Primera is pleased to announce that three of our projects were honored at the American Council for Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) Engineering Excellence Awards Gala held at the Bridegport Arts Center in Chicago on February 9^th. Our TSS 69 North Chicago Flood Mitigation, O’Hare International Airport Taxiway and our Illinois Route 390 Tollway at the I-290 Interchange projects were each recognized with awards this year, as listed below. We are grateful for this recognition and proud to be a continued supporter and partner of ACEC-IL.

Our Illinois Route 390 Tollway at the I-290 Interchange project was recognized with a Special Achievement Award. Primera, as part of a Joint Venture with Bowman, Barrett & Associates and Christopher B. Burke Engineering, was retained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) to provide professional construction engineering services to oversee the reconstruction and widening of I-90 from west of Higgins Road to Roselle Road. Our work on this project consisted of utility relocation, traffic protection, retaining wall construction, embankment placement, drainage improvements, pavement construction, noise abatement wall construction, and ITS installation to make I-90 a SmartRoad. In addition to that Primera also provided Phase III consulting engineering which consisted of contractor oversight, project documentation, progress meetings, measurements, recommendation of pay to contractors, public meetings and other duties consistent with the successful closeout of the contract.

Our second project recognized was our TSS 69 North Chicago Flood Mitigation project, which received a Merit Award. Primera provided floodplain analysis, flood mitigation, project management and permitting services. TSS 69 North Chicago is a substation located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) designated 100-year floodplain and floodway of the Skokie River in North Chicago, Illinois. The substation experienced flooding with flood levels reaching at least one-foot of water within the substation. Primera was brought on to mitigate this risk and designed a floodwall to protect the substation, which included a lift station for interior drainage and considerations for substation security as well. Shortly after construction, the area was impacted by a heavy rainfall. The floodwall performed very well during the event, overall resulting in a higher reliability of the electrical grid system which is critical to daily life of the community.

Lastly, our O’Hare International Airport Taxiway project received a Merit Award this year. Primera provided design coordination and technical support for utilities impacted by the project. This included rerouting 3,200 linear feet of AT&T ductbank. The ductbank is one of the main utilities that feeds the core of the airfield.

Each year, the ACEC-IL Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes projects of engineering achievement by Illinois consulting engineering firms. ACEC-IL is the only statewide association dedicated solely to the interests of consulting engineering firms. Entries are judged on the basis of engineering excellence, the degree to which the client’s needs are met, and the benefits to the public welfare and private practice of engineering.