V3 Companies received a Merit Award in the category of Transportation from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) as part of its 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The awards program recognizes the best, most innovative and complex engineering projects across a range of project types.
In December 2008, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) ruled to allow the Canadian National Railway (CN) to acquire the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E). As part of its ruling, the STB stipulated that a grade separation be constructed at US Route 30 in Lynwood, Illinois to mitigate the impacts of increased train crossings on vehicular traffic. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) served as the lead agency in the planning, design and construction of the project, which ultimately resulted in a new overpass spanning the CN’s tracks, 3,500 feet of roadway reconstruction and other ancillary improvements.
V3 Companies served as the prime consultant responsible for providing Phase I preliminary engineering and Phase II design engineering services for the grade separation project. Phase I engineering services included traffic studies, alternate geometric studies, public involvement (following the principles of Context Sensitive Solutions), railroad coordination, the preparation of a combined design report, bridge and retaining wall-type studies, a location drainage study and a traffic noise study. Phase II engineering services included the preparation of contract plans, specifications and cost estimates as well as bridge and retaining wall type, size and location drawings. V3 also supported Wight & Company (Wight) during the construction phase by providing shop drawing reviews, responding to requests for information and providing assistance for the quick resolution of construction issues.
V3’s efforts during the preliminary and design engineering phases resulted in the implementation of improvements that best satisfied the project’s purpose and need while innovatively addressing the various design challenges encountered. In addition, V3 played a key role in the public involvement process, which was pivotal in gaining the public’s support and creating an overall positive perception of the project. All of this was accomplished against the backdrop of a very ambitious design schedule which was essential to preserving the CN’s participation in the overall cost of the project.
Three awards have been added to the walls in recognition of three success projects that resulted in 2017 American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) Merit Awards. Read more about US Route 30 at the CN Railway Grade Separation, Willow Road Reconstruction and Union Station Transit Center and their successes.