Winner of the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2019 Engineering Excellence Award, this bridge is a part of a $46.7 million dollar Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) project.
Located at U.S. 460 and Southgate Drive, the main entrance to Virginia Tech, two new bridges were initially designed by the university to closely resemble the Hokie stone-textured, Neo-Gothic architectural style buildings common to the Virginia Tech campus. Additional enhancements incorporated into the design included the school logo and name, horizontal flutes, and the state dogwood flower to be incorporated into the parapet, arch beam, piers, and abutment walls, added to visually transform the bridge into a more site-specific structure. However, when the initial design was translated by the engineers there were challenges with the balance, scale and rhythm of the bridge shape, which was altered significantly in order to meet the budget and construction requirements. Engineers of Record, A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc. brought CDR on board as a transportation aesthetic design consultant to help unify the design, engineering and costs, in the end CDR was able to meet both the client’s, Virginia Tech and Virginia Department of Transportation, and the engineer’s needs.
CDR worked closely with A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc. to further develop the University’s conceptual designs and to provide the final plan, elevation, section sheets, as well as specifications and special provisions for the project. The project is currently under construction and CDR is overseeing the aesthetic aspects of the bridge construction.
Project Awards:
- 2019 Engineering Excellence Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
