DLZ wins ACEC’s highest Honor, the Grand Award for the Main Street Bridge Project

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two DLZ projects were honored Thursday, June 23rd at the American Council of Engineering Companies-Ohio (ACEC) 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards, including winning the biggest prize, the Grand Award for the Main Street Bridge project. DLZ’s International Gateway / FRA 670 Project was also honored and received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the event.

"DLZ deeply appreciates ACEC for recognizing our achievements and choosing us for this distinguished award and special thanks goes to the City of Columbus and its staff for selecting DLZ for such a landmark project," said Vikram ‘Raj’ Rajadhyaksha, CEO for DLZ. Adding, "It really is a testament to our staff of expert engineers that we won not one but two of these prestigious awards.”

ACEC Ohio’s annual event culminates in a celebration of the creativity and ingenuity of Ohio’s engineering companies – the Engineering Excellence Awards. Photo panels for each of the 25 projects entered in this year’s competition were on display at the event with nine finalists being named Outstanding Achievement in Engineering before the top award in the competition, the Grand Award, was given to DLZ for its Main Street Bridge project.

DLZ served as the prime designer of the new bridge, HNTB Corp. was the superstructure designer, while the concept for the design was developed by Spiro Pollalis.

This marks the 12th year of the ACEC Ohio Engineering Excellence Awards competition which recognizes engineering companies for the role they play in developing projects that exhibit a high degree of uniqueness, ingenuity and value. DLZ previously won the Grand award in 2006 for the Charleroi Locks & Dam project and is the only firm to have won the award twice.

DLZ’s two honored projects at this year’s event are:

Main Street Bridge Replacement
The City of Columbus wanted a distinctive bridge and DLZ was chosen to design the $47 million replacement for the existing Main Street Bridge over the Scioto River in Downtown Columbus. The bridge features a single rib arch designed with a unique 10 degree incline. It is the world’s first inclined arch bridge tied with cables and struts while incorporating separate pedestrian and vehicular decks.

The complex challenge was to design and engineer a bridge that was functional, handsome, expertly crafted, inviting, pedestrian-friendly, distinctive, memorable, inspiring and enduring. The 660 ft Main Street Bridge was designed to last over a century as the iconic gateway to the heart of Ohio’s capital city.

International Gateway / FRA 670
The $44 million International Gateway project was designed to improve this vital transportation gateway to the City and Central Ohio with reduced traffic congestion and delays, easier access to the airport, and increased safety for the traveling public.

A key concern on the project was the aesthetic treatment of the project since it serves as a Gateway to the City for air passengers and first-time visitors. The combination of the new interchange, realigned International Gateway and internal circulation roadways provides more efficient access for travelers while also positioning the airport for long-term expansion and development by making room for a future terminal facility.