Published: May 11th, 2026
McElhanney is proud to see two very different — but equally impactful — projects recognized at the 2026 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of BC (ACEC‑BC) Awards, celebrating excellence across British Columbia’s consulting engineering community. The Tank Hill Project – BC Highway Reinstatement Program received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award and an Award of Excellence in Bridges, while Cold Spring Creek Debris Flow Mitigation earned an Award of Merit in Municipal & Civil Infrastructure.
This year’s awarded projects reflect the breadth of challenges engineers are being asked to address across the province: protecting communities from escalating natural hazards and restoring critical transportation infrastructure through innovative, collaborative delivery models.
The Tank Hill Project – BC Highway Reinstatement Program, Near Lytton, BC
Category: Bridges I Submitted with Associated Engineering
Winner: Lieutenant Governor’s Award & Award of Excellence
Project Owner: BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit
The Tank Hill corridor on Highway 1 plays a critical role in connecting communities and supporting movement through British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon. In November 2021, a catastrophic atmospheric river destroyed both road and rail infrastructure at the site, severing two of the province’s primary transportation corridors and creating an urgent need for a permanent solution in a complex and constrained mountain environment.
Delivered through a collaborative Alliance model, the project brought together the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, Ledcor, McElhanney, Associated Engineering, Thurber Engineering Ltd., BGC Engineering, DMD Engineering, and G Ho Consulting Services under a shared “Best for Project, Best for Community” approach. This structure enabled close coordination across disciplines, rapid decision-making, and alignment of design, construction, and operational priorities from the outset.
The resulting solution is a permanent grade-separated crossing, centred on a 279m structural viaduct that realigns Highway 1 over the railway and adjacent creek channel. Designed within a highly constrained corridor – bounded by steep terrain, unstable ground, the Thompson River, and an active rail line – the structure incorporates variable-depth steel girders, specialized foundations, and geotechnical protections to manage risk and ensure long-term performance under extreme conditions.
Completed on an accelerated schedule and delivered under budget, the project restored a critical transportation link while maintaining live highway traffic and uninterrupted rail operations throughout construction. It also delivered meaningful benefits through Indigenous participation, local employment, and ongoing community engagement.
Learn more about this project here.
Cold Spring Creek Debris Flow Mitigation, Fairmont Hot Springs, BC
Category: Municipal & Civil Infrastructure I Submitted with BGC Engineering Inc. & Gygax Engineering Associates
Winner: Award of Merit
Project Owner: Regional District of East Kootenay
For decades, residents of Fairmont Hot Springs lived with the ongoing uncertainty of debris flows and flooding from Cold Spring Creek: fast-moving events capable of carrying boulders, logs, and sediment at speeds exceeding 40 km/h, damaging homes, closing highways, and prompting evacuation alerts.
Working in partnership with BGC Engineering Inc., Gygax Engineering Associates, and regulators, McElhanney led one of the most significant debris-flow mitigation efforts undertaken in British Columbia in more than two decades.
With no established Canadian design standards or recent precedent for infrastructure of this kind, the team developed a bespoke design framework informed by international best practices and tailored to the site’s unique conditions.
At the core of the solution is a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) slot barrier – the largest constructed in Canada for debris-flow mitigation – supported by a debris-settling basin and creek diversion works. Together, these elements function as an integrated system designed to manage both high-magnitude debris flows and more frequent debris floods.
The result is a durable, low-maintenance system that significantly reduces safety risk and gives the community greater confidence in how Cold Spring Creek can be managed over the long-term.
Learn more about this project here.
Congratulations to all this year’s winners, and thank you to the staff, subconsultants, clients, and industry partners who contributed to these projects. We’re proud to see this work recognized and look forward to continuing to take on complex challenges together!