According to GEI Consultants, Inc., one of the nation's leading geotechnical, environmental, water resources, and ecological science and engineering firms, the Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Project achieved first place in the 2009 Connecticut Building Congress (CBC) Project Team Awards Competition at the CBC Awards Banquet on June 9th. The project is owned by both Northeast Utilities and United Illuminating.
Submitted by Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., the Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Project achieved the award in the New Construction Special Project category. The project involved the construction of a 345-kilovolt electric transmission line above and below ground between Middletown and Norwalk, Conn. Installation included a 24 mile long underground section, which entailed the longest section of cross-linked polyethylene underground conductor cable in the U.S. In total, 730 structures and 860 miles of wire were installed. GEI provided construction oversight services for the underground construction and continues to do so for subsequent construction and utility work near the duct bank.
In addition to Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. and GEI, the team included more than 25 other engineering and contracting firms and employed a total of nearly 3,800 people. The team completed the project nearly a year ahead of schedule and $100 million under budget, while maintaining an extremely high safety record. One juror said that it was because of the "uniqueness" of the project that it won top honors.
Winners in the 2009 CBC Project Team Awards program represent outstanding building projects that exemplify project team excellence. Participants include building owners, architects, engineers and constructors. The intention of this awards program is to recognize project teams that demonstrate close collaboration as an industry standard.