The firm also recently signed a deal to provide consulting engineering services for CDOT's Office of Major Project Development. It will provide project development and engineering support on projects over $200 million and those that require alternative delivery and innovative financing.

In Utah, AECOM employs about 22 people in its Salt Lake City office, most for energy and transportation design. The firm will work with the state and other agencies on Mountain Accord, a program to provide better transit connections between the Salt Lake Valley and area ski resorts, says K.N. Gunalan, AECOM vice president of alternative delivery in the transportation business line. The firm is also calculating load ratings for 700 to 800 state bridges and serving on the project management team for the $1-billion-plus expansion of the Salt Lake airport.

Flood Relief

Soon after last September's historic floods in northeastern Colorado, Gov. John W. Hickenlooper (D) hired AECOM to establish the state's program management office and help with flood response and rebuilding.

The office ensured that the governor's information systems and resources worked closely with state emergency managers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It also provided real-time situational awareness for resource deployment, reporting of critical data, tracking and resolving conflicts for decision-making and communication.

"We enabled the governor to have the field view he needed to make the right decisions quickly," Russell says. AECOM brought in global experts to help local agencies with FEMA processes, among other tasks. "We didn't operate the [office]—the state did that—but we led data collection and consolidation and acted as a clearing house," Russell says. "We had days, and in some cases only hours, to respond to requests and get the right experts in place. We also knew that we were helping our own communities through a really tough time."

The flood response illustrated AECOM's diversity and depth, Russell says. "Many clients may use only one of our services," he says. "But we have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in having the right people here who can see the broader benefits of a multidisciplinary approach."

The Denver AECOM operation has about 240 employees, with another 120 working in the firm's Fort Collins, Colo., office.