GZA wins two ACEC-Rhode Island Engineering Excellence Awards for bridge reconstruction projects in Cranston, Cumberland

GZA has been honored with two Engineering Excellence Awards by the American Council of Engineering Companies Rhode Island chapter (ACEC-RI) for its work supporting bridge replacement projects in Cranston and Cumberland.

GZA was recognized by ACEC-RI for its role as a geotechnical and environmental consultant to TranSystems Corp. on the design-build replacement of four bridges along Interstate 295 in Cranston and for TranSystems’ replacement of the Howard Road Bridge in Cumberland. Also honored were Green International Affiliates Inc. for its work on the Cranston I-295 project and Bryant Associates Inc. for its work on the Cumberland bridge replacement. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) sponsored and oversaw both projects. 

The I-295 bridge replacement project was a design-build project to design and construct four bridges. Two of the bridges carry I-295 over Plainfield Pike/RI 14 and two of the bridge carry the highway over the Providence Water Supply Aqueduct. The Plainfield Pike bridges included the construction of temporary bridges to divert traffic during construction. The Providence Aqueduct Bridges included the construction of an arch culvert spanning over the 100-year old, 8-foot diameter concrete aqueduct.

The 134-year-old Howard Road Bridge was ordered closed in June 2017 after a safety inspection found major structural deficiencies. RIDOT funded a $3.1 million, 3 ½ year project to replace the bridge over Abbott Run Brook in full compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, including carefully cataloguing and restoring the positions of historic granite blocks forming the bridge abutments and adding an historically accurate wooden deck.

GZA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Sheehan said: “On behalf of everyone at GZA, I want to congratulate our Providence District Office Manager, Ed Summerly, and his team for the key role they played in supporting RIDOT and TranSystems in successfully completing these critically important, complex bridge replacement projects. GZA is honored to share with TranSystems, Bryant Associates, and Green International Affiliates in this prestigious recognition from ACEC-RI.”