ASCE Recognizes Top 3 2021 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award Projects

The American Society of Civil Engineers announced the Niagara Falls State Park Transformation Initiative as the 2021 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award winner. The OCEA Award, which recognizes exemplary civil engineering projects around the country, honors projects which exemplify state-of-the-art engineering skill and provide considerable contributions to local and regional communities, in addition to advancements of the civil engineering profession.

The Niagara Falls State Park Transformation Initiative restored a popular public space with new attractions and improved utilities. After years of disrepair, T.Y. Lin International and the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation coordinated more than 16 interconnected projects across more than 400 acres to enhance the park. The groups improved behind the scenes utility, mechanical and stormwater infrastructure in addition to public-facing attractions, buildings, lighting and pedestrian/traffic routes. The park managed to stay open throughout the entire improvement process.

Nine OCEA Honor Awards were announced in January and the winner and two runners-up were announced in October as part of ASCE’s virtual National Convention.

Boulder City, Nevada’s Lake Mead Intake No. 3 Low Lake Level Pumping Station and Discharge Aqueducts Project was the OCEA Silver winner. The decades-long drought in the Colorado River Basin has threatened Lake Mead, which now currently only holds 38% of its 26-million-acre-foot capacity. To avoid water service disruptions to the 2.2 million-person Southern Nevada community, the Southern Nevada Water Authority completed the Low Lake Level Pumping Station to improve accessibility and long-term reliability.

The Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge in New York City was awarded Bronze winner. The new 3.1-mile twin span bridges crossing the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties replaces the old Tappan Zee Bridge. The new structure features extra-wide shoulders, emergency/bus lanes and is prepared to support future commuter or light rail. The project is one of the largest single Design-Build transportation structures in the United States.

For more information on OCEA, visit https://www.asce.org/oceakit/.