal Water District needed a new, long-term water source added to their system to operate in concert with their smart water management and conservation efforts. The result was the new $1.6 billion Bois d’Arc Lake water supply program, a crucial new water source that started serving some 2 million people in more than 71 communities in spring 2023. Two decades in the making, Bois d’Arc Lake, Texas’ first major reservoir in 30 years, initially provided 70 million gallons of drinking water a day for North Texans. The main elements include a 2-mile-long, 90-foot-tall earthen dam and 16,641-acre reservoir; a treatment plant and transmission systems that include two huge pump stations and 60 miles of pipelines for raw and treated water; and multiple sites of forested and emergent wetlands, grasslands, and stream restoration, including the planting of 6.3 million trees.