Engineering Excellence & Legacy Awards
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. Please join us for an evening of delicious food, amazing scenery, and award-winning projects.
Important Dates to Remember
- June 1, 2021 – Submission portal opens
- August 27, 2021 – Submission portal closes
Part 1: Official Entry Forms and entry fees due to ACEC Arizona via an online web portal.
Part 2: Completed entries (submitted via an online web portal) and photographic display panels are due to ACEC Arizona as instructed in the Call for Entries. All materials submitted for judging become the property of ACEC Arizona and may be used in publications or other promotional. Submitted materials will NOT be returned. Materials received after August 27, 2021, will NOT be accepted.
- September 3, 2021 – September 10, 2021 – Judging
- September 17, 2021 – Winners Notified
- October 16, 2021 – Please join us at the Desert Botanical Garden for an evening of celebration!
Request for Judges
Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet
Desert Botanical Garden
1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85008, 480-941-1225
Thank you, Judges, of the 40th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards!
JUDGES: Keith Drunasky, Brett Howey, Brent Knezacek, Bob Mickelson, Scott Sayles, Benny Young, Robert Buss, Karim Dada, Chaun Hill
2020 Award Recipients
2020 Judges Choice Award
Dibble Engineering
ADOT
Grand Canyon National Park Airport Drainage Master Plan & Water Use Study
The Grand Canyon National Park Airport serves the number-one tourist site in the State of Arizona. Owned and operated by ADOT, the airport faces water use and drainage challenges. Dibble Engineering evaluated the issues in detail and developed a unique drainage master plan and water use study. Dibble identified sustainable methods for harvesting, storing, and treating stormwater to be used as potable water, leading to
cost savings and long-term sustainability. 2D modeling and statistically based analyses determined that there is enough rainfall throughout the year to meet the water needs of the Airport, now and in the future.
2020 Grand Award
Carollo Engineers
Arizona Water Company
Pinal Valley Recharge and Recovery Facility
Arizona Water Company has a CAP surface water allocation of 10,884 acre-feet per year—recharging in its Pinal Valley service area through the newly constructed Pinal Valley Recharge and Recovery Facility (PVRRF). The PVRRF is the first constructed underground water storage facility built-in central Pinal County, and its operations will reduce further aquifer depletion by creating a sustainable water supply. Slowing aquifer
overdraft benefits not only residents in the County who rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply but also agricultural users. Storing surface water underground for future withdrawal protects against climate change effects while supporting local economic growth.
2020 Grand Award
Dibble Engineering
ADOT
Grand Canyon National Park Airport Drainage Master Plan & Water Use Study
The Grand Canyon National Park Airport serves the number-one tourist site in the State of Arizona. Owned and operated by ADOT, the airport faces water use and drainage challenges. Dibble Engineering evaluated the issues in detail and developed a unique drainage master plan and water use study. Dibble identified sustainable methods for harvesting, storing, and treating stormwater to be used as potable water, leading to
cost savings and long-term sustainability. 2D modeling and statistically based analyses determined that there is enough rainfall throughout the year to meet the water needs of the Airport, now and in the future.
2020 Grand Award
J2 Engineering & Environmental Design, LLC
Town of Queen Creek
Mansel Carter Oasis Park
Mansel Carter Oasis Park (MCOP) is an exciting, innovative 46-acre regional
facility serving many recreational needs for the Queen Creek community.
The site beautifully accommodates world-class park amenities and is full
of innovative design features including the inclusive hilltop destination
playground, five-acre urban fishing lake, custom pirate-themed splash pad,
roadways with stormwater harvesting/LID bio-swales, sports fields with total
cutoff LED lighting, rock climbing wall, social media photo hillside, destination
lakeside peninsula activity zone, custom baseball field complex, bike-friendly
skate park, and more. MCOP is heavily used and loved by the community
and is a must-visit destination for people of all ages
2020 Grand Award
Jacobs Engineering Group
Valley Metro
Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension
The Gilbert Road Extension truly represents the art of the possible. With this latest installment of light rail, Valley Metro and the City of Mesa leveraged a transportation investment to reinvigorate a once-thriving neighborhood east of historic downtown. Through close collaboration and a commitment to excellence, the team developed a first-of-its-kind roundabout, incorporated multipurpose design elements, and integrated artwork throughout the corridor. This multi-modal project fostered socioeconomic opportunities and resulted in transit-oriented development before it was even completed. It has raised the bar of what is possible through the application of engineering and construction knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity.
2020 Grand Award
Kimley-Horn & Associates
City of Sedona
Uptown Sedona Roadway Improvement Project
With the complex design and construction of the two roundabouts, raised/decorative median, second southbound lane, and a new one-way connector road, the project goals were met in terms of significant improvements to the corridor, on schedule and within budget. A true collaboration between City, stakeholders, consultant team, and contractor, the Uptown Sedona Improvements Project built on the strategies developed in the Transportation Master Plan to deliver a complete streets project that truly improves the safety, operations, and aesthetic of this heavily congested corridor in the heart of Uptown Sedona
2020 Grand Award
Kimley-Horn & Associates
Pima County
El Paso & Southwestern Greenway from Simpson Street to10th Avenue
The El Paso & Southwestern Greenway project transformed an abandoned railroad corridor into a bicycle- and pedestrian-oriented greenway through the cities of Tucson and South Tucson. The design of the newly constructed greenway incorporates sustainable landscape systems and maintains the rich history of the area. In addition, innovative crossing solutions were explored to ensure public safety and comfort at major road and rail intersections. This project is the perfect example of how engineering can blend the old and new in perfect harmony to enhance the lives of the community it serves
2020 Grand Award
Psomas
Arizona Department of Transportation
I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange
The new I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange, designed by Psomas and constructed by SKJV included a new grade separated crossing of the UPRR, which at peak traffic times caused major delays due to the high volume of train traffic. The project also included the ultimate widening of I-10 for approximately 1.5 miles and the widening of Ina Road for approximately 1.5 miles. The widening of Ina Road also included the replacement of the existing Ina Road bridge over the Santa Cruz River. The project team identified over $18 million in savings which kept the project under budget.
2020 Honor Award Winners
Dibble Engineering
Client: ADOT
Project Name: Haviland Rest Area Truck Parking Expansion
The Haviland Rest Area on Interstate 40 had insufficient truck parking to meet the increased truck traffic associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. ADOT initiated an emergency-funded project to address numerous safety concerns from semi-trucks illegally parking along both sides of the rest area freeway ramps. With collaboration on many levels, Dibble provided the solution ADOT needed, adding 38 more truck parking stalls, with design and construction completed in 12 weeks. This project addresses safety concerns, provides a positive contribution to our society, and has led a major, multimodal transportation agency to consider streamlining the approach to future projects.
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Client: Arizona Department of Transportation, Multimodal Planning Division (Aeronautics Group)
Project Name: Arizona State Aviation System Plan (SASP) Update
The Arizona Department of Transportation Aeronautics Group commissioned the 2018
State Aviation System Plan Update to comprehensively assess the ability of Arizona’s
67 publicly owned, public-use airports to meet current and future 20-year aviation
demands. The study revealed that Arizona’s airports require $8.7 billion in investment for maintenance and capacity improvements through 2037. As a trusted steward of public funds, the Aeronautics Group utilizes these results to encourage projects that most
significantly improve aviation at the statewide level. The study also developed priority
policy recommendations to ensure Arizona’s airport system remains safe, advanced, and
responsive to transportation needs and innovation.
Psomas
Client: Town of Oro Valley
Project Name: La Cañada Drive and Moore Road Roundabout
The Moore Road/La Cañada Drive Roundabout project successfully upgraded an existing all-way stop intersection that was experiencing safety and operational concerns into a roundabout that enhances traffic operations, improves safety, and provides pedestrian and bicycle facilities that are heavily used by the surrounding community. Key reasons this project is worthy of special recognition:
– Extensive outreach and education process to overcome initial opposition/reservations to the roundabout solution, with extremely positive community feedback.
– Creative design to bring two multi-lane arterials into a single-lane roundabout.
– Innovative bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
– Collaboration between Owner, Contractor, and Designer to achieve an extremely aggressive schedule.
Stanley Consultants
Client: Flood Control District of Maricopa County and City of Phoenix
Project Name: Laveen Stormwater Basins Project
Epic monsoon storms in 2014 caused dozens of Laveen homes to flood repeatedly. The design and construction of three regional stormwater retention basins now provide protection for these hard-hit areas. The project was set up as a design-bid-build. However, to meet the objective of functional stormwater basins before the start of the 2019 monsoon season, the project format was revised to a Job on Call for construction. This made the work plan more flexible, interactive, and functional to meet the schedule. flexible partnering, open and constant communication, and effective teamwork made it possible.
2020 Clifford C. Sawyer Achievement Award
Jacobs Engineering Group
Client: Valley Metro
Project Name: Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension
The Gilbert Road Extension truly represents the art of the possible. With this latest installment of light rail, Valley Metro and the City of Mesa leveraged a transportation investment to reinvigorate a once-thriving neighborhood east of historic downtown. Through close collaboration and a commitment to excellence, the team developed a first-of-its-kind roundabout, incorporated multipurpose design elements, and integrated artwork throughout the corridor. This multi-modal project fostered socioeconomic opportunities and resulted in transit-oriented development before it was even completed. It has raised the bar of what is possible through the application of engineering and construction knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity.
2020 Best Small Project Award (under $2.5 Million )
Dibble Engineering
Client: ADOT
Project Name: Grand Canyon National Park Airport Drainage Master Plan & Water Use Study
The Grand Canyon National Park Airport serves the number-one tourist site in the State of Arizona. Owned and operated by ADOT, the airport faces water use and drainage challenges. Dibble Engineering evaluated the issues in detail and developed a unique drainage master plan and water use study. Dibble identified sustainable methods for harvesting, storing, and treating stormwater to be used as potable water, leading to
cost savings and long-term sustainability. 2D modeling and statistically based analyses determined that there is enough rainfall throughout the year to meet the water needs of the Airport, now and in the future.
2020 Best Large Project Award (over $2.5 Million )
J2 Engineering & Environmental Design, LLC
Client: Town of Queen Creek
Project Name: Mansel Carter Oasis Park
Mansel Carter Oasis Park (MCOP) is an exciting, innovative 46-acre regional
facility serving many recreational needs for the Queen Creek community.
The site beautifully accommodates world-class park amenities and is full
of innovative design features including the inclusive hilltop destination
playground, five-acre urban fishing lake, custom pirate-themed splash pad,
roadways with stormwater harvesting/LID bio-swales, sports fields with total
cutoff LED lighting, rock climbing wall, social media photo hillside, destination
lakeside peninsula activity zone, custom baseball field complex, bike-friendly
skate park, and more. MCOP is heavily used and loved by the community
and is a must-visit destination for people of all ages