Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. has been awarded the 2010 Engineering Excellence (Water Resources Category) Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Hampshire for the Tweed - New Haven Runway 2 Safety Area, Wetland Mitigation & Tide Gate Improvements project.

Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is a critical commercial service airport serving southern Connecticut.  Responding to increased Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards, the Airport planned a three phase project that would improve the safety of airfield operations.  With a final cost of $9.6 million, the Runway 2 Safety Area, Wetland Mitigation & Tide Gate Improvements project was Phase 1 of 3 safety projects that established a 500' by 1,000' turfed safety area at the southern end of the primary runway. 

The project was unique for the extensive, complex wetlands mitigation required to accomplish the safety improvements.  The challenge was to re-align 1,200 linear feet of existing Morris Creek to make way for an improved turfed safety area, and to excavate narrow tidal wetland channels into the surrounding area.  The new channels now receive tidally influenced flow on a daily basis through the use of a new electronic and mechanically controlled tidal gate system.  The net result is the restoration of a large area of phragmite invested, degraded wetlands.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Hampshire (ACEC-NH) is the leading business practice and policy advocate for consulting engineering firms in New Hampshire.  For more information about ACEC-NH: http://www.acec-nh.org/.

This award is a culmination of hard work by the Hoyle, Tanner design and construction management team, and unwavering commitment by the Airport Authority, Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to implement safety enhancements at this critical regional airport.