by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Short Elliott Hendrickson, the engineering firm that designed the Sartell’s Pinecone Road North project, received a major award recently for that project from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota.
The city of Sartell shared in the “Honor Award.”
It was announced at the 53rd annual Engineering Excellence Awards Program.
It was one of four awards presented to SEH. The news was announced at the City Council by April Ryan, engineer with SEH. Council members were pleased and gratified by Ryan’s announcement. She gave praise to SEH engineer Jon Halter for leading the project. He is the liaison person between the engineering firm and the city and attends every council meeting.
The Pinecone Road project involved road reconstruction and redesign from the heart of Sartell north to the new Sartell High School, which opened last fall.
“It (the project) happened in a short time when everything had to go just right,” Halter told the council, adding thanks to the coordinative work among city staff, the school district and property owners along that stretch of roadway. “It’s one (of the projects) I’ll remember for the rest of my career.”
In the award citation, the $7.5-million Pinecone Road project was cited by the judges for its exceptional innovation, complexity, achievement and value. The project involved widening that two-lane rural stretch to a 45-foot-wide urban section, with off-road bicycle lanes. Other improvements included the construction of two roundabouts and a three-fourths access intersection for use by high school traffic.
In its design process, the engineers partnered with the high school in such features as stormwater ponding, pedestrian and trail connections, and signage. Throughout the design project, the safety of students and motorists was constantly emphasized.
SEH also won Honor Awards for a road project in Baxter, which was also named state Project of the Year winner; the Falls International Airport terminal project (at International Falls); and a runway reconstruction project at Duluth International Airport.
Headquartered in St. Paul, the company has more than 800 employees at 32 offices in nine states, including St. Cloud. The city of Sartell has a contract with the company, which has done many engineering designs and projects for the city.
This is the roundabout, designed for safety factors at the busy area leading into and out of the grounds of the new Sartell High School. The Pinecone Road N. project earned a top state award for its engineering design. The city of Sartell also shared in the award.
