Gut Bridge Wins Top Maine ACEC Award; Named to Roads and Bridges Top Ten of 2017

November 3, 2017

The MaineDOT Gut Bridge project team picked up the top honor, the Grand Conceptor Award, at the recent Maine ACEC Annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) ceremony in Portland, ME. The H&H-designed bridge competed against major projects across the state of Maine.  Accepting the award from ACEC Maine President, Tim Boyce, were Rebecca Frein (H&H) and Catherine Mettey (MaineDOT).

The EEA awards are presented annually by ACEC and recognize outstanding achievements in engineering and land surveying projects across the state. The project will represent Maine in the ACEC National EEA competition, competing with projects across the United States. This was H&H’s first entry in the ACEC Maine competition.

Roads and Bridges Magazine named the bridge #8 on its annual list of the Top Ten Bridges of 2017, published in its November Issue. Created in 2000, the list recognizes the top projects in North America. Each year, nominations are submitted to the magazine’s editorial staff, which determines the Top 10 list based on project challenges, impact to region and scope of work.

The bridge carries Route 129 and spans the body of water known as “The Gut” in South Bristol, Maine. The road is the only route from the mainland to Rutherford Island, where the US Post Office and the South Bristol Fire Department are located. The movable span is a harp-style bascule, fully counterweighted and driven by two 15 hp motors rotating the span 80 degrees to an open position through a rack and pinion system. The movable span carries two lanes of roadway plus a sidewalk and measures 35 feet in width. The span measures 42 feet 7 inches from centerline of trunnion to toe and spans a 33 foot 6 inch wide channel. The bridge opens approximately 8,000 times a year.

The project was also awarded an ENR New England Project of the Year Merit Award and an American’s Transportation Award from NASHTO.

Pictured (LtoR):  Tim Boyce, Rebecca Frein, Catherine Mettey