Skip to main content

Parsons wins Engineering Excellence Grand Award

US engineering services firm Parsons has received the 2017 Grand Award in the transportation category from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Missouri for the Columbia I 70 Bridges design build project. Parsons was the lead designer for this US$18 million project for the Missouri Department of Transportation, which involved replacing six deficient bridges with five new weathering steel plate girder bridges while accommodating 80,000+ vehicles per day on the road. Built in 1957, the existing
February 14, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
US engineering services firm 4089 Parsons has received the 2017 Grand Award in the transportation category from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Missouri for the Columbia I 70 Bridges design build project. Parsons was the lead designer for this US$18 million project for the 1773 Missouri Department of Transportation, which involved replacing six deficient bridges with five new weathering steel plate girder bridges while accommodating 80,000+ vehicles per day on the road.

Built in 1957, the existing three sets of concrete slab bridges were located within a two mile stretch of I-70. To maintain traffic during construction, the westbound single-span bridges were designed and built using slide-in bridge construction (SIBC) in which the new bridges were built adjacent to the old bridges and then slid into their permanent location after the old bridges were demolished. The eastbound spans of these two bridges were constructed using the traditional bridge-building method, where the old bridge is demolished and a new bridge is built in its place. The twin spans of the Business Loop Bridge were replaced with one single-span bridge which also used the SIBC technique. It was positioned in a slightly different location than the old bridge to better accommodate intersecting traffic.

In addition to the designs for accelerated bridge construction, Parsons also provided new interchange designs at Business Loop and Range Line to increase corridor mobility, enhance pedestrian connectivity and improve motorist safety. The Range Line/I 70 interchange was converted from a signalised diamond interchange to two tear shaped roundabouts that join together to form a single roundabout. The Business Loop/I 70 interchange was improved with dual-lane roundabouts on the north and south sides of I 70.

Related Content

  • March 23, 2015
    I-80 Smart Corridor sets the ITS standard for California's Bay Area
    Colin Sowman looks at California’s ‘smartest’ road which will open this spring to counter congestion and accidents on one of the Bay Area’s busiest interstates. Interstate 80 (I-80) is one of the busiest roads in the San Francisco Bay area with up to 270,000 vehicles using the corridor every day. The section between the Carquinez Bridge in Crockett and the Bay Bridge not only suffers congestion during the working week but also at weekends. Traditional remedies such as building additional lanes (there are al
  • March 23, 2015
    I-80 Smart Corridor sets the ITS standard for California's Bay Area
    Colin Sowman looks at California’s ‘smartest’ road which will open this spring to counter congestion and accidents on one of the Bay Area’s busiest interstates. Interstate 80 (I-80) is one of the busiest roads in the San Francisco Bay area with up to 270,000 vehicles using the corridor every day. The section between the Carquinez Bridge in Crockett and the Bay Bridge not only suffers congestion during the working week but also at weekends. Traditional remedies such as building additional lanes (there are al
  • February 11, 2014
    Parsons Brinckerhoff JV to design Queensland motorway project
    Parsons Brinckerhoff and joint venture partner Seymour Whyte has been awarded the design and construct contract for the Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue Interchange upgrade in Queensland. The project, worth in excess of US$50m, was awarded by the Department of Transport and Main Roads and involves the upgrade of the critical link between the new Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct and the Pacific Motorway. Project focus areas include: Providing capacity for future traffic volumes and emergenc
  • March 4, 2016
    UK government’s US$283 million road building boost for Bedfordshire
    Two road-building schemes worth US$283 million, which are a key part of the UK government’s long-term economic plan for Bedfordshire, are on course to be delivered on time and on budget by spring 2017. The 2.8 mile, US$229 million A5-M1 Link scheme is being delivered by Highways England, while the US$54 million, 1.8 mile Woodside Link project is being completed by Central Bedfordshire Council. The A5-M1 Link dual carriageway project is intended to improve the east-west connection between the A5 and M1