Hanson received the W.W. Hay Award for Excellence from the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association for its work on the emergency repair of a Norfolk Southern Corp. bridge that collapsed near Brunswick, Missouri.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 14, 2020
Contact: Darrel Berry, Marketing Communications Manager
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9291
dberry@hanson-inc.com
Hanson receives AREMA award for excellence; Chambers becomes honorary member
Hanson Professional Services Inc. has been recognized by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) with the Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence for its work on the emergency repair of Norfolk Southern Corp.’s collapsed bridge over the Grand River near Brunswick, Missouri.
This is the 22nd year for the award, which celebrates outstanding accomplishments in rail engineering and honors Hay, who was a professional railroader, railroad consultant and professor of railway civil engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Hanson was honored Sept. 14 during AREMA’s virtual annual conference.
A dedicated team from Norfolk Southern Corp., Hanson and Massman Construction Co. worked together to help Norfolk Southern quickly rebuild the 103-year-old bridge. The flooded river and a buildup of tree limbs had been pushing on the bridge, leading Norfolk Southern to cut the rails Oct. 1, 2019, to relieve pressure and prevent further damage to its rail line. A portion of the bridge was wiped out within minutes. Four spans and three piers — about 267 feet of the 1,110-foot-long bridge — were swept away. The work was finished in 27 days — several weeks ahead of the originally estimated 56-day schedule.
Charley Chambers
AREMA also recognized Hanson’s Charley Chambers, P.E., during the conference. He was selected as AREMA’s 65th honorary member, a distinction that recognizes his contributions to railway engineering and the association. Chambers, a senior railroad engineer staff consultant who joined Hanson’s Seattle regional office in 1997, has been a member of AREMA and its predecessor, the American Railway Engineering Association (AREA), for 50 years. He served the organization’s Committee 24: Education and Training for 47 years, including in the role of chair; was the chair of the student relations subcommittee for 32 years; and was a member of the Nominating Committee for several years. He is the chair of the Scholarship Committee, a position he has held since 1982. He received an Award of Merit from AREA in 1997 and was recognized by AREMA in 2009 with a plaque in appreciation of his service to the organization.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, 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 at (217) 788-2450.
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