King County Road Services

York Bridge project receives American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) award

The York Bridge project, a collaboration between King County and the city of Redmond, was recently awarded the ACEC Silver Award for Structural Systems by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

The bridge is co-owned by the county and city, and replaced a 50-year-old bridge that was vulnerable to earthquake damage. The King County Road Services Division constructed the replacement bridge in 2006. It spans the Sammamish River on Northeast 116th Street near the 60 Acres soccer complex.

Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty said the City of Redmond was a great partner on the project. She also praised AECOM for the creative design; Cliff Garten for the stunning art elements; and Mowat Construction for completing construction on-time and under budget. “The combined team effort led to the project obtaining this notable national recognition,” said Dougherty.

Some of the highlights and challenges of the York Bridge project include:

• The team’s innovative solutions to challenges such as soft soil, an unusual arch design, concern for the environment and for the neighbors and users of the bridge, resulted in a safe, beautiful and environmentally friendly bridge;

• The team’s innovative solutions to challenges such as soft soil, irregular arch design, environmental concerns, and stakeholder concerns and requirements, resulted in a seismically sound, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly bridge structure;

• The team of engineers and builders used the latest in engineering and construction techniques to cast the arch of the bridge in place. They created a design consistent with other bridges in the area, while still achieving modern requirements for strength and safety;

• Designing a girder bridge with a cast-in-place arch enabled the style of the bridge to be consistent with others in the area while achieving the required structural integrity.

Dougherty said she hopes the team’s work on the York Bridge can serve as a model for solving engineering challenges in a manner that is cost effective, environmentally friendly, and responsive to the community.