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Terminal Expansion Project at Port of Vancouver Receives Envision Platinum Award

31-May-2022

The Centerm Expansion Project and the South Shore Access Project at the Port of Vancouver have obtained an Envision Platinum Award for Sustainability.

This design-build project centers on terminal expansion and improvements which will increase container and vessel handling capacity, but includes off-terminal improvements to the adjacent road and rail network. The combined project will help meet the increasing export and import demand for containers shipped through the Port of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is concurrently delivering these improvements with project partner WSP Canada, Inc. (the lead Envision Firm); AECOM; Centennial Expansion Partners (CXP), a joint venture between Dragados Canada, Jacob Brothers Construction, and Fraser River Pile & Dredge Inc.

This award recognizes the success of the project team in achieving sustainability goals in these areas:

— Prioritizing the needs and goals of the local communities through meaningful investments.
— Meaningful and credible stakeholder engagement.
— Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions
— Sustainable siting and innovative marine restoration.

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.

Bologna Bypass Project Earns an Envision Platinum Award

25-May-2022

A key upgrade to the Italian city’s highway connector system, the project focused on the creation of well-integrated infrastructure in collaboration with stakeholders, systematically reducing noise and air pollution. The project also emphasized social and economic benefits, including the extension of parkland and the addition of 20 km of cycling paths. 4.5 million fewer hours of road travel per year will result, translating to 1,350 tons less carbon dioxide.

Serving as a vital transportation node for Italy and providing a strategic artery for a leading national manufacturer, the Bologna highway system is closely tied to the country’s economic prosperity.

This is the first highway infrastructure project in Europe to obtain a Platinum Award under Envision®. At a cost of €1.5 billion, the bypass will strengthen the urban section of the A14 expressway linking Bologna, Bari, and Taranto with an extension of approximately 13 kilometers. While retaining connections with the A1 expressway linking Milan and Naples, and the A13 (Bologna-Padua) expressway, the bypass speeds up access to Bologna via the city’s ring road system.

Vehicles will spend approximately 4.5 million fewer hours on the road per year as a result of the project. This will significantly enhance the quality of life in local communities and reduce CO2 emissions in metropolitan Bologna substantially (1,350 tons per year).

A significant feature of this project was that the design addressed not only the needs of vehicular traffic, but also the necessity of connecting the A14 highway with other transportation modes, all informed by a strong network logic. The purpose was to integrate the bypass with key urban junctions and existing local infrastructure in a way that would generate socioeconomic value, maximize benefits and promote sustainability.

A public-private partnership (PPP) project, the Bologna bypass also benefited from the strong work of an interdisciplinary project team emphasizing transparency and broad stakeholder involvement throughout the design process. With this foundation, a transformative project took shape focusing on the environment, innovation, and mobility.

Learn more about why this project earned a Platinum rating by visiting the Project Profile

The Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Facility earns Envision Platinum

14-April-2022

The Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Project (LB-MUST) is a comprehensive and innovative regional project.

It will intercept and treat dry weather runoff, and first-flush storm flows generated within the City of Long Beach before discharging to the Los Angeles River and Estuary. The centralized downstream advanced treatment facility has a planned capacity capable of collecting and diverting approximately 41% of the City’s 12,200-acre watershed.

The LB-MUST is a prime example of a project in the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed that provides incentives for water agencies throughout each watershed to collaborate in managing the region’s water resources and setting regional priorities for water infrastructure and improving the region’s water self-reliance. This is a multi-benefit infrastructure project that achieves many essential goals such as:

— Advancing local hire and job training goals.

— Using nature-based solutions.

— Providing benefits to disadvantaged communities and economically distressed areas.

— Providing inspiration and education to other agencies and the community, such as delivering multi-benefit solutions to address community challenges.

Colin Averill, PE, Civil Engineer, City of Long Beach Public Works, Engineering Bureau: “Long Beach continues its commitment to improving water quality by delivering an innovative project to treat stormwater and urban runoff with capacity for a substantial portion of the City’s watershed. Sustainability extends beyond the project limits with water reuse, community, and environmental benefits that will support expanded greenspace along the LA River.”

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Biosolids Digester Facilities Project Earns Envision Platinum Award

13-April-2022

The Biosolids Digester Facilities Project is located at the Southeast Treatment Plant, San Francisco’s largest wastewater treatment plant.

The SFPUC is investing over $3 billion to upgrade and modernize the aging Southeast Treatment Plant (SEP) as part of a more extensive Sewer System Improvement Program (SSIP). Once the upgrades are finished, SEP will reliably work better, smell better, and be a more significant community asset. The SFPUC is also upgrading the SEP for earthquake preparedness, sea-level rise, and operational efficiency. In addition, the work will reduce odors and improve the quality of life for nearby residents and employees.

The Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) is an essential component of the larger SEP upgrade. The BDFP project will replace and relocate the existing (and outdated) solids treatment facilities with more reliable, efficient, and modern technologies and facilities. This project will help transform the SEP into a modern resource-recovery facility, allow the SFPUC to meet its levels-of-service goals, and be an attractive place to work and visit.

“Achieving Envision Platinum is a major accomplishment, and it reflects the hard work of so many people at the SFPUC and in this community,” SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera said. “Environmental justice is at the forefront of our work, and this award underscores our commitment to a sustainable future, including the health and wellbeing of the communities in which we operate.”

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

NMDOT Project First in New Mexico to Earn Envision Rating for Sustainable Infrastructure

24-March-2022

New Mexico Department of Transportation’s I-25/University Avenue Interchange Improvements Project First Project in the State to Earn Envision Rating for Sustainable Infrastructure

This $35 million project, which began in January 2020 and finalized in October 2021, was a joint initiative between the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University (NMSU), and other local stakeholders.

The I-25/University Interchange serves as the main access point to several local communities and the NMSU campus, all of which have seen significant growth in recent years.

The purpose of this project was to:

— Add capacity to the I-25 southbound off-ramp at University Avenue.

— Reduce congestion, weaving, and backups onto off-ramps.

— Incorporate roundabouts to improve traffic flow.

— Encourage multi-modal transportation options for cyclists and pedestrians.

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

STM’s new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station in Montréal earns Envision Gold Award

23-February-2022

STM’s new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station project in Montréal, Québec was awarded a Gold Envision Rating for sustainable infrastructure.

This is STM’s second Envision-verified project. Their first was the Côte-Vertu garage project which was awarded Envision Platinum in September, 2021.

–French Translation Follows–

The new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station project in Montréal, Québec was awarded a Gold Envision Rating for sustainable infrastructure. Built in partnership with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo, and the McGill University Heath Centre (MUHC); this project was designed to provide universal access to the Vendôme intermodal hub from the MUHC.

The project consists of developing a new entrance to the Vendôme metro station and a pedestrian link between Maisonneuve Boulevard, the Vendôme intermodal hub, and the MUHC. The new Vendôme station infrastructure, including the entrance, train station platforms, a pedestrian tunnel leading to the hospital complex, and walkways, are equipped with elevators and universal accessibility devices, such as enlarged motorized butterfly doors and swing gates.

The aims of this project are to:

— Improve traffic flow and capacity within the station to meet the increasing number of users.
— Connect the MUHC to the Vendôme intermodal hub.
— Make the station universally accessible.
— Improve the operational efficiency of the station.

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

–French Translation–

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable.

Il s’agit du deuxième projet Envision pour la STM. Leur premier était le projet de Garage Côte-Vertu qui a reçu Envision Platine en septembre 2021.

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable. Construit en partenariat avec la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo et le Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM), ce projet a été conçu pour offrir une accessibilité universelle au pôle multimodal Vendôme depuis le CUSM.

Il comprend la construction d’un nouvel accès menant à la station de métro Vendôme et un lien piétonnier entre le boulevard De Maisonneuve, le pôle multimodal Vendôme et le CUSM. Le nouveau bâtiment d’accès à la station de métro facilite grandement les déplacements pour toutes les clientèles, notamment celle à mobilité réduite. Les quais de la gare exo, le tunnel piétonnier menant vers le Centre universitaire de santé McGill, ainsi que les aménagements de surface sont pourvus d’ascenseurs et de dispositifs d’accessibilité universelle, tels que des portes-papillon motorisées élargies et des portillons à vantaux.

Le projet vise à :

— améliorer la circulation à l’intérieur de la station et sa capacité d’accueil pour tenir compte du nombre croissant d’usagers;
— relier le CUSM au pôle multimodal Vendôme;
— rendre la station universellement accessible;
— améliorer l’efficacité de la station sur le plan opérationnel.

Consultez l’annonce complète dans le répertoire des projets.

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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