ACEC Texas awards Gold Medal to LAN for DART Orange Line Project

Dallas — The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas awarded civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) a gold medal for its work on the DART Orange Line project. The award, given under the transportation category, will be presented during the Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin on March 30, 2015.

The Engineering Excellence Awards Competition has been held by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas since its inception in 1975 to honor and recognize outstanding achievements within the engineering community. A panel of judges around the state select projects based on innovation, future value to the engineering profession, social and economic considerations, complexity and exceeding the client’s needs.

The 14-mile, six-station, Orange Line, which was built months ahead of schedule and $22 million under budget, begins in northwest Dallas, goes through Irving and Las Colinas before ending at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. TRACK3, a joint venture team led by LAN as its general engineering consultant, managed the project. The joint venture team of Kiewit, Stacy & Witbeck, Reyes, Parsons (KSWRP) built the project in three segments.

“The Orange Line project will transform the region’s transportation,” said Philip Meaders, P.E., LAN’s vice president. “The country's longest light-rail system is now connected to the nation’s fourth-busiest airport, providing an alternative transportation option to thousands of North Texans and travelers around the world.”

The Orange Line will benefit thousands of light-rail commuters and more than 165,000 passengers who fly in or out of the DFW Airport every day. It also will connect travelers to a variety of intermodal options, including DART’s other light rail lines and vast network of bus, vanpool and paratransit services, Denton County Transportation Authority’s A-Train, Trinity Railway Express, Amtrak, Greyhound, as well as the Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System.

Connecting the airport by light rail has made Dallas an appealing destination to businesses and travelers around the world. For less than five dollars, travelers can access the region’s major destinations, including the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Dallas Market Center, downtown Dallas, Plano, Garland and Rowlett.

The project also connects a number of higher education institutions, including the University of Dallas, El Centro College, North Lake College, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Southern Methodist University and University of North Texas. Students, faculty and staff from these universities will now have an alternative transportation choice and can save money on gas and parking.

Finally, by providing a safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly transportation option to Dallas residents, the Orange Line helps remove cars from the road. Almost 60,000 people work at or near DFW Airport. This light-rail project gives these workers a convenient and cost-effective option to commute to work.