Pennoni Associates, an ENR Top 100 engineering, design and consulting firm with branch offices in Milton and Newark, announces that its rehabilitation of the Seeley Bridge project won an Outstanding Small Project of the Year Award from the Delaware section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The award is given at an annual banquet to the engineering firms that designed a project for $2 million or less that demonstrates engineering skills and represents contribution to civil engineering progress and mankind.

During Hurricane Irene in August 2011, the Seeley Bridge was severely overtopped, causing the roadway approaches and spillway to collapse. There was also severe scouring of the almost 10-feet-deep channel, and one of the wingwalls had collapsed and one of the abutments partially collapsed, in addition to many other damages. Innovations were required in construction, materials and methods during the bridge rehabilitation. Construction did not follow the standard bottom-up method, but instead the bridge was constructed from the top and bottom and met in the middle.

The bridge was completed and reopened to traffic within six months of the collapse. In addition to qualifying the bridge for 100 percent Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, this time frame was paramount to the well-being of the traveling public and the community. To meet the tight deadline for reopening the road, resourcefulness in planning was required. The rehabilitation has also had a positive effect on the physical environment.

Prior to collapse, the spillway was known to block migratory fish species in the Cohansey River. The removal of the spillway has enabled movement of migratory fish, and the future spillway will maintain this movement by incorporating a fish ladder.

Additional Pennoni projects received merit awards at the ASCE banquet, including the Jackson Station Culvert replacement, the replacement of Bridge 1-651, and the replacement of the McNair Road Bridge.