24 October 2011
PASADENA - Parsons is pleased to announce that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has recognized the SR 532 Design-Build Corridor Improvement Project in Snohomish and Island Counties, WA, as a 2010 Region 8 Major Project of the Year Honorable Mention. In February 2009, the Washington State Department of Transportation awarded a Parsons-led joint venture a design-build contract for this $54 million project, which included the addition of turn lanes, truck-climbing lanes, wet and dry utility improvements, roadway resurfacing and retaining walls, and the replacement and widening of the 60-year-old seismically deficient General Mark W. Clark Bridge (later renamed the Camano Gateway Bridge).

Parsons completed all design efforts and self-performed construction alongside its joint venture partner. Parsons' innovative design will allow the new Camano Gateway Bridge to withstand a 1,000-year seismic event and incorporates numerous sustainable features that contributed to the ASCE's recognition of the project. The original bridge piers were built in an environmentally sensitive tributary of the Stillaguamish River. Parsons improved the estuarine conditions by removing the old pier in the river and avoided further impacts to the river by developing a concept for a 190-ft main span to clear the active river channel. This span represents one of the longest precast, prestressed girder spans in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, Parsons built work platforms on either bank eliminating the use of pile hammers in the water and protecting important fish species from sound pressure impacts. In order to reduce waste disposal impacts and costs, the old bridge's concrete and steel structures were sent to local facilities for recycling, and all excavated materials were reused on site. Parsons also protected freshwater wetlands and streams by modifying the design of retaining walls, slopes, and ditches along the more than 9 miles of the SR 532 corridor. Moreover, Parsons used an innovative technique for the mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSE), which instead of a concrete panel is a welded-wire MSE that will encourage plant growth and will blend into the surrounding natural area.

"Parsons is honored to have been chosen to receive this important recognition from the American Society of Civil Engineers," said Tom Barron, Parsons Group President. "We have a strong track record of sustainability on our work for the Washington State Department of Transportation and customers throughout the Pacific Northwest, and it's a pleasure to have our work acknowledged in this fashion."

The SR 532 Design-Build Corridor Improvement Project was physically complete in May 2011, and it has improved safety for travelers by increasing sight distance and providing wider shoulders to accommodate breakdowns, emergency vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Last year, the project also received an ASCE Local Civil Engineering Achievement Honor Award.

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Editor's Note
Parsons, celebrating more than 65 years of growth in the engineering and construction industry, is a leader in many diversified markets with a focus on infrastructure, environmental, and defense/security. Parsons delivers design/design-build, program/construction management, professional services, and innovative alternative delivery solutions to federal, regional, and local government agencies, as well as to private industrial customers worldwide. For more about Parsons, please visit www.parsons.com.

Media Contact:
Erin Kuhlman
Office: (626) 440-4590
Fax: (626) 440-2650                                            
erin.kuhlman@parsons.com     

© Press Release 2011