EBA Engineering, Inc. (EBA) received two awards in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington (ACEC/MW) 2022-2023 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. An emergency water main repair project under Howard Street in Baltimore received an Honor Award, and the Montgomery County US 29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit project received a Merit Award. EBA’s Rizwan Siddiqi, Joseph Danquah, Megan Disney, Redha Hasan, Alex Kuriatnikov, and Khalid Qadwai accepted the awards at a gala on December 8, 2022, in Arlington, Virginia.

“We are extremely grateful to once again be recognized by this prestigious awards competition. These honors acknowledge EBA’s ongoing commitment to provide quality, cost-effective services to our clients and the communities they support,” said EBA President and CEO Rizwan Siddiqi, PE. “These projects demonstrate well the powerful role of engineering in today’s society and EBA’s contributions to the industry and our citizens.”

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

Howard Street Emergency Sinkhole and Water Main Repair

When the City of Baltimore requested help with a water leak on Howard Street, EBA responded immediately. A main concern was the leak’s proximity to critical transportation infrastructure, including Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) Light RailLink tracks and a CSX Transportation tunnel that runs underneath the tracks.

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

US 29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit

EBA provided construction contract administration, management, inspection, and testing services for the first line of Montgomery County’s Flash bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which uses all-electric buses and runs along US 29. The complex, $15.5 million project created 18 new BRT station platforms with upgraded station amenities.

The project used sustainable materials and incorporated mosaic tile art designed by teen apprentices of the local, nonprofit Pour Your ART Out program.

The new Flash system—the first of its kind in Maryland—is 30 percent faster than the existing bus service. It offers an affordable transit option to previously underserved communities and helps to reduce both traffic congestion and carbon emissions.