The American Council of Engineering Companies announced that Thomas & Hutton was honored with two National Recognition Awards from the Engineering Excellence Award program. This prestigious program annually celebrates engineering achievements that exhibit innovation, creative problem-solving, and the capacity of engineering to enhance our world. The Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge in North Charleston, South Carolina and the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority Hangar 692 in Smyrna, Tennessee were both recipients of this national accolade.

In North Charleston, South Carolina, the Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge’s 55-foot-tall twin arches rise above an industrial skyline and are visible across the tidal waters and saltwater marshes from miles away. The bridge, owned by the City of North Charleston, designed by Thomas & Hutton, and constructed by Cape Romain Contractors, Inc. , is the first piece of infrastructure built in the redevelopment efforts of several city-owned industrial parcels along the Cooper River. Although a pedestrian bridge, it was designed to accommodate emergency access vehicles. The bridge is 20 feet wide by 800 feet long and provides the most direct route for emergency personnel from one City Park to another. It features an ADA-accessible overlook and landscaped planter with integral seating for educational gatherings, social events, or simply as a respite to enjoy the scenery.

Jen Hayes, Structural Department Manager says, “It is an honor to be recognized at the national level and a testament to what can be accomplished through excellent teamwork. From conception of the project through completion, we worked in a productive and cohesive partnership with the City of North Charleston, and we were fortunate to have Cape Romain Contractors convert our vision and design into reality.”

Located in the Nashville Metropolitan area, the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport was constructed during World War II to house the Army Air Force Combat Crew School. Today, the airport is the third largest in Tennessee, encompassing over 1,700 acres. The Airport primarily houses charter and corporate aircraft services and operates a joint-use facility with the Tennessee Army National Guard Helicopter Unit and a venue for private flight training. The Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division to partially fund a new hangar for commercial maintenance lease space, meeting the airport’s target development to increase the capacity of the transportation system in Middle Tennessee and to continue to support the growing charter and scheduled passenger airline activity at the airport.

T&H Project Manager Cory Hall says, “Receiving a National Recognition Award for our work on Hangar 692 is an honor for T&H and the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority. With the successful planning, design, and construction of the hangar, the project has left a positive impact on the airport and community.”

Earlier this year, Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge was awarded an ACEC-SC Engineering Excellence Award and Hangar 692 was awarded an ACEC-TN Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Large Transportation Projects Category.