McCORMICK TAYLOR RECEIVES MULTIPLE HONOR AWARDS FROM ACEC/MD

McCormick Taylor was pleased to receive three Honor Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies/Maryland (ACEC/MD) at their 2024 Annual Awards Banquet held on February 15th.

 

ACEC/MD’s Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of innovation, achievement, and value. The projects are judged on uniqueness and innovation; future value to the profession and public perception; social, economic and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of client/owner needs.

 

The projects McCormick Taylor was recognized for represent a variety of disciplines and required their own unique approach to design, innovation, and collaboration. Additional details about each project are available below.

Quaker Mill Mitigation Pond Project

Client: Howard County  

 

The Quaker Mill Mitigation Pond Project transformed an existing, severely eroded stormwater management pond and degraded, constrained stream into an ecologically enhanced, flood attenuation facility that delivers much needed flood relief to Ellicott City. The project is located at the intersection of Rogers Avenue and Patapsco River Road and is one of five projects identified in Howard County’s Safe and Sound Plan. As a significant component of the Plan, it was designed to address the Plan’s major priorities, including ensuring public safety, supporting business and property owners, and maintaining Ellicott City’s historic charm.

 

The project area suffered from significant connectivity, erosion, and instability challenges for many years. The existing stormwater management pond embankment was severely deteriorated, with a corroding principal spillway, and an embankment that had been actively eroding due to the stream running along the toe. To address the stream and stormwater issues, an uncommon facility was designed and permitted resulting in numerous benefits for the community.

5 6 completed flood attenuation facility looking south from patapsco river road
5 5 completed weir flood control structure looking north

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Recreational Trail

Client: St. Mary’s College of Maryland

 

The north field recreational complex at St. Mary’s College is separated geographically by Fisherman’s Creek and is not connected to the main part of campus. Pedestrians and bicyclists faced unsafe conditions when traveling between the main campus and the north field recreation area by walking or biking along the shoulder of MD 5.

 

To address these major safety issues, McCormick Taylor worked with the college to design a safe, separated, pedestrian and bicycle trail parallel to MD 5. This new recreational trail creates a vital link between the north complex and the main part of campus as well as many historic sites and trails within the area. The project presented many unique challenges during design and construction to minimize impacts to the surrounding environmental and historical features. Nestled within Historic St. Mary’s City, the project demanded meticulous coordination and collaboration with the Maryland Historical Trust. A majority of the project is also located within the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area. The trail saw completion as promised—on time, within budget, and open for use in time for the Fall 2023 academic year. Through a collaborative approach, the project exceeded the college’s expectations while aligning seamlessly with environmental and historical preservation guidelines.

5 4 pedestrian timber bridge across wherritt s pond
5 6 porous asphalt shared use path at athletic fields

 

Triple Bridges Project Bridge Builder Survey

Client: Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration

 

The current I-695 Interchange at I-70 (Triple Bridges) in Baltimore County, MD was built in the 1960s and handles much more traffic than originally intended. The Triple Bridges Project will address the aging infrastructure and improve vehicular mobility by replacing all bridges within the interchange while maintaining all the existing connections once construction is complete. Since this project is using Design-Build Methodology, gathering input early from the public was crucial in shaping the project parameters. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA), in its pursuit of constructing a new interchange, sought extensive feedback from the public regarding project design aesthetics, environmental and safety concerns, and general community commentary. McCormick Taylor created an innovative public survey for the Triple Bridges Project using visually dynamic and interactive features like the “Interactive Bridge Builder,” the “Star Allocator,” and the “Comments and Concerns Map” to engage the community effectively. These features allowed users to visualize and customize bridge designs, prioritize environmental concerns, and provide location-specific feedback. The input gathered from the survey informed SHA on important matters to the public and will be used to shape project parameters.

 

Read more about this project here.

photo 2 mobile styler tool
photo 1 laptop styler tool