Stearns School Road Reopens Ahead of Schedule

Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR), in partnership with the City of St. Francisville, is proud to announce that the Wabash Cannonball Overflow Bridge Replacement has received a 2026 Engineering Excellence Special Achievement Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-Illinois) . This recognition honors projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement, innovation, and public benefit, and the Wabash Cannonball Overflow Bridge Replacement stands as a powerful example of how thoughtful design can strengthen infrastructure while protecting sensitive natural environments. Replacing a Critical Lifeline The original bridge, a 1,100-foot timber trestle converted decades ago from a former railroad structure, had reached the end of its service life. Its narrow, one-lane configuration and severe deterioration posed growing safety risks and maintenance challenges for the City. As a vital connector between Illinois and Indiana across the Wabash River floodplain, the bridge plays a critical role in emergency response, commerce, and daily travel for residents and businesses. Recognizing the importance of this crossing, the City partnered with HLR to deliver a long-term solution that balanced structural performance, environmental stewardship, and community needs. Innovative Design in a Sensitive Environment HLR designed a new 1,030-foot precast concrete girder bridge constructed parallel to the existing structure and built in two stages to maintain traffic throughout construction. The new bridge features longer spans and fewer piers, reducing scour risk, debris accumulation, and long-term maintenance demands, key advantages in a dynamic floodplain environment. Precast concrete girders were selected over steel to provide greater durability, corrosion resistance, and life-cycle cost savings for the City, ensuring the bridge will serve the region reliably for generations. Environmental Stewardship as a Core Design Element Environmental coordination was central to the project’s success. Fourteen wetlands were identified within the project area, with impacts minimized to less than half an acre. When no wetland mitigation bank credits were available in the watershed, HLR developed a 5-acre forested mitigation wetland on City-owned land nearby, transforming a regulatory challenge into a lasting environmental asset. The project also required careful protection of threatened species, including the state-endangered bloodleaf and the eastern ribbon snake. Close coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies ensured full compliance while preserving sensitive habitats. Engineering Ingenuity from Start to Finish Tight environmental constraints and limited site access required creative construction solutions. Concrete piers were placed using the existing bridge as a work platform, minimizing disturbance to surrounding wetlands while maintaining continuous traffic. Despite complex permitting and pandemic-era agency coordination challenges, the project was completed on time and within budget. A Model of Balanced Engineering Excellence The ACEC-Illinois Special Achievement Award recognizes the Wabash Cannonball Overflow Bridge Replacement as a project that goes beyond structural design, demonstrating how engineering can connect communities, protect natural resources, and deliver lasting public value. HLR is proud to have partnered with the City of St. Francisville on a project that r eflects the firm’s commitment to innovative design, environmental responsibility, and resilient infrastructure .

Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR), in partnership with the Village of Elk Grove Village, is proud to announce that the Elk Grove Business Park Drainage Management project has earned three industry awards in 2026 , recognizing its innovative approach to public works management, environmental restoration, and stakeholder engagement. The project received three major 2026 awards: the Engineering Excellence Special Achievement Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-Illinois) , and two Public Works Project of the Year Awards in the Management Innovation category from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Chicago Metro Chapter , recognized by both the Suburban Branch and at the chapter level. Reimagining Drainage Management at an Unprecedented Scale Elk Grove Village is home to one of the nation’s largest contiguous business and technology parks, serving more than 5,600 businesses and over 100,000 daily commuters. Maintaining the park’s 30 miles of open-channel drainage ditches, many located on private property, has long posed logistical, environmental, and communication challenges. When the Village partnered with HLR in 2024 to relaunch the drainage management program, the goal extended beyond infrastructure maintenance. The mission was clear: deliver effective stormwater management while building trust with hundreds of adjacent businesses, without disrupting daily operations. Engineering Transparency Through Innovation HLR responded by designing a first-of-its-kind, GIS-based public engagement and management platform. Using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Field Maps, and customized ArcGIS Dashboards, the team created a real-time digital ecosystem connecting Village staff, contractors, and the business community through a single, transparent source of information. Three tailored dashboards, serving Village staff, contractors, and businesses, allowed users to track work locations, view progress, receive updates, and submit concerns in real time. This innovative approach transformed routine maintenance data into a powerful communication tool, replacing years of fragmented outreach with clarity, responsiveness, and accountability. Delivering Results Without Disruption The program delivered measurable results. During the 2024 season, crews completed four invasive species herbicide treatments across the entire system, totaling approximately 120 miles of maintenance activity. More than seven miles of ditches underwent woody vegetation removal, followed by the installation of 2,650 pounds of native seed to improve drainage performance, stabilize soils, and enhance ecological resilience. Equally important, the project was complet ed on time and within budget, with no reported business shutdowns or operational delays; a critical success factor within one of the country’s busiest industrial corridors. A Model for the Future of Public Works The dual recognition from ACEC-Illinois and APWA highlights the project’s success in redefining how complex public works programs are managed and communicated. By engineering transparency alongside infrastructure, HLR and the Village of Elk Grove Village set a new standard for stormwater management, public engagement, and municipal partnership. As the program continues throug h 2026, the Elk Grove Business Park Drainage Management project stands as a replicable model for municipalities nationwide, demonstrating that in novation, environmental stewardship, and trust-building can work hand in hand.