American Council of Engineering Companies of Montana
Awards Morrison-Maierle for US 2 – Havre Project

Morrison-Maierle, Inc., a “Top 500 Design Firm” offering planning, design, surveying, and construction engineering services throughout the western United States, received a 2009 Engineering Excellence Award (EEA) from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Montana for the US Highway 2 – Havre Rehabilitation project.

Morrison-Maierle received the ACEC-Montana Honor Award in the Transportation category for the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) US Highway 2 - Havre Reconstruction project. This is MDT’s largest concrete pavement urban reconstruction project to date. In the city of Havre, US 2 serves as the primary arterial and business corridor for the community. As with many streets in older cities and towns, US 2 pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, and drainage facilities had exceeded their design lives and were in a state of disrepair. With planning and design beginning in 2002, this $31.2 million reconstruction project included over 101,000 square yards of concrete pavement along 33 blocks of Havre’s main street. Extensive utility and storm drain reconstruction work consisted of 4.5 miles of drainage piping, relocations of major power, communication facilities, and water and sewer upgrades. Portions of the city’s famed Havre Beneath the Streets museum were preserved using cast-in-place concrete vaults where historic rooms encroached under the sidewalk. Landscaping, colored crosswalks, historic decorative street lighting, street furniture, and custom built “Welcome to Havre” entrance monument signs were part of the improvements. Early identification of stakeholder concerns was key to addressing specific project needs early in the design and fostering community buy-in to the project. The city of Havre now has a long-lasting roadway and enhanced community pride.

ACEC of Montana represents engineering companies employing engineers across the state. ACEC of Montana is an association that works with member firms to enhance and promote the engineering profession in the state of Montana. The Engineering Excellence Awards Program recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of achievement, value, and ingenuity. Projects from all over the state were rated on the basis of original or innovative application of new or existing techniques; future value to the engineering profession; social, economic, and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and exceeding client/owner needs. Judges included representatives from education and government.