The technical expertise and innovation behind some of British Columbia’s most important transportation projects were honoured at the B.C. Transportation Consulting Engineers Awards.
Last year’s ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in awards for 2021 and 2022 being handed out virtually this year. The categories for the awards included alternative transportation, design and contract preparation – structures, design and contract preparation – roads, construction management and supervision services, and specialized engineering services.
Alternative transportation
The 2021 award went to 3GA Marine Ltd. for its Cable Ferries Replacement Project. The project involved designing and building four new cable ferries to serve communities in rural British Columbia. The construction of each ferry took place at a different waterfront location, and included vessel testing and certification, commissioning, crew training, terminal modifications and deployment.
In 2022, the recipient was Urban Systems Ltd. for its South Island Transportation Strategy. Urban Systems worked with Indigenous, local and regional governments, transportation authorities and stakeholders to develop a strategy to improve integration and accessibility, and reduce dependency on single-occupancy vehicles.
Design and contract preparation – structures
Associated Engineering (B.C.) Ltd. was the recipient of the 2021 award for two Highway 16 bridge replacements on Haida Gwaii. The company provided design services for the replacement of the Geikie Creek and Gold Creek bridges. The project included structural, geotechnical and hydrotechnical designs, construction engineering support, upgrades to the highway approaches and complex utility relocations.
In 2022, BGC Engineering Inc. and Gygax Engineering Associates Ltd. were recognized for their Highway 99 Ten Mile Slide Stabilization Project, 17 kilometres northeast of Lillooet. The Ten Mile Slide on the Xaxli’p (pronounced “hawk-leap”) Indian Reserve is one of the only known continuously moving landslides in North America. The contractors developed a structural solution to this complex geotechnical problem, resulting in a safe, reliable and low-maintenance alignment to stabilize slide movement.
Design and contract preparation – roads
The 2021 award went to R.F. Binnie and Associates Ltd. for its work to address traffic congestion, improve pedestrian and cycling accessibility, and increase connectivity between Langley communities at the 216 Street Interchange. The project included the construction of a new interchange, highway widening from 202 Street to 216 Street with pedestrian and cycling access, and the addition of high-occupancy vehicle ramps and a third high-occupancy vehicle lane.
In 2022, McElhanney Ltd. won the award for its work in North Vancouver on a new Keith Road underpass, two new Highway 1 Lynn Creek bridges, the realignment of Keith Road, two new Highway 1 westbound collector lanes, the reconfiguration of the Keith Road and Mount Seymour Parkway intersection, active-transportation facilities and the relocation of a salmon-bearing stream.
Construction management and supervision services
Stantec Consulting Inc. was the 2021 recipient for its work on improving the Highway 93 and Highway 95 intersection in Radium by constructing a new roundabout. The completion of the roundabout was key to the safe and efficient diversion of traffic from the Kicking Horse Canyon Phase 4 project.
In 2022, WSP Canada Inc. won the award for its complex Lower Lynn Interchange Improvements project in North Vancouver. WSP reconstructed the Keith Road and Mount Seymour Parkway interchange, constructed a new westbound collector-lanes system and rehabilitated the existing Highway 1 Lynn Creek Bridge Steel Truss Bridge. This included measures to protect trails and embankments from erosion, and sediment from entering Keith and Lynn creeks.
Specialized engineering services
PBX Engineering Ltd. won the 2021 award for its Railway Crossing Information System in Langley and Surrey. The system was designed to enable better use of local roads and the network of road and rail overpasses by providing railway crossing arrival times for drivers on the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor.
In 2022, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd. was the award winner for its Highway 97 Flood Risk Geographic Information System Database in the Peace District. The database assesses the flood risk to a 75-kilometre segment of Highway 97 in the Pine Pass area, west of Chetwynd. It identifies flood-prone areas to help determine where to invest in flood-resilient infrastructure.
Featured image: 2002 Design and contract preparation – structures winner BCG Engineering Inc. and Gygax Engineering Associates Ltd. were recognized for their Highway 99 Ten Mile Slide Stabilization Project. (BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
