Photo by Blake Marvin

Best Health Care: An exterior view of the new $22-million University of Texas Moncrief Cancer Institute.

This year's winners were extremely diverse, representing a wide selection of construction projects in varied markets—projects completed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013.

Many "firsts" made it into the winners' circle, including the first ultra-supercritical advanced-steam-cycle power generation facility in the U.S.; the first steel-arch and stress-ribbon bridge in North America; and the first Formula One racetrack in the U.S. Winners also included the restoration of a building from 1932 that had been vacant for 30 years and a seven-year bridge-widening project.

Each Best Project had to demonstrate innovation, exceptional quality and an ability to find creative solutions to daunting challenges.

To select the region's best, ENR Texas & Louisiana recruited an independent panel of six industry professionals, representing diverse fields of expertise. Read more about our judges here.

Another integral part of ENR's annual Best Projects competition is the Excellence in Safety Award, now in its second year. More than 50 entries vied for the award, with a separate panel of jurors selecting the safety winner, along with five merit-award winners.

In selecting the Project of the Year, the judges had a difficult time in making a selection considering the high caliber of entries. Five finalists were selected: 500 Fannin Building, First Baptist Church Dallas, George W. Bush Presidential Center, Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge and the President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension.

Read on to learn about the successes and challenges faced by the teams on all of this year's Best Projects in categories ranging from airports/transit to water/environment:

Texas & Louisiana Project of the Year

George W. Bush Presidential Center (University Park, Texas)

Safety

Best Project: The John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Project (Fulton, Ark.)

Award of Merit: Biomedical Research and Health Professions Building (Brownsville, Texas)

Award of Merit: Carnegie Vanguard High School (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: GE Manufacturing Solutions – Locomotive Manufacturing Facility “Project Forward” (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: San Jacinto College Allied Health Building (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division | Manufacturing Facility (TARO 1) (Red Oak, Texas)

Airports/Transit

Best Project: Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC) Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (New Orleans, La.)

Cultural/Worship

Best Project: First Baptist Church Dallas (Dallas, Texas)

Award of Merit: Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas, Texas)

Energy/Industrial

Best Project: The John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Project (Fulton, Ark.)

Government/Public Buildings

Best Project: College Station Fire Station #6 (College Station, Texas)

Green Project

Best Project: NASA Johnson Space Center Building 12 (Houston, Texas)

Health Care

Best Project: UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: CJMH C. Bryce Thomas MD Memorial Emergency Center (Jasper, Texas)

Higher Education/Research

Best Project: George W. Bush Presidential Center (University Park, Texas)

Award of Merit: Biomedical Research and Health Professions Building (Brownsville, Texas)

Highways/Bridges

Best Project: President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension (Grand Prairie, Texas)

Award of Merit: Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Project (Jefferson Parish, La.)

Interior Design/Tenant Improvement

Best Project: Sub-Zero Wolf Showroom (Dallas, Texas)

K-12 Education

Best Project: Carnegie Vanguard High School (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: St. Andrew's Episcopal School - Dell Fine Arts Center (Austin, Texas)

Landscape/Hardscape/Urban Development

Best Project: City of Dallas Klyde Warren Park (Dallas, Texas)

Manufacturing

Best Project: Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division | Manufacturing Facility (TARO 1) (Red Oak, Texas)

Office/Retail/Mixed-Use Developments

Best Project: BBVA Compass Plaza (Houston, Texas)

Renovation/Restoration

Best Project: 500 Fannin Building (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: Baylor T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital (Dallas, Texas)

Residential/Hospitality

Best Project: Museum Tower (Dallas, Texas)

Small Projects (under $10 million)

Best Project: Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: Turrell Skyspace (Houston, Texas)

Specialty Contracting

Best Project: GE Manufacturing Solutions – Locomotive Manufacturing Facility “Project Forward” (Fort Worth, Texas)

Sports/Entertainment

Best Project: Circuit of the Americas/Formula One US Grand Prix (Austin, Texas)

Water/Environment

Best Project: LPV-3.2 West Return Floodwall (New Orleans, La.)

Award of Merit: T-Bar Well Field Development & Delivery Project (Midland, Texas)