Press Release

Twelve Other Projects Honored for their Complexity, Success by the Associated General Contractors of America

SAN DIEGO - A new bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis that replaced the collapsed I-35W Bridge was named today as the most significant construction project of 2008. The bridge, which was completed by Longmont, Colo.-based Flatiron Construction and Seattle, Wash.-based Manson Construction, was on budget and ahead of schedule. This project was one of 13 construction projects recognized today by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) for their complexity, innovation, success and ultimately, for their significance to the construction community and the nation at large.

"These projects are the very embodiment of the potential and promise of the nation's construction industry," said Doug Pruitt, the incoming president of AGC. "These projects are more than a simple task, they are the kind of jobs that challenge our skills, stretch our imaginations and capture our fancy."

Pruitt noted that the I-35W Bridge project was selected as the Aon Build America Grand Award winner because Flatiron Construction and Manson Construction demonstrated hard work and diligence in completing the project three months early, while overcoming difficult challenges and constraints under the watchful eye of the public and the media. More importantly, Pruitt added, the project was crucial in helping rebuild Americans' confidence in the safety of the nation's bridges.

The Aon Build America Award winners were announced as part of AGC's 90th Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif. For more than 20 years, the Aon Build America Awards have been given to recognize excellence in the construction industry. These prestigious and highly coveted awards are given to the projects selected by a panel of a contractor's toughest critics - other contractors.

In addition to the I-35W Bridge, 12 other projects were selected to receive Aon Build America Awards by AGC, Pruitt noted. Those projects include Houston's Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart; Detroit's Westin Book Cadillac Hotel and Condominiums; Boston Symphony Hall; the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, Panama; and Washington D.C.'s Nationals Park.

A complete list of the award winners is attached.

2009 Aon Build America Award Winning Construction Projects

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Houston, Texas
Linbeck Group
Building New Award

Westin Book Cadillac Hotel and Condominiums
Detroit, Michigan
Marous Brothers Construction-Jenkins Construction, Joint Venture, LLC
Building Renovation Award

Fernald Preserve Visitors Center
Harrison, Ohio
Megen Construction Company, Inc.
Building New - Under $5 Million Award

Boston Symphony Hall - Clerestory Window Restoration
Boston, Massachusetts
Walsh Brothers, Inc
Building Renovation - Under $5 Million Award

Lower Monumental Dam Removable Spillway Weir
Kahlotus, Washington
Advanced American Construction, Inc.
Federal & Heavy New Award

I-35W Bridge (St. Anthony Falls)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Flatiron-Manson, a Joint Venture
Highway New Award

Oregon Highway 99 - North Umpqua River (Old Winchester) Bridge Rehabilitation
Douglas County, Oregon
Hamilton Construction Co.
Highway Renovation Award

Nationals Park
Washington, D.C.
Clark/Hunt/Smoot, a Joint Venture
Design-Build New Award

I-15 NOW Design-Build Reconstruction Project
Greater Ogden area of Weber County, Utah
Granite Construction, Inc., and Ralph L. Wadsworth Co., Partners of Weber County Constructors
Design-Build Renovation Award

Bayfront Convention Center & Hotel Complex
Erie, Pennsylvania
Barton Malow Company
Construction Management New Award

Kalamazoo College Hicks Center
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Miller-Davis Company
Construction Management Renovation Award

Upper Baker Dam Floating Surface Collector
Concrete, Washington
Natt McDougall Company
Municipal & Utilities New

U.S. Embassy Cuidad de Panama
Cuidad de Panama, Panama
Caddell Construction Company, Inc.
International New Award

The 2009 Aon Build America Merit Award Winners include:

Bridge Building Expansion
Providence, Rhode Island
Shawmut Design & Construction
Construction Management New Award

Tempe and Mesa, Arizona
Sundt/Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., a Joint Venture
Highway New Award

University of California, Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC)
Orange, California
Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Design-Build New Award

The Mutual Building Historic Renovation/The Christman Building
Lansing, Michigan
The Christman Company
Building Renovation Award

EDITOR'S NOTE: Project photos and interviews with winners are available upon request.

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