CHA Wins Two ACEC IN Engineering Excellence Awards

CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA) is honored to announce its recognition at the 2025 ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Awards, receiving a Merit Award for the Spades Park Pogues Run Greenway Glow Stone Trail and a State Finalist Award for the Bee Slough River Floodgates. These accolades underscore CHA’s innovative approaches to enhancing communities and advancing sustainable infrastructure solutions.

The Spades Park Pogues Run Greenway Glow Stone Trail is a first-of-its-kind application in Indiana, featuring glow-in-the-dark stones embedded in the trail’s asphalt surface. This luminous innovation pays homage to the former road it replaces, which once incorporated colorful glass from a nearby factory, and the park’s beloved “Feast of Lanterns” festival, where glowing lanterns light up the community. Beyond its cultural significance, the glowing trail enhances safety for users navigating unlit sections of Spades Park. Additional project elements included the restoration of a historic bridge, the design of a new pedestrian bridge, enhanced street crossings, and updated trail signage. CHA collaborated closely with the City of Indianapolis and local grassroots organizations to deliver a design that celebrates heritage and promotes safe, active recreation.

The Bee Slough River Floodgates, a cornerstone of Evansville’s largest-ever public works initiative—the Integrated Overflow Control Plan—earned a State Finalist Award. This ambitious effort aims to improve the water quality of the Ohio River by addressing combined sewer overflow (CSO). Bee Slough, a major conduit for CSO, is now equipped with a new floodgate structure featuring two flap gates at its downstream end. This design allows surface drainage to flow freely while blocking backflow from the river, enabling the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility (EWSU) to better contain and treat overflow. The project is a critical step toward healthier waterways and underscores CHA’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

The ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding engineering achievements that showcase ingenuity, technical expertise, and societal value. Winners are showcased to a statewide audience of clients, industry leaders, and policymakers, enhancing public understanding of consulting engineers’ vital role. CHA and other honorees will be recognized at the awards ceremony on April 24, 2025.

About ACEC Indiana

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Indiana (ACEC IN) promotes the business and professional interests of consulting engineers across the state. Through advocacy, professional development, and recognition programs, ACEC IN fosters innovation and excellence in infrastructure development. Learn more at ACEC Indiana’s official website.