Kansas City, Mo.-based engineering firm Burns & McDonnell finished work last year on a $3.7-million program to raise 10 bridges on Interstate 35 for the Kansas Transit Authority. Burns & McDonnell handled engineering, procurement and construction for lifting the 10 spans, some from as low as 14 ft 6 in. to at least 15 ft 9 in., all to aid freight movement on the turnpike and decrease commercial traffic on local roads and highways.
It’s not the biggest or most attention-grabbing project from Midwest design firms, but it’s emblematic of a region that is demanding more modern roads for shipping manufactured goods at the same time that it finds new ways to distribute energy products ranging from natural gas, solar and wind power.