Urban Demolition US$10 million or over

Winner Kiewit Infrastructure West
Country USA
Project Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition

Also shortlisted
Erith Contractors (United Kingdom)
Mainland Civil Queensland (Australia)

Kiewit’s senior operations manager Phil Wallace was in no doubt about the challenges involved in the Alaskan Way Viaduct demolition.

When the decision of the judges was announced, he said: “Getting recognised for demolishing a two-stage highway right through the waterfront of Seattle is like the first step in a total regeneration and rejuvenation of the area. It was great to work with all the people down there, working completely safely with no recordables and no damage to any of the buildings.”

Phil also paid tribute to Ferma, the demolition contractor on the project, and to the client, the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The second American winner in the Urban category, and by coincidence the second contract to finish just before Christmas 2019, the project involved removing 43,500 cu m (1.54 million cu ft) of reinforced concrete and a peak workforce of 74 people.

Working in a dense urban environment, Kiewit achieved a 100% recycling rate with the rubble from the viaduct.