Gresham Smith Wins Top Prize in ACEC Tennessee's Engineering Excellence Awards

Three Additional Transportation and Wastewater Projects Also Celebrated for Engineering Excellence

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gresham Smith is proud to announce that the design of the I-24 MOTION project for the Tennessee Department of Transportation received the 2022 Grand Conceptor Award, the top prize, from the American Council of Engineering Companies Tennessee (ACEC Tennessee) 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards program.

Three additional Gresham Smith-designed projects were also recognized: The Guam Waterworks Authority – Northern District Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion project received the Grand Award in the Water and Storm Water category, while the Albert Gallatin Avenue/Hatten Track Road Extension for the City of Gallatin, Tennessee and Marconi Boulevard for the City of Alcoa, Tennessee received Honor Awards in the Transportation category. The project teams accepted their awards at ACEC Tennessee's annual Gala on November 1 at the JW Marriot Hotel in Nashville.

"Gresham Smith is honored that so many of our water and transportation projects have received awards in the ACEC Tennessee program," said Gresham Smith CEO Rodney Chester. "This is the seventh consecutive year that our projects have been recognized, and it speaks to how innovative engineering can positively impact our communities. We thank our clients for allowing us to partner with them on these award-winning projects."  

The I-24 MOTION and Guam Waterworks Authority – Northern District Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion projects are now eligible for the ACEC National Engineering Excellence Awards, which will be judged in spring 2023 and announced in summer 2023.

I-24 MOTION—the I-24 Mobility Technology Interstate Observation Network—is a first-of-its-kind testbed implemented by TDOT and designed by Gresham Smith with data management by Vanderbilt University that will uncover how vehicles interact with each other and the state's infrastructure. The project will equip a four-mile section of I-24 in the Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan area with more than 250 ultra-high definition cameras that will convert images of the vehicles into a digital model of how each one behaves. Using this anonymous data, vehicle and infrastructure design can be optimized to reduce traffic concerns and improve safety, air quality and fuel efficiency.

To meet the needs of recent population growth in the island's northern district and the upcoming relocation of 5,000 deployed U.S. Marines and their families to Guam's new military base, the Guam Waterworks Authority needed to upgrade its water treatment process to comply with EPA-mandated requirements. As part of an effort funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Gresham Smith overcame challenges presented by the site's complexity and remote location to engineer an expansion to the Northern District Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project, which increased the plant's capacity and elevated treated water quality, was performed without shutting down the plant's operations.

The Marconi Boulevard project for the City of Alcoa, Tennessee includes a roundabout design, civic amenities, the rehabilitation of three historic railroad bridges, a new bridge, and stormwater design. It comprises integral infrastructure that will help transform a former aluminum plant site in Alcoa into a connected, sustainable city.

The Albert Gallatin Avenue/Hatten Track Road Extension project for Gallatin, Tennessee creates a new alternative corridor between U.S. 31 E. and State Route 109 by extending Albert Gallatin Avenue to a new interchange at SR 109. The new bypass improves safety, alleviates congestion and allows for new development.

Past projects recognized in by ACEC Tennessee include the LeConte Event Center Paver Parking Lot and Pedestrian Bridge in Pigeon Forge, TDOT's Highway System Access Manual design, I-40 Widening and Interchange Reconstructions in Jackson, Guam Waterworks Authority – Route 3 Interceptor Sewer Rehabilitation in Dededo, Guam, the I-40 Fast Fix 8 Accelerated Bridge Construction project in Nashville, the TDOT I-40/SR-66 diverging diamond interchange (DDI) in Sevierville, the Division Street Extension Bridge in Nashville, a Bowling Green Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Lower Big Haynes Regional Pumping System in Georgia's Gwinnett County and KUB's Second Creek Wastewater Storage Facility in Knoxville.

Gresham Smith is a top-ranked architecture, engineering and design firm with more than $230 million in annual gross revenue and 25 offices across the United States. The firm provides full-service solutions for the built environment with a focus on the aviation, building engineering, healthcare, industrial, land planning, life and work places, transportation, and water and environment market sectors. Our team of diligent designers, creative problem-solvers, insightful planners and seasoned collaborators work closely with our clients to improve the cities and towns we call home. Consistently ranked as a "best place to work," we are committed to creating a culture that fosters diversity of experience combined with a common goal of genuine care for each other, our partners and the outcome of our work. Learn more at GreshamSmith.com.

SOURCE Gresham Smith