Gresham Smith is proud to announce that the firm received five total awards from the Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee chapters of the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2023 Engineering Excellence Awards programs.
“We are proud to be recognized at the state levels for our outstanding engineering achievements,” said Gresham Smith CEO and Board Chair Rodney Chester. “These awards are a testament to the positive influence innovative engineering can have on our communities. We extend our gratitude to our clients for entrusting us to collaborate on these projects.”
ACEC Tennessee recognized the Broadway Viaduct Bridge Replacement with the Grand Award in the Transportation – Large Project category and the People’s Choice Award. ACEC Tennessee also gave an Honorable Mention to the Shelton Road Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids Expansion for the Town of Collierville, Tenn. ACEC Louisiana recognized Move Metairie Tracking Forward with the Grand Award in the Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering category. ACEC Kentucky recognized Town Branch Commons with the Grand Award in the Transportation category and MPATH: Empathic Analytics in the Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering category with a Grand Award.
About the Award-Winning Projects
Broadway Viaduct Bridge Replacement
The Broadway Viaduct bridge, which spans five active railroad lines and a greenway, is a crucial artery for the City of Nashville, carrying not only an average of 26,000 vehicles daily but also critical communication infrastructure. A complex endeavor with multiple stakeholders, the bridge replacement was delivered under the construction manager/general contractor method, where the owner, designer and contractor form a partnership to mitigate risk, improve the schedule, streamline design and better adhere to the budget. The team used accelerated bridge construction techniques that resulted in the replacement of the bridge superstructure during an 8-week full closure of the bridge.
Move Metairie Tracking Forward
In Metairie, Louisiana, residents have long grappled with train traffic and delays at the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing on Metairie Road. In response, Gresham Smith, in collaboration with Jefferson Parish Council Member Jennifer Van Vrancken, launched ‘Move Metairie Tracking Forward’. This innovative, patented technology and free app provides real-time train traffic information. Using installed detectors and cameras, the system triangulates a train’s path, speed, direction, and anticipated crossing blockage times. The data is then shared with the public via the app, enabling motorists to choose the most efficient routes and avoid delays, thereby enhancing their quality of life.
Town Branch Commons
Town Branch Commons is a 1.5-mile multimodal transportation and linear park system in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. The project serves as the centerpiece of the city-wide park system, linking the city’s urban core with the Bluegrass countryside. Gresham Smith’s design transformed the city’s major roadways into Complete Streets, prioritizing the needs of all users by providing safe, accessible transportation options for all users. Through this project, the team implemented transformative improvements to bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and vehicular systems, all while providing a world-class public infrastructure system that connects urban, suburban, and rural parts of the city.
By fully integrating the use of the roadways, this project has energized the heart of downtown and its economy. This revitalization effort has created a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere that draws visitors from near and far, helping to establish Lexington as a model for smart urban planning and community-driven development.
MPATH: Empathic Analytics
Using expertise and a new technology from Gresham Smith, the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville deployed MPATH to conduct a stress pilot across the urban core of Louisville in July 2023. The results of the study begin to help us understand how environmental and contextual related issues influence how people experience places. The study collected over 200,000 stress data points and correlated them to environmental sensor data focused on urban heat island effect, lighting, crime data, and crash data. Through this data collection, researchers were able to quantify what engineers and architects have suggested for years, that small incremental improvements like public art, outdoor seating, etc., have a measurable impact on how people experience a place. While this project was only one study in one city, the implications from the findings of the survey could have far-reaching impacts across the engineering industry.
About the Awards Program
The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes the preeminent engineering achievements in the Commonwealth and showcases the innovation, technical expertise and value that Kentucky’s engineering firms provide their clients. The award winners are now eligible to compete in the 2024 ACEC National Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The national competition will culminate with the 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on May 15th in Washington, DC.
