Virginia Avenue Tunnel project honored with organization’s highest honor
CENTREVILLE, Va. (April 14, 2020) – Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) announced today that three of the company’s projects received Engineering Excellence Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). The projects span the United States, including:
- Virginia Avenue Tunnel Reconstruction (VAT) project, a joint venture between Parsons and Clark Construction, won the Grand Award, the organization’s highest honor.
- Monroe Street Bridge project won a National Award.
- TEXRail Commuter project, a joint venture between Parsons and TranSystems won a National Award.
“These prestigious awards signify the quality of the work we perform and the level of attention we provide both to our customers and to the communities in which we work,” said Aykut Urgen, senior vice president of Parsons Mobility Solutions and Clark Construction-Parsons Corporation joint venture board member. “Each project includes unique characteristics that make it truly remarkable – replacing more-than-a-century-old infrastructure with a modern, state-of-the-art mobility solution for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel; maintaining important neighborhood aesthetics for Monroe Street Bridge; and substantially improving mobility in Fort Worth, Texas.”
About Virginia Avenue Tunnel:
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel project, recognized with the prestigious Grand Award, is the culmination of CSX Transportation’s ambitious National Gateway Initiative — an infrastructure improvement plan designed to improve rail connections by upgrading bridges and tunnels to accommodate double-stacked intermodal freight trains.
The progressive design-build effort represented one of the most critical and sensitive freight rail infrastructure improvement projects in the country because it was adjacent to 11 city blocks in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The VAT is an essential route for freight trains traveling north and south through the District as well as for freight traffic from eastern seaports to the Midwest.
Parsons and Clark Construction completed the project on-time, under budget, and – critically – without ever interrupting CSX’s freight traffic.
About Monroe Street Bridge:
The Monroe Street Bridge NE project in Washington, D.C. received the National Award from ACEC. The bridge, which plays a crucial role in providing access to the Brookland neighborhood and nearby Catholic University, underwent reconstruction to repair deterioration without sacrificing the artistic temperament of the community.
Parsons was selected by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) to complete the design of the bridge, as the deterioration rate of the bridge accelerated rapidly when the top portion of existing prestressed concrete box beams collapsed at multiple locations.
Carrying Monroe Street NE over Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and CSXT tracks, the bridge faced significant constraints, including steep grading, gas and internet utility pipes and power lines and poles. The Parsons team completed the bridge design, as well as relocating utilities, adding new traffic signals and sidewalks, and providing landscaping improvements, in less than six months from the notice to proceed to the final design.
About TEXRail Commuter Project:
Another National Award winner, the TEXRail Commuter project connected downtown Fort Worth, Texas to the busy Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The 27.2-mile commuter rail line was designed by Parsons/TranSystems (PTS), a joint venture between Parsons and TranSystems Corp.
The design overcame challenges including working in and around existing rail stations and lines, numerous utilities and airport facilities. PTS designed the track, civil elements, facilities, structures, stations, signals, communications, and the positive train control (PTC) system.
“These awards affirm Parsons’ leadership in critical infrastructure engineering,” Urgen added. “We’re proud to deliver projects of this caliber and look forward to continue holding our work to the exacting standards of the ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards.”
ACEC’s Engineering Excellence Awards are an annual competition that acknowledges engineering companies for projects that exemplify an outstanding level of “innovation, complexity, achievement, and value.”
About Parsons Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and critical infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cybersecurity, missile defense, space, C5ISR, transportation, environmental remediation, and water/wastewater treatment. Please visit parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we’re making an impact. www.parsons.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we’re making an impact.