Rhutasel and Associates honored for engineering on two O’Fallon projects

 

From Illinois Business Journal news services

O’FALLON – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois has presented the engineering firm, Rhutasel and Associates, Inc., with two merit awards for two projects done for the city of O’Fallon — the Madison/Illini Bike Trail Connector and the Venita Drive Overpass and Intersection.

The awards were presented during the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards on Feb. 11.

“The Engineering Excellence Awards Competition recognizes projects of engineering achievement by Illinois consulting engineering firms,” said Mayor Gary Graham. “It is an honor that two projects in O’Fallon received awards at this event.”

Rhutasel and Associates is based in Freeburg.

Quality Testing and Engineering of O’Fallon was a consultant on both projects.

During the competition, each project was judged on the basis of engineering excellence, the degree to which the client’s needs were met, and the benefits to the public welfare and private practice of engineering.

The Venita Drive Overpass and Intersection project received a merit award in the transportation category. The project included a bridge on Venita Drive over the CSX Railroad and capacity improvements to the adjacent intersections of Venita Drive at Frontage Road and Highway 50.

The Madison/Illini Bike Trail Connector received a merit award in the small projects category. The project involved the design of a bike/pedestrian bridge, a bike trail along the Madison Street corridor, and the connection of the Madison Street Trail and the Illini Bike Trail by means of a connector ramp. A switchback design was chosen for the connector ramp to minimize the environmental footprint of the project, and to minimize in-stream work in a regulated waterway.

The latter project received the American Public Works Association 2015 Illinois Project of the Year Award in the Transportation Category, Less Than $5 Million Division.

For more information about the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards, go to http://www.acecil.org/exawards.cfm.

For more information about the two O’Fallon projects, contact O’Fallon Engineering Project Manager Jon Nolan at jnolan@ofallon.org.