Associated General Contractors of America recognized 13 construction projects for their complexity, innovation, success and significance to the construction community and the nation at large.
AGC named the new Minneapolis bridge over the Mississippi River, which replaced the collapsed I-35W Bridge, as the most significant construction project of 2008. The bridge, which was completed by Longmont, CO-based Flatiron Construction and Seattle, WA-based Manson Construction, was on budget and ahead of schedule.
"These projects are the very embodiment of the potential and promise of the nation’s construction industry," said Doug Pruitt, the incoming president of AGC, speaking at the association’s 90th annual convention in San Diego. "These projects are more than a simple task; they are the kind of jobs that challenge our skills, stretch our imaginations and capture our fancy."
Pruitt noted that the I-35W Bridge project was selected as the Aon Build America Grand Award winner because Flatiron Construction and Manson Construction demonstrated hard work and diligence in completing the project three months early, while overcoming difficult challenges and constraints under the watchful eye of the public and the media. More importantly, Pruitt added, the project was crucial in helping rebuild Americans’ confidence in the safety of the nation’s bridges.
For more than 20 years, the Aon Build America Awards have recognized excellence in the construction industry.
In addition to the I-35W Bridge, 12 other projects were selected to receive Aon Build America Awards by AGC:
Building New Award – Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston, TX; contractor, Linbeck GroupBuilding Renovation Award – Westin Book Cadillac Hotel and Condominiums, Detroit, MI; contractor, Marous Brothers Construction-Jenkins Construction, Joint Venture, LLCBuilding New – Under $5 Million Award – Fernald Preserve Visitors Center, Harrison, OH; contractor, Megen Construction Co. Inc.Building Renovation – Under $5 Million Award – Boston Symphony Hall Clerestory Window Restoration, Boston, MA; contractor, Walsh Brothers Inc.Federal & Heavy New Award – Lower Monumental Dam Removable Spillway Weir, Kahlotus, WA; contractor, Advanced American Construction Inc.Highway New Award – I-35W Bridge (St. Anthony Falls), Minneapolis, MN; contractor Flatiron-Manson, a Joint VentureHighway Renovation Award – Oregon Highway 99 – North Umpqua River (Old Winchester) Bridge Rehabilitation, Douglas County, OR; contractor, Hamilton Construction Co.Design-Build New Award – Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.; contractor, Clark/Hunt/Smoot, a Joint VentureDesign-Build Renovation Award – I-15 NOW Design-Build Reconstruction Project, Greater Ogden area of Weber County, UT; contractor, Granite Construction Inc. and Ralph L. Wadsworth Co., Partners of Weber County ConstructorsConstruction Management New Award – Bayfront Convention Center & Hotel Complex, Erie, PA; contractor, Barton Malow CompanyConstruction Management Renovation Award – Kalamazoo College Hicks Center, Kalamazoo, MI; contractor, Miller-Davis Co.Municipal & Utilities New – Upper Baker Dam Floating Surface Collector, Concrete, WA; contractor, Natt McDougall Co.International New Award – U.S. Embassy Cuidad de Panama, Cuidad de Panama, Panama; contractor, Caddell Construction Co. Inc.
The 2009 Aon Build America Merit Award Winners include:
Construction Management New Award – Bridge Building Expansion, Providence, RI; contractor, Shawmut Design & ConstructionHighway New Award – METRO Light Rail Line Section 5, Tempe and Mesa, AZ; contractor, Sundt/Stacy and Witbeck Inc., a Joint VentureDesign-Build New Award – University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA; contractor, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.Building Renovation Award – The Mutual Building Historic Renovation/The Christman Building, Lansing, MI; contractor, The Christman Co.
