Published: February 2, 2026
McElhanney is proud to share that the Highway 16 2nd Avenue & McBride Street Intersection Improvements project received an Award of Excellence in the Road Design and Engineering Innovation category at the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit’s BC Transportation Consulting Engineers Awards, presented by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies BC (ACEC-BC). This award celebrates projects that demonstrate engineering excellence, innovation, and meaningful community impact across the province.
A Gateway Reimagined
The Highway 16 2nd Avenue & McBride Street intersection serves as one of the primary gateways into the City of Prince Rupert, providing essential access to the BC Ferries terminal and the Port of Prince Rupert. As traffic volumes increased, the former three-way unsignalized intersection faced growing challenges related to heavy vehicle movements, pedestrian safety, and long-term operational performance.
This project replaced the existing intersection with a multi-lane roundabout, creating a safer, more efficient solution designed to meet both current needs and future growth.
The new roundabout delivers a range of transportation and community benefits, including:
- Improved traffic operations now and into the future
- Safe accommodation of large and oversized vehicles
- Enhanced safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions through improved traffic flow
- Support for the City of Prince Rupert’s broader downtown revitalization efforts, including watermain and storm utility upgrades
McElhanney provided full-scope engineering services throughout the project lifecycle, including project management and stakeholder engagement with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, the City of Prince Rupert, BC Transit, and property owners. Services also included option generation and evaluation of six conceptual designs, detailed design of the preferred option, preparation of tender documents, construction staging, and engineering services during and after construction.
The detailed design encompassed highway upgrades, active transportation and transit facilities, storm sewers, watermain upgrades, electrical design, BC Hydro underground relocations, retaining wall remediation, structural design of overhead guide sign structure foundations, and cost estimating.
In addition to intersection improvements, the project delivered important infrastructure upgrades and community benefits, including approximately 400m of municipal water main replacement, improved drainage, underground utility relocations, and the installation of two new bus stops.
Recognition of Engineering Excellence
This award reflects McElhanney’s commitment to innovative, sustainable, and community-focused engineering solutions. The Highway 16 2nd Avenue & McBride Street Intersection Improvements project stands as an example of how thoughtful design and collaboration can enhance safety, support economic activity, and improve transportation infrastructure for growing communities.
This achievement was possible thanks to the trust and collaboration of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit. We’d also like to thank the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, British Columbia for this recognition and congratulate all this year’s award winners!