Consultant of Year and Project of Year (Lift Station 87) Awards

McKim & Creed has been named the Consultant of the Year by the Florida West Coast Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA). In addition, the microtunneling of Lift Station 87 as been awarded Project of the Year by the Florida Chapter of APWA.

Chas Jordan, assistant public works director with the City of Largo, nominated McKim & Creed for the West Coast Branch Consultant of the Year. “This is a special honor that is reserved for the elite of public works professionals, projects and vendors in the Tampa Bay region of Florida,” wrote Mr. Jordan in an email to McKim & Creed. The award was presented on March 14.

On April 19, McKim & Creed, the City of Sarasota and Vadnais Trenchless received the Public Works Project of the Year Award, Environmental Category, $5 million to $25 million Division. The award was presented for the team’s work on microtunneling at Lift Station 87, which involved installing a 36-inch gravity main approximately 10 feet under the Hudson Bayou and beneath the historic Osprey Avenue Bridge.

Project of the Year award entries were judged on construction management techniques, on-schedule completion, safety, community relations, environmental protection, and sustainability ratings. The McKim & Creed team reduced construction risks for the microtunnel by over 90% from the preliminary design to the final design, carried out 457 days of construction with zero recordable incidents or days away from the job, and completed the project at 18 percent under the Engineer’s Estimate of Probable Cost.

The microtunnel is Phase 1 of the Lift Station 87 project, which replaces an aged lift station that currently handles one-third of the city’s wastewater. The new state-of-the-art facility will be not only accommodate wastewater needs, but will also be capable of withstanding a Category 3 storm surge and will provide an environmentally friendly source of irrigation water, improved water pressure reclaimed water and improved water pressure.  The three-phased, $27-million project will be completed in 2020.

(At left) The microtunneling machine is being lowered into one of the 30-ft-deep jacking shafts. The location and size of the shaft required a six-month closure of Osprey Avenue, a major arterial roadway in Sarasota. A proactive community relations program kept the public well informed of roadways closures and project progress, resulting in positive comments from residents and reporters. “Congratulations to McKim & Creed and city staff,” wrote Rachel Hackney, news reporter for the Sarasota News Leader, in response to a press release announcing the successful completion of the microtunnel. “I think the detour is going well! Thank you for all you’re doing—it is appreciated,” said Pandora Seibert, local resident.