The Gordie Howe International Bridge project took home two awards at the 2022 Canadian Consulting Engineering (CCE) Awards. Recognized for its outstanding Environmental Management System (EMS), the project received both an Award of Excellence and the Ambassador Award. The Ambassador Award is one of just five specialty awards bestowed among the Award of Excellence winners.
Presented in Ottawa on November 3, 2022, the CCE Awards recognized 20 projects with Awards of Excellence for their remarkable engineering, imagination, and innovation, and seven projects with speciality awards. The Ambassador Award recognizes a project constructed or executed outside of Canada that best showcases Canadian Engineering Expertise.
The awards are among Canada’s highest recognitions in engineering.
AECOM, a member of Bridging North America (BNA), is the lead designer for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. As part of its assignment, AECOM developed the project’s cross-border EMS based on requirements set out by Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
“We’re extremely proud of the environmental components of our work on this very large and complex project,” says Bruce McCuaig, Senior Vice President of AECOM’s Canadian transportation business. “This recognition from our industry peers further demonstrates AECOM’s strong commitment to sustainability and our dedication to creating lasting positive outcomes in our local communities.”
The EMS met regulatory requirements in four separate regions: Canada, the US, Ontario and Michigan. It also had to integrate with the Gordie Howe International Bridge project’s robust quality, health, safety, security, and sustainability systems.
Through the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (OEAA), the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and the US National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) approvals, more than 450 conditions across all project phases were identified. The EMS meets the associated conditions and involves managing the design and construction of the four components of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project through environmental monitoring plans, environmental training, interdisciplinary design and construction review, daily monitoring of construction, and formal audits.
With the EMS, all project stakeholders – including the public – can be assured that WDBA and BNA continue to prioritize environmental commitments throughout the design and construction of the project.
“We’re honoured that the project’s Environmental Management System has been recognized,” says Justin Kelley, Lead Environmental Officer for Bridging North America. “A significant effort has been put forth by our designer (AECOM), the construction team, WDBA and the Michigan Department of Transportation to ensure environmental protection is an integral part of our daily operations.
The project’s EMS achieved International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 certification – one of the first public-private partnership (P3) projects in Canada to receive this certification.
