Metro DC Stantec teams win 4 awards for design excellence

The transformation of a washed-out ghost road into a bustling community trail is one of three projects to recently win engineering excellence awards for design teams at Stantec. The global firm’s local teams won honors for design of the Klingle Valley Trail in Northwest D.C.; complex environmental compliance for the rehabilitation of the iconic Arlington Memorial Bridge; and a Maryland pilot program to assess the vulnerability of transportation assets to climate change. The Arlington Memorial Bridge work was also awarded the Grand Award for non-design.

The awards were presented during the American Council of Engineering Companies-Metropolitan Washington chapter’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards gala on January 30.

Ending a long story with a sustainable solution
In June 2017, the Klingle Valley Trail opened for travelers, replacing a long-closed roadway and restoring environmental balance along this scenic route. In addition to creating a new 0.7- mile trail for walking, running, and cycling, Stantec designed the restoration of the adjacent Klingle Creek, a waterway that drains 320 acres of residential, commercial, and open space in the Cleveland Park and Woodley Park communities. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT)’s long-awaited trail replaces a section of road that was closed due to severe erosion in 1991. Stantec’s design reduces the erosive forces of the urban runoff and provides a safe and sustainable path through the steep stream valley.

An iconic bridge gets TLC
After more than 80 years without a major rehabilitation, the Arlington Memorial Bridge’s historic center bascule span, concrete arches, and concrete decking had severely deteriorated. The Stantec team managed multiple environmental, technical, and governmental issues to obtain environmental approvals on a plan that is economically feasible, sustainable (design that will add 75 to 100 years to the bridge’s lifespan), and accommodating to traveling public as well as the historic community and visitors to the nation’s capital.

Helping Maryland built a road to resilience
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is proactively addressing future impacts of climate change on vulnerable transportation infrastructure. SHA turned to Stantec to develop a program that could assess and rate the risk posed to its facilities by different climate variables such as wind, sea-level rise, storm surge, and precipitation change. The team and partners delivered an overall vulnerability assessment for each of nine MDTA assets in the pilot program. Through this study, SHA established a  framework and process to assess, prioritize and adapt to changes in the different climate stressors.

With eight area offices and more than 320 local employees, Stantec provides a full suite of design and environmental services throughout the metropolitan DC area. 

About Stantec
We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.