The American Council of Engineering Companies of California unveiled the 2018 recipients of its prestigious Engineering Excellence Awards.
Among the recipients, four firms in San Diego County were recognized with Merit awards for their work on six local projects including: the Village Park Recycled Water Project in Encinitas; the Downtown Rapid Stations project in San Diego; the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement in Lakeside; the Armorlite Drive Smart Growth Improvement Project in San Marcos; the Paradise Creek Restoration project in National City; and the Emergency Wharf Repair at North Embarcadero in San Diego.
“The heart of civil engineering is to solve complex challenges to help make people’s lives better,” said Brad Diede, executive director of ACEC California. “This year, we are recognizing a wide range of innovative projects that include improving transportation and roadways, giving students a high-quality school campus, or providing better access to clean water. I’m very proud of our engineering and land surveying firms and their local agency partners and private sector partners, who keep pushing the envelope to find smarter, more advanced ways to serve the people of California.”
In all, 39 California firms representing 55 projects were recognized. 19 Honor Awards were granted to 18 firms; 26 Merit Awards were granted to 20 firms; and 10 Commendation Awards were granted to 9 firms.
The winner of the Golden State Award, an honor bestowed on the best overall project, will be announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner in February 2018.
The awards dinner is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to accomplished graduate and undergraduate students. Honor Award winners also are eligible to enter the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and will have photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2018 during National Engineers Week.
Merit Awards recipients from San Diego County include:
Infrastructure Engineering Corporation in Poway, CA, for its work on the Village Park Recycled Water Project in Encinitas, CA. The Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s new Village Park Recycled Water System expands the District’s delivery of recycled water up to 114 million gallons annually for irrigation rather than utilizing expensive, imported potable water. Up and running in the City of Encinitas since November 2016, the project was implemented in close collaboration with the neighboring San Elijo Joint Powers Authority by utilizing excess recycled water produced by their treatment plant and previously sent to an ocean outfall to be repurposed for irrigation.
Kimley-Horn in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Paradise Creek Restoration in National City, CA, and the Downtown Rapid Stations project in San Diego, CA. The Downtown Rapid Stations Project allowed the San Diego Association of Governments and the Metropolitan Transit System to expand Rapid service to 11 stations in downtown San Diego. Overall, the project provides high frequency, limited-stop service, upgraded station amenities such as new bus shelters and ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, widened sidewalks, and high visibility pedestrian crossings.
Paradise Creek Restoration serves as a model improvement project for the region and the state by both enhancing the water quality infrastructure and revitalizing a hub of community activity. This project utilized Proposition 84 Stormwater Grant funds to retrofit a highly-urbanized area with low-impact designmeasures and restore an adjacent concrete-lined segment of severely degraded Paradise Creek. The project’s innovative and green elements, such as bioretention and infiltration basins, increase the standard of life for the local plant and wildlife communities.
Michael Baker International in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement in Lakside, CA, and the Armorlite Drive Smart Growth Improvement Project in San Marcos, CA. For the Woodside Avenue Flood Control Improvement project, Michael Baker International partnered with County of San Diego Flood Control to design a storm drain system that could adequately convey the expected volumes and mitigate the risk of water damage from flooding from a severe 100-year storm event.
The Armorlite Drive Smart Growth Improvement Project reconfigured Armorlite Drive, N. Las Posas Road to Bingham Drive, to accommodate a complete street concept in a new, mixed-use district near Palomar College in San Marcos. Improvements include street parking, bike facilities, pedestrian pathways, lighting and landscaping, and traffic calming.
Moffatt & Nichol in San Diego, CA, for its work on the Emergency Wharf Repair at North Embarcadero in San Diego, CA. After a vessel collision caused considerable damage, Moffatt & Nichol were selected as the prime design consultant to repair the broken bulkhead at the Port of San Diego – one of the most frequented areas on San Diego Bay’s waterfront.