Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge wins Parsons an APWA award
Parsons was recently presented with the 2018 Public Works Project of the Year Award by the American Public Works Association (APWA), Illinois Chapter, for its work on the Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge. The project won in the transportation category for projects valued at more than US$75 million.
Parsons provided engineering services and was the lead designer for the total replacement of the U.S. 52 Bridge over the Mississippi River and BNSF railroad tracks, connecting Savanna, IL, with the island community of Sabula, IA. The bridge work, performed for the Illinois Department of Transportation, consisted of a 546‑ft‑long tied arch, 1,900 ft of steel girder approach spans, drilled-shaft and steel-pile foundations, and removal of the existing steel truss bridge. Parsons conducted comprehensive structural, roadway, and environmental studies; coordinated community involvement; and held agency and railroad coordination sessions.
The new crossing provides a safer structure while alleviating traffic congestion, and it opened on schedule on November 17, 2017. The project also preserved the surrounding wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and provided a new wildlife viewing area.
The APWA Project of the Year award was established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance among the managing agency, the architecture and engineering consultant, and the contractor who, working together, complete public works projects successfully.
