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WV Department of Transportation

WVDOH presented with 2024 Grand Award from American Council of Engineering Companies

5/21/2024


West Virginia Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E., and Deputy Secretary Alanna Keller, P.E., recently attended an American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) awards ceremony in Washington D.C. to accept the 2024 Grand Award for the Wellsburg Bridge project in Brooke County.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday May 15, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington D.C., recognizing the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievements.

“This project is truly a modern engineering achievement,” said Wriston. “The innovation of our consulting and contracting partners allowed us to finally complete this project after over 70 years in the making.”

In April, Wriston and Keller attended the ACEC 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala in New York City to accept a Diamond Award for the Wellsburg Bridge project. Competing with multi-billion dollar projects, West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) was only one of eight Diamond Award winners nationwide to be recognized with a Grand Award in Washington D.C.

The crystal 2024 Grand Award reads ‘presented to West Virginia Division of Highways; In Demonstrating Exemplary Engineering Excellence for Wellsburg Arch Bridge. Achieved by COWI.’

WVDOH shared both awards with COWI consultants, design consultant on the innovative bridge project. COWI and construction contractors Flatiron Construction made a bold decision to build the 830-foot main span of the bridge on the shore of the Ohio River and float the completed span downriver on barges to be lifted into place on its piers. It was the largest bridge lift ever attempted in North America.

“Once again, the big bold vision of our Governor, to put transportation infrastructure at the center of our great state’s growth, is exemplified and recognized on a national scale,” said Wriston.

On Wednesday, September 21, 2023, Gov. Jim Justice cut the ribbon to officially open the bridge to the sound of marching bands, clouds of confetti and fireworks. An estimated 2,500 people turned out to celebrate the opening of the bridge, which connects Wellsburg, West Virginia with Brilliant, Ohio.


Contact:



WVDOTCommunications@wv.gov