Congratulations to the 2026 ACEC-RI
Engineering Excellence Award Winners
Outstanding Professional Design Excellence
Projects Less than $10 Million
First Place
Wickford Waterfront Improvements
Who: BETA Group for the Town of North Kingstown
Where: Historic Wickford Village, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
When: Completed 2024–2025
What: Comprehensive coastal resilience and waterfront revitalization connecting Wickford Village to its harbor with new pedestrian infrastructure, flood protection, and green stormwater systems.
How: BETA combined a new masonry seawall on driven piles with bioretention basins, permeable pavers, and tide gates to address both upland stormwater runoff and tidal backflow — an uncommon dual-function strategy in a dense historic setting. Multi-agency permitting through ACOE, CRMC, and the RI Historical Preservation Commission required careful navigation. Construction was carefully phased to maintain all vehicular access, pedestrian circulation, and uninterrupted business operations throughout the project, within strict seasonal construction windows.
Second Place
Bristol Independence Park Improvements
Who: Pare Corporation for the Town of Bristol
Where: Independence Park, Bristol, Rhode Island
When: Design and construction completed 2024–2025; fully operational for 2026 Fourth of July
What: Reconstruction of a deteriorating 1990-era boat ramp, dock extension, shoreline protection, and stormwater resiliency improvements at Bristol's historic waterfront park.
How: What began as a simple boat ramp repair evolved into a full waterfront reconstruction. Pare redesigned the stormwater system by reversing the site grading — an innovative BMP that reduced coastal erosion and cut contaminated runoff from a former RIDOT rail yard into the harbor. A revetment system with integrated public stairs protects the shoreline while keeping the beach accessible. The park was reopened in time to host Bristol's historic Fourth of July celebrations, the longest-running Independence Day event in the country.
Outstanding Professional Design Excellence
Projects More than $10 Million
First Place
Reconstruction of Route 6-10 Interchange
Who: AECOM as Lead Designer (with VHB, Commonwealth, Crossman, Bowman, Green International) for RIDOT
Where: Route 6-10 Interchange, Providence, Rhode Island
When: Design began 2018; construction Spring 2018; substantial completion Fall 2025
What: The second-largest Design-Build in RIDOT history at ~$250M: 12 new bridges, 2+ miles of roadway, shared-use paths, and stormwater improvements serving nearly 100,000 vehicles per day.
How: AECOM self-performed 55% of design and coordinated five local sub-firms through a digital BlueBeam review process that drove 75% completion in the first year. Key innovations included foamed recycled glass aggregate to protect NBC combined sewers, a 35% reduction in bridge bearings through design development, porous pavement on shared-use paths, micropiles in low-headroom zones, and precast U-Wall retaining systems across 30 walls. The project navigated deep inorganic peat requiring 90+ soil borings, a twin curved steel box flyover spanning 260 feet, and a 5-stage Route 6 Viaduct sequence — all while maintaining traffic through one of the state's busiest interchanges. It received the FHWA Excellence in Teamwork Award in 2023.
Second Place
Reconstruction of Henderson Bridge
Who: VHB as Lead Designer for RIDOT
Where: Henderson Bridge, Seekonk River, Providence / East Providence, Rhode Island
When: Concept to advertisement approximately one year; construction completed 2024–2025
What: A $65 million replacement of a structurally deficient 6-lane bridge — once 12% of Rhode Island's statewide structurally deficient bridge area — with a right-sized, multimodal structure and a separated bike/pedestrian path.
How: VHB reused existing in-river foundations by constructing new columns and caps on top of them, minimizing in-water work and regulatory permitting. A temporary pier-column support system kept the old bridge operational while the new one was built alongside it. The project unlocked approximately 33 acres of Seekonk River waterfront for development in East Providence, and a new roundabout provides access to the emerging Henderson Parkway innovation corridor. Delivery was accelerated through the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring RIDOT's first online public meeting. Stormwater treatment units were sized to handle 100% of new pavement runoff.
