Innovation abounds in the steel bridge industry, but eight recent bridges rise above the rest.
The American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance are recognizing these eight bridges with 2024 Prize Bridge Awards–the structural steel industry’s highest design honor for bridges.
“Steel bridges have connected American communities for centuries,” said NSBA Senior Director for Market Development Jeff Carlson, PE. “This year’s Prize Bridge Award winners continue that proud tradition and showcase the innovation–at all scales, from showcase bridges to local lifelines–that will keep Americans moving for centuries to come.”
This year, NSBA debuted a brand-new award that recognizes the driving force behind extraordinary bridges: extraordinary owners, whose vision and dedication to the public keep America moving.
The inaugural Owner of the Year award goes to the Texas Department of Transportation. “TxDOT isn’t just implementing best practices for designing and building steel bridges–it is defining how an owner can maximize the potential of steel,” Carlson said. “Recent projects like the remarkably economical Brazos River Bridge demonstrate how TxDOT’s longstanding investment in steel bridge research is paying dividends for Texans, today and tomorrow.”
There is one remaining 2024 Prize Bridge Award to present: the Bridge of the Year. The finalists are indicated below; the teams behind those bridges will present to the industry at the World Steel Bridge Symposium at NASCC: The Steel Conference on Wednesday, March 20. Conference participants will select the winner live!
Without further ado, here are the 2024 recipients of the National Steel Bridge Alliance Prize Bridge Awards. Press photos are available for download here.
MAJOR SPAN: ONE OR MORE SPANS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 300 FT
NATIONAL: The New Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C. (Bridge of the Year finalist). The designers chose Grade 70 steel to provide extra strength where it was needed between the arches while maintaining a consistent structure depth.
Owner: District of Columbia Department of Transportation, Washington
General contractor/erector: South Capitol Bridgebuilders (SCB), joint venture of Archer Western and Granite Construction, Washington
Structural engineer: AECOM, Glen Allen, Va.
Lead bridge architect: BEAM Architects, Bridgport, U.K.
Erection and construction engineer: McNary, Bergeron & Johannesen, Hartford, Conn.
General engineering consultant: HNTB, Arlington, Va.
Steel team:
- Fabricator: Veritas Steel LLC, Eau Claire, Wis. and Palatka, Fla. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*
- Detailer: Tensor Engineering, Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. *AISC associate member*
MERIT: Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, Port of Long Beach, Calif. Steel provided a lightweight superstructure for an economical and innovative approach to seismic design.
Owner: California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, Calif.
Owner’s representative: Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, Calif.
General contractor/erector: SFI (Shimmick/FCC/Impregilo) JV, Irvine, Calif.
Structural engineer: Arup, New York
Steel team:
- Fabricator: Stinger Bridge & Iron, Coolidge, Ariz. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator and erector*
- Detailer: SSP Engineering, Houston
MEDIUM SPAN: LONGEST SPAN EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 140 FT BUT LESS THAN 300 FT
NATIONAL: I-94 2nd Avenue Bridge Network Tied Arch, Detroit (Bridge of the Year finalist). This is the first unbraced, skewed network-tied arch bridge!
Owner: Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing, Mich.
General contractor: Z Contractors, Shelby Township, Mich.
Structural engineer: HDR, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Erection engineer: Janssen & Spaans Engineering, Indianapolis
Independent peer review: Parsons, Chicago
Steel team:
- Fabricator: Veritas Steel LLC, Eau Claire, Wis. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*
- Detailer: Tensor Engineering, Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. *AISC associate member*
MERIT: Rt. 34B over Salmon Creek Bridge Replacement, Lansing, N.Y. The new bridge keeps the aesthetic spirit of the historic bridge it replaced but takes advantage of modern 50-ksi weathering steel for an expected century-long service life.
Owner/structural engineer: New York State Department of Transportation, Albany, N.Y.
General contractor: Tioga Construction Company, Herkimer, N.Y.
Steel team:
- Fabricator: Canam-Bridges, Claremont, N.H. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*
- Detailer: DBM Vircon, Phoenix *AISC associate member*
SHORT SPAN: NO SINGLE SPAN GREATER THAN 140 FT
NATIONAL: Grand Forks County Prefabricated Bridge, Northwood, N.D. The project team took full advantage of offsite fabrication to cut down on construction time in the bitter cold of a North Dakota winter.
Owner’s representative: Grand Forks County, Grand Forks, N.D.
General contractor: Industrial Builders Inc, West Fargo, N.D.
Structural engineer: KLJ Engineering, Grafton, N.D.
Fabricator/detailer/erector: TrueNorth Steel, Fargo, N.D. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*
MERIT: SR32 Bridge over Stony Creek, Noblesville, Ind. This bridge is part infrastructure project, part research collaboration.
Owner: Indiana Department of Transportation, Indianapolis
General contractor: HIS Constructors, Inc., Indianapolis
Structural engineer: HNTB Corporation, Kansas City, Mo.
Consultants: University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.; Nucor, Boise, Idaho
Steel team:
- Fabrication team: Infra-Metals/Delta Steel, Houston *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*; Kard Bridge Products, Minster, Ohio *AISC full member, AISC-Certified fabricator*
- Detailer: V&S Galvanizing, Columbus, Ohio *AISC associate member*
SPECIAL PURPOSE
NATIONAL: SeaTac IAF Pedestrian Walkway, Seattle (Bridge of the Year finalist). A massive 700-ft-long bridge carries arriving passengers over an active taxiway–a memorable welcome.
Owner: Port of Seattle, SeaTac, Wash.
General contractor: Clark Construction, Seattle
Structural engineer: KPFF, Seattle
Steel fabricators: Thompson Metal Fab, Vancouver, Wash. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*; Jesse Engineering, Tacoma, Wash. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*; Transco Industries, Portland, Ore. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator*
MERIT: South Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge and Horton Landing Park, Emeryville, Calif. A single, striking red arch supports a neẇ local landmark.
Owner: City of Emeryville, Emeryville, Calif.
General contractor: Ghilotti Construction, Inc., Santa Rosa, Calif.
Structural engineer: Biggs Cardosa Associates, Inc., San Francisco
Steel team:
- Fabricator/detailer: Steel Girder LLC dba Stinger Bridge and Iron, Coolidge, Ariz. *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator and erector*
- Detailer: SSP Engineering, Houston
- Bender-roller: Albina Co. Inc., Tualatin, Ore. *AISC associate member*
- Erectors: Stinger Bridge & Iron *AISC full member; AISC-Certified fabricator and erector*; Adams & Smith, Lindon, Utah *AISC associate member; AISC-Certified erector*
REHABILITATION
No award presented for 2024.
2024 PRIZE BRIDGE JURY
AISC and NSBA would like to thank this year’s judges for their time and dedication:
- Jim Nelson, PE, Bridge Engineer, Iowa Department of Transportation
- Deanna Nevling, PE, PhD, Senior Bridge Engineer, HDR
- Natalie McCombs, SE, PE, Associate Fellow, HNTB
- Tom Murphy, SE, PE, PhD, Senior Vice President, Modjeski and Masters
- Brian Witte, Vice President, Construction Engineering, Parsons Corporation
