RECONSTRUCTED IH-10/IH-610 NAMED FINALIST IN NATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPETITION

HOUSTON – April 14, 2009 – The reconstructed IH-10/IH-610 interchange in Houston, designed by RS&H and heralded as one of the largest, most complex highway projects in the nation, has been named a national finalist in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)’s 43rd annual Engineering Excellence competition. RS&H will accept the honor on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and team at an awards gala on April 28, 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

According to project manager Ron Kline of RS&H, completion of the project in late 2007 marked a milestone in improving mobility along one of the most congested freeways in the U.S. It was also the largest single construction contract awarded by TxDOT via standard bidding procedures and completed in the least amount of time for its size.

“Projects of this size and complexity traditionally take over three years to design, but the team completed the design within an unprecedented two and a half years,” says Kline. “The design team also remained on-call throughout construction.”

Clifford W. Halvorsen, Central Houston Area Engineer for TxDOT notes, “From early in the design phase to the day the ribbon was cut, there was an around the clock effort by the designers, the contractors and the owners to complete the reconstruction of this interchange as soon as possible.”

The project was constructed on an aggressive schedule, which included a relatively new incentive program and rare lane rental agreement. Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. completed the project three months ahead of schedule, just under four years, earning an $11.4 million incentive bonus.

During construction, more than 500,000 vehicles traveled through the interchange each day without delay. The team also received numerous compliments from citizens and surrounding community groups, including the Uptown Houston Association.

"This was one of those jobs that comes along once in a lifetime. A job that its success can only be attributed to the dedicated workers who designed it and those who built it,” says Halvorsen.

The interchange project was also awarded a Gold Medal in Transportation from the Texas Council of Engineering Companies, the state affiliate of ACEC, and honored at the Texas CEC’s Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet on April 3, 2009, in Austin.
Judging for the national ACEC awards was conducted by a distinguished panel of 36 engineers and architects, along with representatives from government, media and academia. Criteria included uniqueness and originality, social and economic value, complexity, and success of the project in meeting its goals.

About RS&H:
With nearly 830 employees, RS&H is one of the nation’s leading facilities and infrastructure consulting firms whose client-centered program structure provides value-added solutions to clients around the world. With a tradition that began in 1941, RS&H has 30 offices and market sector programs, which include Aerospace and Defense, Aviation, Commercial, Institutional, Public Infrastructure and Transportation. Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) services are provided through its wholly owned subsidiary, Reynolds, Smith and Hills, CS Incorporated. RS&H can be reached at 1.800.741.2014 or www.rsandh.com.