CHICAGO – The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) has recognized the state’s top engineering achievements of the past year during its annual Engineering Excellence Awards. Projects completed by engineering companies across the state were recognized for their innovation, complexity, overall design and economic impact. The top construction projects honored are transformative projects completed for Kane County’s Department of Transportation, Chicago’s Department of Transportation and the City of Marion.
This year’s coveted “Lincoln’s Grand Conceptor” Award was won by Crawford, Murphy & Tilly; Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick; Thomas Engineering; BLA, Inc.; Burns & McDonnell; V3; CivilTech; Benesch; Clark Dietz; Huff & Huff for improving the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor by building a four-lane, 5.6-mile suburban highway that provides a crucial connection across the Fox River for Kane County’s Department of Transportation. With a total construction cost of $117 million, the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor is one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken by Kane County.
After receiving the largest number of votes cast by the public in a competition with nine other nominated public and private infrastructure projects, the prestigious “Engineering Works” Award was won by Ardmore Roderick for designing and constructing mobility improvements at Jackson Park for Chicago’s Department of Transportation. Horner & Shifrin, Inc. won the Outstanding Graphic Award for the quality of the display submitted for its development of Marion’s Downtown Square for the City of Marion.
“The 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards highlights the creativity and ingenuity of Illinois engineers and the innovative approaches they adopt to solve the problems they face while designing and building transformative projects across our state,” said Kevin Artl, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. “The projects recognized and honored during this year’s award ceremony are well-designed, best-in-class construction projects that renew public spaces and make novel resources available for Illinoisans, ultimately bringing economic prosperity to our communities. Congratulations to all the winners, who deserve this special honor.”
The award ceremony also featured Judges’ Choice Awards for engineering companies in several categories. Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd. won in the Waste and Storm Water category for its work on the Addison Creek Reservoir for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, WHKS won in the Structural Systems category for critical repair work on the Centennial Bridge for the Illinois Department of Transportation, Ardmore Roderick won in the Special Projects category for Jackson Park Mobility Improvements for Chicago’s Department of Transportation; IMEG won in the Building/Technology Systems category for constructing the new Rockford Public Library and Engineering Enterprises, Inc. won in the Water Resources category for working to remove all 400 remaining lead services at no cost to residents of the Village of Carpentersville.
“Illinois engineers are contributing to the success of Rebuild Illinois in innovative ways as they work to deliver high quality, on-time and on-budget infrastructure projects all over our state,” said Lou Gallucci, Chair of the Board of Directors of ACEC Illinois. “We congratulate the winners, knowing that the honor and recognition they receive during our annual Excellence Awards will spur them to greater creativity and excellence as they work on future projects to modernize our state’s infrastructure and boost economic development in Illinois.”
Other award winners are Hanson Professional Services, Inc. who took away the prize in the Energy category for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure project, which modernized the electric distribution system for Ameren Illinois and CivilTech Engineering, Inc. who won in the Innovative and Effective use of Construction Materials category for its creativity while developing the Central Business District Streetscape and Utility for the Village of Glen Ellyn. Crawford, Murphy & Tilly won in the Studies Research and Consulting category for its work on the Downtown for Everyone Streetscape Plan for the City of Bloomington, Horner & Shifrin, Inc. won in the Transportation category for developing Marion’s Downtown Square for the City of Marion and Metro Strategies Group LLC won in the Public Engagement & Communications category for its thoughtful community engagement efforts while delivering successful streetscape improvements for Old Town Business Districts for the Village of Algonquin.
2025 Award-winning projects, categories, and project owners:
Lincoln’s Grand Conceptor Award: Longmeadow Parkway Improvements – Crawford, Murphy & Tilly; Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick; Thomas Engineering; BLA, Inc.; Burns & McDonnell; V3; CivilTech; Benesch; Clark Dietz; Huff & Huff for the Kane County Department of Transportation
Engineering Works Award (Based on votes by the public): Jackson Park Mobility Improvements Bid Package 1 – Ardmore Roderick for Chicago’s Department of Transportation
Outstanding Graphic Award: Marion Downtown Square – Horner & Shifrin, Inc. for the City of Marion
Judges’ Choice Award categories and winners:
Waste and Storm Water: Addison Creek Reservoir – Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Structural Systems: Centennial Bridge Repair – WHKS for Illinois Department of Transportation
Special Projects: Jackson Park Mobility Improvements Bid Package 1 – Ardmore Roderick for the Chicago Department of Transportation
Building/Technology Systems: New Rockford Public Library – IMEG for the Rockford Public Library
Water Resources: Village of Carpentersville – A Lead-Free Community – Engineering Enterprises, Inc. for the Village of Carpentersville
Energy: Ameren Illinois Advanced Metering Infrastructure – Hanson Professional Services Inc. for Ameren Illinois
Innovative and effective use of construction materials: Central Business District Streetscape and Utility – CivilTech Engineering, Inc. for the Village of Glen Ellyn
Studies Research and Consulting: Downtown for Everyone – Streetscape Plan – Crawford, Murphy & Tilly for the City of Bloomington
Public Engagement & Communications: Old Town Algonquin Project: Riverwalk and Streetscape Project and Washington and Harrison Street Project – Metro Strategies Group, LLC for the Village of Algonquin
Transportation: Marion Downtown Square – Horner & Shifrin, Inc. for the City of Marion
Individual Award winners:
Mentor of the Year: Paul Gregoire – Chief Operating Officer at Globetrotters Engineering
Emerging Professional of the Year: Mallory Weber – Transportation Engineer at Gasperec Elberts Consulting, LLC
Medium Firm of the Year: WBK Engineering, LLC
Large Firm of the Year: Singh + Associates
About the American Council of Engineering Companies
Representing hundreds of companies, we are the voice of the engineering industry in Illinois. With roots dating back more than 100 years, ACEC Illinois represents more than 11,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors and other specialists. Our primary mission is to strengthen the business environment for our member firms through government advocacy, political action, and business education. For more information, please visit www.acecil.org.