NYC DOT Projects, Including Historic Restoration of the Brooklyn Bridge, to Be Honored at Tonight’s 2025 American Council of Engineering Companies of New York Gala

NYC DOT Projects, Including Historic Restoration of the Brooklyn Bridge, to Be Honored at Tonight’s 2025 American Council of Engineering Companies of New York Gala
Honors Span From Restoration of Iconic Brooklyn and Madison Avenue Bridges, Mobility Redesigns in Central Park and Infrastructure Upgrades in the Bronx’s Pelham Parkway Area
The Brooklyn Bridge Project Will Also Be Recognized by ACEC New York’s Umbrella Organization
The Brooklyn Bridge’s arches illuminated through NYC DOT’s new lighting system. Credit: NYC DOT
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today celebrated the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) for several NYC DOT projects, including completing the most comprehensive restoration of the Brooklyn Bridge in its 151-year history. The ceremony to honor the projects and engineering firms that helped complete them will occur this evening in Midtown Manhattan.
“The Brooklyn Bridge has been referred to as America’s Eiffel Tower, and we are proud that our historic restoration work and the engineering firm that supported the project will be honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Two of this year’s awards in the highest of all categories, Diamond, showcase the type of infrastructure, safety, and mobility improvements we work to implement each day. I thank ACEC New York for this recognition and applaud Parsons, Sam Schwartz Engineering, and Dewberry for their great work on these projects.”
“Improving our infrastructure is critical to improving New York’s quality of life, and we are excited to honor our member firms who led these innovative projects that make the Empire State a better place to live, work and build,” said John T. Evers, president and CEO of ACEC New York. “These award-winning projects represent the very best of what our engineers can provide, and we are proud to celebrate their achievements, along with their strong partnerships with government leaders like the New York City Department of Transportation. Funding key projects that maintain and enhance our transportation networks is necessary to ensuring the well-being of our community and our economy.”
Four NYC DOT sponsored projects are slated to receive prestigious ACEC New York awards at three different awards levels, showcasing the breadth of the agency and the engineering and design firms its works with. The following projects and submitting firms will be honored tonight.
Diamond Level
- The Brooklyn Bridge Rehabilitation Project, awarded to Parsons for The Restoration of an American Icon in the Structural Systems category.
- Central Park Drives: Redesigning for the Mobility of Today, awarded to TYLin Group, Central Park Conservancy in the Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services category.
Platinum Level
- Pelham Parkway Area Transportation and Infrastructure Reconstruction, awarded to Dewberry in the Transportation Category
Gold Level
- Still in the Swing of Things: Revitalizing the Madison Avenue Bridge, awarded to Parsons in the Structural Systems Category
NYC DOT is particularly proud that the Brooklyn Bridge project, previously highlighted in a 2024 announcement with a focus on its new LED lighting, was also nominated and selected for a national award. In fact, this is the first time in 16 years a NYC DOT project advanced from the state to national level.
The $300 million rehabilitation was multi-faceted in its work to keep the 156 year-old bridge in a state of good repair, featuring work such as:
- Restoring approach arches
- Install modern electrical, lighting, and HVAC systems
- Replacing brick infill walls with concrete shear walls
- Overhauling granite masonry towers
- Strengthening foundations
- Repairing flooring
- Ensuring structural integrity and historical preservation
The Central Park Drives project was a collaborative effort for NYC DOT with the Central Park Conservancy, the NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation and TYLin, with a focus on the Loop Roads and in particular the intersections along those roadways.
The Pelham Parkway Area project, completed in 2023, reconstructed and realigned Pelham Parkway between Boston Road and Stillwell Avenue. The project introduced new pedestrian safety and bus infrastructure throughout the project limits – including ADA-accessible bus stops, bus lanes, and bus pads to support transit operations – as well as new cyclist transitions at cross streets to improve safety and connectivity along the existing greenway network. Capital reconstruction also addressed roadway surfaces, curbs, sidewalks, and improperly restored utility cuts. It also features benches and wayfinding, providing public seating to support transit use and walking, particularly for older adults and persons with mobility impairments.
The Madison Avenue Bridge Revitalization project includes the replacement of mechanical and electrical systems to extend the structure’s service life with minimal community disruption. The bridge can now operate from multiple control locations, while also being equipped with backup power from an onsite diesel generator. It also features access enhancement for workers.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) is the unified voice for engineering professionals for each other, their clients, and all levels of government in New York State and supports via education, advocacy, inclusion, partnering, and knowledge sharing. It is a proactive coalition representing nearly 300 member firms across New York State, representing local to multinational firms, who engage in every discipline of engineering related to the built environment including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, and geotechnical. It weighs in on many important issues of our day, from infrastructure investment, efficient energy policy and alternative delivery systems to improving procurement practices.
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