Barr is proud to be part of the award-winning Twin Ports Interchange (TPI) final design team, alongside SEH, Parsons, and 13 other subconsultants, that transformed one of Minnesota’s most complex transportation hubs. On February 6, the project was awarded a Grand Award and placed third in the top-level Grand Conceptor category in the 2026 American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC MN) Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition. The award recognizes innovation, project complexity, future value to the engineering profession, impact on communities and the environment, and fulfillment of client needs.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) used the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) delivery method to modernize a critical freight and commuter corridor through continuous collaboration across three contracts for geotechnical, roadway, and bridge design services led by Barr, SEH, and Parsons, respectively.
The project replaced aging elevated roadways with embankment-supported concrete pavement and seven bridges, significantly improving traffic safety and increasing freight capacity in the Duluth area. Located adjacent to Lake Superior near the mouth of the St. Louis River, the site presented formidable geotechnical challenges, including soft, compressible soils, shallow groundwater, and decades of industrial fill. To mitigate settlement risks, Barr designed a column-supported embankment (CSE) system spanning more than 13 acres and incorporating over 8,200 vertical columns. Barr and its subconsultant developed a detailed 3D subsurface model and performed advanced numerical analyses using FLAC3D to optimize the ground improvement design, supported by field testing and extensive instrumentation to verify performance during construction. Completed in October 2025, the Twin Ports Interchange stands as a recognized example of innovative engineering applied to complex infrastructure challenges.
Barr’s other entry, the Highland Bridge sustainable stacked infrastructure project in Saint Paul, submitted jointly with Kimley-Horn, also earned an EEA Grand Award from ACEC MN and the coveted People’s Choice Award.
Read more about these awards and the Twin Ports Interchange and Highland Bridge projects.