New York Construction Report staff writer
Three major projects overseen by the State Department of Transportation have been honored for engineering excellence by the American Council of Engineering Companies. The private-sector engineering and design teams behind the Hunts Point Access Improvement, Kew Gardens Interchange and the Interstate 390/I-490 Interchange improvement project have received national recognition awards in ACEC’s 2023 competition — which is known as the “Academy Awards of the engineering industry.”
Awards will be formally presented at the group’s gala in Washington, D.C. in June.
“Representing nearly 300 member firms, ACEC New York is proud of the partnership we have with New York State Department of Transportation and the projects they have undertaken with assistance from our firms: Hunts Point, Kew Gardens and the Interstate 390/490 Interchange projects,” said American Council of Engineering Companies New York president and CEO John Evers. “The complexity and innovation in the engineering and designs that went into these projects, combined with the dedication and professionalism of the DOT, has resulted in truly outstanding projects of which all New Yorkers can be proud.”
The $1.7 billion Hunts Point project will reduce congestion, enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety and provide direct access to the Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx from both the Bruckner Expressway and the new Sheridan Boulevard.
The third and final phase of the project includes reconstruction of the Bruckner Expressway interchange with Sheridan Boulevard and the reconfiguration of the intersection of Hunts Point Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, was underway.
The $172.8 million I-390/I-490 Interchange improvement project in the Town of Gates, Monroe County, repaired or replaced seven bridges, created a new exit ramp connecting Interstate 390 to Lyell Avenue, constructed the new southbound I-390 Flyover, and made several other improvements. The project was completed a month ahead of schedule and on budget.
McLaren’s Bridge/Highway/Rail Infrastructure engineering team worked as consultants to Cold Spring Construction Co., providing design and construction quality control services on the Design-Build project’s final phases.
The $739 million Kew Gardens Interchange project in Queens, which was completed in late 2022, revamped one of the metropolitan area’s most heavily traveled corridors.
The American Council of Engineering Companies represents thousands of companies and is the voice of the engineering industry in Washington, DC and throughout the nation. With roots dating back more than 100 years, ACEC is a federation of 51 state and regional councils representing more than 600,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors and other specialists.
The engineering and design teams behind the Hunts Point, I-390/I-490 Interchange and Kew Gardens projects were also recently honored with Diamond Awards from the ACEC NY chapter.
“Hunts Point, Kew Gardens and the Interstate 390/490 Interchange projects are some of the most complex and ambitious undertakings . . . and I am elated to see the hard work and dedication of our talented teams recognized by ACEC,” said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
