The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Texas recently recognized two KCI projects with Engineering Excellence Awards.
Our team was honored with a Gold Medal in the Special Projects category for their work on the Houston Public Works Northeast Transmission Line project, while the Harry Wurzbach and Austin Highway Single-Point Urban Intersection project was awarded a Silver Medal in the Transportation category. These awards serve to highlight Texas projects that feature uniqueness, originality, technical expertise, value to the engineering profession, complexity, and successful execution. Garland Galm, PE, and Kyle Gass, PE, CFM, were present at the organization’s awards gala to accept the honors on behalf of the firm.
Houston Public Works Northeast Transmission Line (NETL)
KCI provided construction program management for the 16.5-mile Northeast Transmission Line, a $450 million project delivering surface water from Lake Houston to Houston’s drinking water system. Partnering with Houston Public Works and four regional water authorities, our team managed scheduling, budgeting, construction coordination, and documentation. Due to the pipeline’s massive 108-inch diameter, construction was split into segments with multiple contractors working simultaneously. KCI played a key role in resolving issues, maintaining progress, and making coordinated decisions. Regular site visits, aerial inspections, and drone footage kept stakeholders informed. Now complete, the project marks a major step toward long-term sustainable water sourcing in Texas.
Harry Wurzbach and Austin Highway Single-Point Urban Intersection
To address growing congestion at Harry Wurzbach Road and Austin Highway, the City of San Antonio contracted KCI to support the design and construction of the area’s first single-point urban interchange (SPUI), an efficient design that improves traffic flow in limited space with a single traffic signal. KCI served as prime consultant and provided traffic studies, surveying, roadway and utility design, permitting, public engagement and 3D visualization. The project also included drainage improvements, landscaping, lighting, and safety improvements. The SPUI improves multimodal access and sets a model for future transportation innovation in the region.
