SR-520 Floating Bridge Wins DBIA 2016 National Award of Merit

The SR-520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and Landings project has won a National Award of Merit in the “Transportation (other than Aviation),” category from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and is a nominee for a National Award of Excellence in that category. All National Award of Merit winners are also being considered for one of four Awards of Excellence in the areas of architectural design, engineering design, process and teaming.

Wood Harbinger provided the electrical and fire protection engineering as well as commissioning services for this project. We are all very proud of our involvement in this iconic public project! See the project award summary below and on the DBIA website, here.

Challenge Design-Build Project Delivery Addressed

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) considered traditional delivery options but decided that the design-build model was a perfect fit for this project because design-build did several things: it allowed fast-track delivery of the new bridge replacing a vulnerable structure, it allowed greater innovation and potential cost savings to WSDOT, and it shifted appropriate project risk components to the design-builder.

Summary

The SR 520 Floating Bridge and Landings Project designed and built the world’s longest floating bridge, creating a safer, more reliable link between Seattle and the growing high-tech cities east of Lake Washington. With HOV lanes, full shoulders for disabled vehicles, a cross-lake bicycle and pedestrian path, and the largest, heaviest, and strongest bridge pontoons ever built, the new, 1.5-mile-long floating highway dramatically improves the movement of people and freight in the Central Puget Sound region.