BALTIMORE, MD — Stantec recently received National Recognition Awards in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition for a project in New York and a project in New Jersey. The annual competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. A total of 195 projects across the nation were recognized at the Awards Gala in Washington, D.C.The $355-million design-build project implemented cashless tolling along 450 miles of roadway, allowing the more than 267 million motorists that use the Thruway each year to enjoy hassle-free travel. The new system went live in November 2020, with 70 steel gantries installed along the roadway to capture E-ZPass tag or license plate data. Stantec and KC Engineering served as the lead designers, supporting Cashless Tolling Constructors, LLC — a consortium of heavy civil contractors. The project included the removal of toll plazas and updates to the areas leading into and out of the plazas, including pavement repairs, positive separation of traffic flow, and elimination of conflicting traffic moves. Reconstruction work was completed in fall 2021.The $74.7-million project is providing safer and more efficient travel for the more than 150,000 vehicles that travel through the Route 3, Route 46, and Valley Road Interchange daily. Stantec provided design and engineering services for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) project, in addition to environmental studies and permitting, public outreach, overall project management, and construction support. Substantially completed in December 2019, it was initially envisioned as one project, but it became clear during design that potential funding constraints could risk its timely advancement. Stantec worked with NJDOT to determine how to feasibly phase the project into smaller contracts, resulting in the development of two independent construction contracts.

ACEC’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition honors the year’s most outstanding engineering accomplishments across a range of categories. Projects across the nation are rated on uniqueness and innovative applications; future value to the engineering profession; perception by the public; social, economic, and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and the successful fulfillment of client/owner’s needs.