Victoria’s new Johnson St Bridge, while delayed for several years, has won a prestigious American award for its structural systems.
The award comes from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC), which may seem far from Victoria but is close to the bridge’s subcontracted engineering company, Hardesty & Hanover.
@ACECNewYork #EEANY19 Diamond Award Winner: Johnson Street Bridge, Hardesty & Hanover @HardestyHanover | Structural Systems Category pic.twitter.com/y7WnsvYSs3
— ACEC New York (@ACECNewYork) March 18, 2019
The Structural Systems Award refers to the overall strength of the bridge, like its durability, need for minimal maintenance, ability to support applied weight loads, and more.
“Each year, over 60 member firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation, and value to society,” said Hardesty & Hanover in a release.
“The projects are judged by a panel of industry experts, which includes military and government officials, ACEC National and International leadership, educators from college and university engineering departments, and leadership from other organizations dedicated to the built environment.”
The projects are then graded based on the average scores they received by the panel of judges before being further ranked into four categories, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Hardesty & Hanover’s work on the Johnson St Bridge won the project a Diamond level award, which means it will be included in the ACEC National competition which is occurring in May.
The Johnson St Bridge was completed 3 years late on March 31st, 2018. In total, the project cost the city just over $105 million, nearly doubling the original budget of $62.9 million.
The inflated cost is due to a variety of reasons, including delays and issues with the prefabricated steel parts developed in China.
In September 2018, Victoria City Council endorsed Mayor Helps’ call for a third-party to audit the entire project.
See also:
- Final Shipment of Johnson St Bridge Steel Arrives in Victoria
- City Council endorses Mayor Helps’ call to audit Johnson Street bridge
- 16 fun facts about the history of the Johnson Street Bridge
