GFT, Clients Honored with 2026 ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards

Each year, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) recognizes outstanding achievements in the industry through its Engineering Excellence Awards, which are awarded through a national competition as well as by ACEC’s 51 state and metropolitan Member Organizations. These honors highlight projects that exemplify innovation, ingenuity, and the power of engineering to elevate communities and improve their well-being — qualities that shape our own vision as we partner with our valued clients.

GFT was honored to receive three National Recognition Awards at the ACEC Annual Convention and Engineering Excellence Awards Gala for the following projects:

• Eastbound Re-Route.
• North Wilkesboro Pedestrian Bridge.
• VRE Manassas Park Parking Structure.

The Omaha River Bridge 23.84 over the Elkhorn River Replacement strengthened a critical freight corridor on Union Pacific’s Omaha Subdivision after 2019 flooding exposed vulnerabilities in the original 1906 structure. GFT designed a new two-track bridge on a parallel alignment 55 feet south of the existing crossing, allowing uninterrupted rail operations throughout construction.

The replacement features steel plate girder spans supported on deep foundations designed for a 100-year scour event and includes nearly 1.2 miles of raised embankment to maintain the corridor’s 70-mph corridor profile. Strategic staging with temporary causeways and controlled river access balanced constructability with environmental protection, delivering a safer, more resilient crossing that supports long-term freight reliability.

Through engineering precision and relentless coordination, the Eastbound Re-Route Project eliminated a major chokepoint at Harold Interlocking, the busiest passenger rail junction in North America and a critical link along the Northeast Corridor. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the $167 million project introduced a new cut-and-cover tunnel, open-cut approaches, bridge underpinning, special trackwork, and advanced electrification systems. Completed on schedule and within budget, the new alignment delivers a conflict-free path for more than 735 daily trains, improving reliability and capacity for 300,000 daily passengers who depend on this vital corridor.

Nearly 70% of Suffolk County’s 1.5 million residents have relied on aging septic systems and cesspools for wastewater disposal. The frequent failure of these systems led to elevated nitrogen levels in groundwater and surface waters, including Forge River, contributing to coastal degradation and threatening environmental and public health. Enter Suffolk County Department of Public Works’ Forge River Watershed Sewer Project, the county’s largest sewer infrastructure initiative in four decades. GFT delivered planning, design, and construction management services for a new sewer collection and conveyance system, as well as a 1 million gallons per day advanced wastewater treatment facility (AWTF), to reliably treat wastewater and reduce environmental impact. Read more about forging a healthy water environment on Long Island.

The Sotomayor Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in the Bronx with 3,500 residents, was rehabilitated after decades of deferred maintenance left the buildings vulnerable: roofs leaking, masonry crumbling, windows failing, and interiors scarred by water infiltration. More than managing scope and schedules, GFT’s trusted construction management team provided complete oversight, ensuring that low- and moderate-income New Yorkers have dignified, affordable housing.

After decades off the NASCAR schedule, North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted the 2024 All-Star Race, reigniting local pride. However, a critical safety issue emerged: thousands of fans were crossing U.S. 421 via an older highway bridge without pedestrian accommodations. With only six months to act, GFT partnered with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Wilkes County to design and deliver a single-span, prefabricated bowstring truss pedestrian bridge in time for the 2025 All-Star Race.

The Penrose Roundabout transformed one of South Philadelphia’s most confusing intersections into a modern five-leg, single-lane roundabout. The roundabout replaced a large and confusing six-leg signalized intersection located adjacent to the elevated I-76 Expressway connecting 20th Street, Penrose Avenue, Moyamensing Avenue, and Packer Avenue. Traffic was maintained by using a temporary roundabout, creating a model for future Philadelphia roundabout projects. As the construction manager, the team helped deliver the project nearly three months ahead of schedule.

After a September 2023 train derailment severely damaged the U.S. 17A/U.S. 21 Bridge over CSX in Yemassee, South Carolina, the state lost a critical hurricane evacuation route during peak storm season. Under a governor-declared state of emergency, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) mobilized a design-build team, with GFT serving as lead designer, to rapidly restore regional mobility and public safety.

GFT delivered an accelerated, multidisciplinary design effort, issuing preliminary bridge plans within three days of contract award and advancing roadway and bridge released-for-construction (RFC) plans ahead of an already compressed schedule. The team addressed significant challenges, including major grade adjustments, subsurface construction anomalies resolved through innovative sister shaft solutions, and hurricane season impacts. Completed on schedule, under budget, and with zero design change orders, the replacement bridge reopened in September 2024, restoring a vital corridor in less than one year and demonstrating the effectiveness of alternative delivery in emergency infrastructure response.

The U.S. 301 Bridge Replacement project in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, addressed aging bridge infrastructure that no longer met current SCDOT hydraulic and structural standards while carrying more than 11,000 vehicles daily. GFT served as lead designer for the design-build team, delivering comprehensive roadway, bridge, hydraulic, seismic, and construction support services. The 19.3 million dollar project replaced the existing dual bridges with new 300-foot reinforced concrete flat slab bridges and included 1.4 miles of corridor safety improvements. Complex geotechnical and hydraulic challenges, including cemented Santee Limestone and backwater constraints, were resolved through proactive coordination with SCDOT and rapid design revisions. Completed on schedule and under budget with no design change orders, the bridges opened in August 2024, improving safety, resilience, and long-term reliability for a critical regional corridor.

The surface lot at Manassas Park Station frequently exceeded capacity and pushed overflow parking into nearby neighborhoods, limiting ridership growth and straining access to the city’s emerging mixed-use downtown. VRE advanced a long-term solution that added a four-level, 740-space precast garage along with a grade-separated pedestrian bridge, an elevator and stair tower, platform improvements, and site upgrades. The project was delivered four months ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget, with more than 85,000 work hours and no OSHA recordables, while maintaining uninterrupted rail service in a constrained urban setting. GFT provided construction management and inspection services, coordinating with VRE, Norfolk Southern, the city, utilities, and a nearby developer. Off-site assembly of the elevator tower and digital field tools improved communication, limited rework, and strengthened safety, resulting in a facility that supports long-term ridership growth and downtown revitalization.