ACEC New Jersey recently honored McCormick Taylor at the 41st Annual Excellence in Engineering Awards Banquet held on March 14, 2012. McCormick Taylor was recognized for our US 30 Cooper River Drainage Improvement Project located in Camden, NJ.

McCormick Taylor performed a detailed hydrologic and hydraulic study of Cooper River from the Kaighn Avenue crossing to its confluence with Delaware River for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Bureau of Project Scope Development. The purpose of the study was to determine why US Route 30, between mileposts 1.6 and 3.0, is flooded by Cooper River and to develop measures for flood control along the roadway. It was determined that flooding was due to tidal backwater from Delaware River combined with fluvial flooding from the large, highly developed, watershed of Cooper River. The preferred alternative for flood control was to construct a tidal floodgate. In addition to the tidal floodgate, other flood control measures included earth dikes, flood control basins, roadway inlets and pipes, and all outfalls equipped with TideFlex valves. Following preliminary design of the entire project, NJDOT authorized final design of all elements except for the tidal floodgate, which was to be designed and constructed at a later date. McCormick Taylor completed the final design, permitting, bid and construction support services for the project. Construction was completed in 2010 and even without the tidal floodgate; the frequency of road closure due to flooding has been reduced by over 80%.