ACEC Ohio Engineering Excellence Awards Announced
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The American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio (ACEC Ohio) recently recognized 30 projects as part of their annual Engineering Excellence Awards Competition. The award program brings well-deserved public recognition to Ohio's engineering industry by spotlighting engineering projects that demonstrate a high degree of uniqueness, ingenuity and value!
DGL Consulting Engineers received an Honor Award for the Access Improvements to the Port of Toledo project. The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority contracted with DGL to improve access into the Port of Toledo by modifying two poorly functioning intersections into roundabouts at Front Street / Millard Avenue and Tiffin Street / Millard Avenue. The area previously had stops at both intersections causing major backups that led to unsafe conditions in the area as well as significant emissions from idling trucks. The intersections both allow access into the Port and serve as a main truck route for the surrounding heavily industrialized area. The new production facility of Cleveland Cliffs with an entrance at the southern leg of the Millard Avenue / Tiffin Street roundabout provided increased demand for this improvement.
The roundabout designs were required to overcome two major challenges. The first challenge was the ability to accommodate oversize and superloads through the area. This was accomplished with a concrete filled center island, rolled curbing and appropriately sized lanes and curvature. The second major challenge was designing a maintenance of traffic plan that would allow the continuous operation of the Port. Trucking at the Port can run 24 hours a day when unloading shipping vessels. Additionally, the construction of the Cliffs’ facility was concurrent with the roundabout construction and the Cliffs’ employee and heavy equipment traffic could not be hindered. Multiple construction phasing ensured the uninterrupted flow of traffic. The roundabouts have improved the corridor by allowing consistent movement of traffic, reducing emissions by eliminating the need for idling trucks as well as, improving the overall safety in the area.
