EBA received a National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2023 Engineering Excellence Awards competition for the firm’s work on an emergency water main repair project on Howard Street in Baltimore. EBA accepted the award at a gala on June 13, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.

The “Academy Awards of the engineering industry,” ACEC’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value.

“EBA was there to help immediately when the City of Baltimore requested our assistance with a water leak on Howard Street,” said EBA President and CEO Rizwan Siddiqi, PE. “We’re very proud of our team’s commitment to finding an innovative, sustainable, and fast solution in an emergency situation.”

A primary concern was the leak’s proximity to critical transportation infrastructure, including Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) Light RailLink tracks and a CSX Transportation tunnel that runs underneath the street.

The leak had created a large sinkhole and compromised the rail tunnel under the roadway and the light rail tracks above ground. A team of EBA engineers worked around the clock to identify the leak source and then design and oversee repairs despite many site constraints and limitations.

EBA collaborated with City staff, the contractor, and multiple stakeholders to identify solutions, resolve conflicts, and complete the repairs quickly and safely with minimal disruptions to daily activities on the high-traffic roadway.

EBA’s efforts helped the City restore water service as rapidly as possible for affected customers, while avoiding a potentially catastrophic CSX tunnel failure and other consequences.