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Starlight Park Phase 2 Project Earns Envision Gold

4-February-2021

(Bronx, NY – February 4, 2021)

The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and NYC Parks announced today that Phase 2 of the project to construct a continuous greenway through Starlight Park in the Bronx has been selected to receive an Envision Gold Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The project is being managed by DDC for NYC Parks.

The $41 million, multi-staged project is closing a critical gap in the Bronx River Greenway and linking communities that had been isolated by highways and train lines. The first phase of the project was completed in summer 2020, while the second phase is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

Learn more about Starlight Park

California High-Speed Rail Receives National Award for Sustainability

10-December-2020

Washington, D.C. — December 10, 2020

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) announced today it has received national recognition with the Envision Platinum rating for its sustainability efforts. The Envision Platinum rating is the highest-level award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, and the award is the first time a program the size and complexity of the state’s high-speed rail project has earned such an honor.

The California high-speed rail system will change the way Californians travel throughout the state by offering a cleaner and more sustainable transportation alternative. The purpose of the high-speed rail system is to serve as the backbone of a safe, fast and reliable high-speed electrified train network that will connect the megaregions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs and preserve agricultural and protected lands. When completed, California high-speed rail will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds capable of exceeding 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.

The Platinum Envision award achieved by the California High-Speed Rail (Authority) and its program partners demonstrates that sustainability is achievable across large-scale and complex transportation systems.

To learn more about this project, please visit the Project Profile, which can be found in the ISI Project Directory.

Denver Water’s Northwater Treatment Plant Earns Envision Gold Award

9-November-2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 9, 2020 –

Denver Water’s Northwater Treatment Plant (NTP) is the most recent recipient of the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure, bestowed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

CDM Smith teamed with Jacobs as the Owner’s Representative to validate the project’s sustainability achievement, along with Kiewit, the Construction Manager-at-Risk.

The NTP will become the fourth potable water treatment plant in Denver Water’s system. It is a new 75 million gallons per day (MGD) state-of-the-art facility that will supplement Denver Water’s aging Moffat Water Treatment Plant.

This approach allows Denver Water to reduce Moffat’s capacity, which will extend its useful life for two more decades while also providing Denver Water with additional operational flexibility, with four drinking water treatment plants instead of three. It saves the utility between $60 and $80 million compared to what it would have cost to replace the aging Moffat facility, as well as providing the ability to expand when needed in the future.

The $400 million NTP is situated on 100 acres of Denver Water’s existing Ralston Reservoir property north of Golden in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. The NTP will include seven primary buildings and multiple auxiliary facilities including tanks, clearwells, pump stations and vaults. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.

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ISEC Pedestrian Bridge Earns Envision Bronze Award

16-April-2020

Photo provided by Payette / Tanguy Marquis

Washington D.C. – April 16, 2020 – The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) Pedestrian Bridge (PedX) at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, is the recent recipient of the Envision® Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure, designated by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). To reach Bronze status, a project must demonstrate that it delivers environmental, social, and economic benefits above standard or conventional practice.

Project Context and Scope

The ISEC PedX project is the construction of an elevated pedestrian crossing that connects the new ISEC at Northeastern University’s Huntington Avenue Campus in Boston with the Fenway and Roxbury communities. Spanning 132 feet, the bridge improves public connections between the University’s facilities on the south side of five Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Amtrak rail lines that separate it from the main campus. The $17 million project mimics the architecture of the new ISEC building, allowing students, visitors, and community members to pass easily and safety between the campuses intersected by the rail corridor, all while offering views of the Boston skyline and the bold architecture of the ISEC building. This project fulfills part of the Northeastern University Campus Master Plan.

“The pedestrian bridge is an aesthetic treasure in the heart of Northeastern’s campus, providing a much-needed connection from the main campus to the newly developed Columbus Avenue corridor,” said John Park, Hill International project manager. On behalf of Northeastern University, the Hill team managed the design and construction of the pedestrian bridge from the conceptual “Arc” structure in 2014 to occupancy of the bridge in 2019.

Northeastern University worked in close collaboration with Skanska, Payette, Arup, Hill International, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) to deliver this visually stunning, award-winning, sustainable project.

The Envision system examines the impact of sustainable infrastructure projects as a whole through five distinct categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. These key areas contribute to the positive social, economic, and environmental impacts on a community.

 

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Albion Riverside Park Project Earns Envision Gold Award

12-March-2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 12, 2020 – The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) announced today that the Albion Riverside Park, located in Los Angeles, California, is the recent recipient of the Envision® Gold award for sustainable infrastructure. To earn Envision Gold, a project must demonstrate that it delivers a heightened range of environmental, social, and economic benefits to the host and affected communities.  

The Albion Riverside Park is a 10.6-acre site located adjacent to the Los Angeles River in the neighborhood of Lincoln Heights. For this project, 6 acres of land adjacent to the original park were acquired, having been previously used for industrial purposes such as ice cream manufacturing, dairy storage and distribution, metal pipe manufacturing, brewery operations, and automotive repair. After decades of industrial use, the soil on the expansion site was significantly contaminated. The contaminated soil was removed and remediated to make the site safe for public use.  

The overall goal of the Albion Riverside Park project was to increase and enhance open space and recreational opportunities along the Los Angeles River, and implement stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) that improve the water quality of stormwater runoff. The above-ground improvements result in an expanded park facility that better serves the local community, and adds to the LA River experience in Lincoln Heights.  

The Albion Riverside Park project is one of several “Proposition O” projects in the city of Los Angeles. Proposition O, which was passed in 2004 with overwhelming public support, authorized the City to fund projects up to $500 million, which are designed to prevent and remove pollutants from regional waterways and the ocean, consequently protecting public safety and meeting Federal Clean Water Act regulations. This project’s park elements are also funded through Proposition 84 (the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006) and Proposition K, the LA for Kids Program, a program designed to combat the inadequacies and decay of youth infrastructure throughout the City, as well as other funding from the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP).  

“Every community deserves places that people can go for healthy recreation and to connect with the natural world,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The Albion Riverside Park is another milestone in our revitalization of the L.A. River — and I’m proud to have authored Proposition O so we can purchase properties like this and deliver projects that protect our river and improve our water supply.”  

The Albion Riverside Park project is part of the LA River Revitalization Master Plan, River Improvement Overlay and the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Site Plan. It accomplishes several goals and meets the needs of the community by: 

  • Improving water quality by significantly decreasing pollutant loads 
  • Creating and improving local park resources and visual linkages to the Los Angeles River 
  • Improving climate change adaptability 
  • Protecting and replenishing natural resources 
  • Reducing the risk of flooding during periods of high precipitation 

“Turning a vacant, previously contaminated parcel of land into a public resource—all while protecting local water resources and reducing pollution—is a significant boon for the Lincoln Heights community and the city of Los Angeles more broadly,” said Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s Managing Director. “ISI is pleased to present the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure to the city of Los Angeles and its project partners for the Albion Riverside Park project.”  

“The Albion Riverside Park is part of the LA River Revitalization Master Plan, and part of our larger vision to expand recreational and green space in the First Council District,” stated Councilmember Cedillo. “The communities in CD1 have been cut off from the LA River for too long. Albion Park, and eventually G2, will provide our neighborhoods direct access to the river while improving water quality.”  

“The Bureau of Engineering is committed to delivering sustainable and multi-benefit projects,” said City Engineer and ISI Boardmember Gary Lee Moore, PE, ENV SP. “Albion Riverside Park is an excellent example of the work we are doing to bring recreation and open space to neighborhoods that desperately need park space, increasing stormwater capture, and improving water quality.” 

The Envision sustainable infrastructure framework assesses project sustainability across five categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. These key areas contribute to positive social, economic, and environmental impacts on a community during the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure projects.    

As project and construction manager, the city of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering partnered with the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Bureau of Sanitation. They also worked closely with their design consultant TetraTech and their contractor Sully-Miller. 

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Southport Levee Improvement Project Earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

5-February-2020

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) announced today that the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency received the Envision® Platinum Award for the City of West Sacramento’s Southport Levee Improvement Project (SLIP). This is West Sacramento’s first Envision award and the nineteenth Envision-verified project in California.

West Sacramento is seasonally surrounded by water and protected from flooding by the city’s levee system. This $180 million project, financed and constructed by the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (WSAFCA), is the Agency’s largest capital improvement to date. Levee improvements along this 5.6-mile section include a combination of renovating the existing levee structure and the construction of a new setback levee.

Flood risk-reduction measures address deficiencies of through-seepage, under-seepage, slope stability and geometry, erosion, and encroachments and noncompliant vegetation. WSAFCA’s goal is to achieve a minimum 200-year level of levee performance for the entire West Sacramento levee system. The project brings the levee into compliance with Federal and State levee design criteria, as well as providing opportunities for ecosystem restoration and public recreation. The project is relatively unique for an urban area in that it returns several hundred acres of land to riparian and oak savanna habitat.

This multi-benefit flood risk reduction and ecosystem restoration project was constructed as part of the federal West Sacramento Project, a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), WSAFCA, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board acting through the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Division of Flood Management. The City and WSAFCA worked in close collaboration with HDR, GEI Consultants, WSP, MBK Engineers, ICF International, SCS Engineers, AECOM, cbec and Blackburn Consulting to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

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Apice-Hirpinia Section of the Naples-Bari Railway Line Earns Envision Platinum Award

28-January-2020

The Naples-Bari line is an integral part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean railway corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The expansion project, currently being carried out in phases, consists of doubling and speeding up some sections of the current line to 200 km per hour in order to increase the capacity, frequency and regularity of transport services; improve accessibility; and facilitate more efficient travel from Bari to Naples and Rome. In 2026, the year in which this project is expected to be completed, it will be possible to go from Bari to Rome in about three hours and from Bari to Naples in about two.

Envision verification has been obtained for the Apice-Hirpinia railway section, designed by Italferr for its client RFI. This constitutes the 1st Functional Lot of the project for doubling and upgrading the Apice – Orsara section of the Naples – Bari line, between the Apice Station and the new Hirpinia stop for a total extension of approximately 18.7 km of line.

Read more about this project.

Taxiway and Runway 9L Pavement Replacement Project at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Earns Envision Silver Award

5-December-2019

The Taxiway and Runway 9L Pavement Replacement Project at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) located in Atlanta, Georgia is the recent recipient of the Envision Silver award for sustainable infrastructure.

ATL serves as a primary transfer point in the national air transportation system, with more than 107 million passengers and over 898,000 aircraft operations, making it the world’s busiest passenger airport. Each day ATL handles approximately 6.6% of the nation’s travelers, leading many aviation experts to consider it the most important node in the United States and one of the most important globally.

The $55 million project at ATL consists of multiple elements, including replacing pavement in the Center Airfield Complex and portions of runway 9L-27R and adjacent taxiways, adjusting airfield lighting and signage, relocating drainage structures and drainage lines, constructing an embankment, adjusting airfield striping and navigational aid (NAVAID) structures. Deficient runway safety areas on runway 9L-27R will be regraded to conform with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

The performance of the project post-completion will be monitored by several existing ATL programs, systems, and initiatives such as the airport’s Pavement Management Program, Safety Management System, ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System and Noise Compatibility/Mitigation program.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the City of Atlanta are focused on instituting sustainability in all construction projects and we met the Envision goals using several methods used on past projects by using recycled materials, LED lighting and protecting the groundwater”, said Department of Aviation Director Norma Click.  

Atlanta’s Department of Aviation (DOA) worked in close collaboration with the Aviation Infrastructure Solutions joint venture team (Michael Baker International, Pond & Company (Pond) and Corporate Environmental Risk Management (CERM)) to deliver this award-winning sustainable project.

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Reconstruction of Runway 3L/21R and Associated Taxiways at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Earns Envision Gold

15-November-2019

The ongoing reconstruction of Runway 3L/21R and associated taxiways at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) received the Envision Gold award for sustainable infrastructure. Previously, the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) achieved Envision Silver for another major airfield project—the reconstruction of DTW’s Runway 4L/22R and associated taxiways—in 2016. The project team built on past successes and lessons learned to expand the sustainability objectives and initiatives throughout the recent Runway 3L design and construction.

This $180 million project is reconstructing Runway 3L/21R and parallel Taxiway M and partial parallel Taxiway P. These facilities were originally constructed in the 1950’s and had deteriorated to a point where full reconstruction was necessary. As part of this project, decommissioned pavement is being removed, geometry is being updated to current design standards, bypass taxiways are being added, and Taxiway P is being extended. These measures are expected to improve safety by reducing acute angle intersections, adding shoulder pavement, and improving the operational flow throughout the completed area.

“Incorporating sustainable measures into two large runway projects, including the reconstruction of our primary runways, has been a fulfilling experience for the Airport Authority,” said Deputy Director Theresa Samosiuk, the WCAA project manager for both the 4L and 3L runway projects. “While reconstructing Runway 3L/21R and its associated taxiways, we will maintain nearly all materials on site. We are also reducing future maintenance through LED lighting and other measures, contributing to the Airport Authority’s overall sustainability goals – which includes a target for 100% LED airfield lighting at DTW. It’s exciting to have a direct and positive impact on how we deliver infrastructure projects across the airports.”

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Fairfax County’s Disinfection Improvements Project at the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant Earns Envision Gold

7-October-2019

The Disinfection Improvements Project at the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant (NMCPCP) owned and operated by Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has earned an Envision Gold award for sustainability.

The NMCPCP is a 67 million gallon per day (mgd) wastewater treatment plant in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Plant had an aging sodium hypochlorite disinfection system that was in need of rehabilitation or replacement. Through a detailed evaluation of alternatives, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection was selected as the chosen solution.

The project includes a UV facility, an auxiliary chemical storage and feed facility, separate disinfection for water reuse/plant water purposes, reuse water pump station, plant water pump station, filter backwash storage and pumping, a new outfall pipe and associated electrical improvements. Under the innovative leadership of Fairfax County’s DPWES, the Disinfection Improvements Project is the first public works project in the county to use virtual reality to enhance design and construction processes. It is also the first in the county to use the Construction-Management-At-Risk (CMAR) alternative project delivery method; a method in which a commitment is made by the Construction Manager to deliver a project within a Guaranteed Maximum Price, allows for a more qualification-based approach for selecting contractors and equipment manufacturers and helps streamline the construction process. The collaborative approach to project delivery has enabled the project team to be proactive in finding innovative solutions to the various project issues and concerns as they have emerged.

Fairfax County DPWES continues to work in close collaboration with their design engineer, Hazen and Sawyer, and their CMAR, Ulliman Schutte Construction, for the delivery of this award-winning sustainable project which is currently 49% complete.

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