Fort Worth’s Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge has been honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas with the Eminent Conceptor, the statewide organization’s highest honor for engineering excellence. The award was presented at ACEC Texas’ annual Engineering Excellence Awards gala April 12 in Austin. The bridge received a Gold Medal in the Structural Systems category; the Eminent Conceptor was awarded to the top project overall. The bridge has also received a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies. The bridge, which spans the Trinity River in Trinity Park, was designed by Fort Worth-based Freese and Nichols, Inc. in collaboration with Rosales + Partners, Boston, and Schlaich Bergermann and Partner, New York. It was recognized by ACEC Texas for its innovative design, its enhancement of Fort Worth’s parks and trails system, and its sustainability considerations. The Tilley Bridge is the first arch-supported stress ribbon bridge in the United States; its 10-inch concrete deck is supported by steel plate “ribbons” draped over a central steel arch, eliminating the need for girders, trusses or columns in the river. This elegant design incorporates an extremely thin profile with high structural efficiency, allowing the bridge to withstand a 500-year flood. Even in severe flooding, this bridge will not increase flood levels more than one inch. Learn more about the bridge at www.freese.com/our-work/phyllis-j-tilley-memorial-pedestrian-bridge. Read about all the award winners in ACEC Texas’ publication, Engineering Texas Futures, at www.acectx.org/documents/2013ACECTexasExcellenceInEngineering.pdf.