CHA Wins 2021 ACEC Indiana Grand Project Award

CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA) is excited to announce it has earned the Grand Project Award for engineering excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Indiana. The award recognizes the substantial improvements and transformation of the 96th Street and Keystone Parkway interchange and corridor in Hamilton County, Indiana.

The Grand Project Award, one of the state’s most prestigious engineering distinctions, is presented each year by ACEC Indiana to recognize an outstanding engineering achievement that demonstrates a high degree of merit and ingenuity.

“We are honored to receive this recognition for transforming traffic flow and improving access to businesses along 96th Street and Keystone Avenue,” said David Henkel, PE, PTOE, Vice President of CHA Consulting, Inc. “With nearly a quarter of the population growth in Indiana over the next 15 years projected to occur in Hamilton County, the corridor improvements are a critical step in enhancing safety and reducing future congestion and delays.”

The 96^th Street and Keystone Parkway Corridor Improvement project in Carmel and Indianapolis, replaced traffic lights at key intersections with more efficient and safer roundabouts. The primary effort involved a split-grade teardrop roundabout interchange, a six-lane bridge on Keystone over 96th Street, a collector-distributor roadway between 96th Street and I-465, a teardrop roundabout at the interchange, one roundabout on 96th Street, 96th Street reconstruction, and three connector roadways to improve local roadway traffic flow. Four roundabouts were built along 96th Street at its intersections with Priority Way Drive, Delegates Row, Gray Road, and Hazel Dell Parkway. Each roundabout incorporated drainage improvements and pedestrian access on both sides of 96th Street.

The corridor improvements overwhelmingly succeed in reducing delays, achieving a recommended level of service, improving air quality, and greatly improve safety. Daily users will enjoy a noticeably faster commute, with travel times reduced by upwards of 15 minutes.

The award marks continued recognition of the project, which was awarded an Honor Award in the 2020 Indy Chamber Monumental Awards and a National Recognition Award from ACEC in the 2021 National Engineering Excellence Awards.

Details and photos of the 96th Street and Keystone Parkway Corridor Improvements and other award-winning projects may be viewed at: http://www.acecindiana.org/?page=EEA.

About ACEC Indiana
ACEC Indiana is a professional trade association representing the business interests of the consulting engineering profession and offers professional knowledge and services to enhance the quality of life for every citizen in Indiana. Professional consulting engineers design roads and bridges, clean water and waste water systems, structures, mechanical and electrical systems, redevelopment of brownfields, and more. For more information about the organization, visit www.acedindiana.org.