FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 17, 2013
Contact: Darrel Berry, Marketing Communications Manager
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9291
dberry@hanson-inc.com
Tier 1 EIS for high-speed rail project, Hanson engineer receive awards
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s work on a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for high-speed rail and Matthew Dawson, P.E., PTOE, a transportation engineer at Hanson’s Peoria, Ill., office, recently were recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Central Illinois Section.
The Tier 1 EIS for the Illinois High-Speed Rail Chicago-to-St. Louis program was honored with the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, which recognizes a project that best illustrates civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to the profession and society as a whole. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation selected Hanson and Parsons Corp. in 2010 to conduct the EIS, which was the first of its kind in the U.S. for corridors that will mix high-speed passenger rail with freight. The team studied how high-speed rail could improve safety throughout the corridor, relieve traffic congestion, enhance quality of life for communities along the corridor and stimulate economic development. The project recently received a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and an Honor Award from ACEC of Illinois during ACEC’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards.
Dawson received the Young Civil Engineer of the Year Award, which recognizes civil engineers who are 35 years old or younger for demonstrated leadership potential and significant engineering contributions. He has been on the executive board of ASCE’s Illinois Valley Branch since 2000 and membership chair since 2008. He was the branch’s president for two terms and helped prepare its first State Public Affairs Grant application in 2011 for its project, “Extended Engineering from Eweek and Into the Local School.” He also was on the board of directors for ASCE’s Central Illinois Section from 2002 to 2011 and has served as the section’s secretary/treasurer, vice president, president for two terms and director for two terms. He was named the ASCE Outstanding Practitioner Adviser for Zone III in 2001, was one of InterBusiness Issues’ 40 Leaders Under Forty in 2011 and was honored as a Rising Star in Civil Engineering by ZweigWhite in 2012.
Award winners will be recognized Sept. 24 during the 89th Annual ASCE Central Illinois Meeting and Banquet in Peoria. ASCE is a professional organization and the oldest national engineering society in the United States. Founded in 1852, ASCE has more than 140,000 members worldwide.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, architecture, planning and allied services. The firm’s corporate headquarters is located at 1525 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703. The office may be reached by phone: (217) 788-2450 or fax: (217) 788-2503. The Peoria office is located at 7625 N. University St., Suite 200, Peoria, IL 61614. The office may be reached by phone: (309) 691-0902 or fax: (309) 691-1327.
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