ENR 2019 Merit Award Winner – Ski Time Square Drive/Mt. Werner Circle Roundabout in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Baseline was recently awarded one of two merit awards from the Engineering News Record (ENR) for the 2019 Best Project Awards. Winners were selected out of a seven state “Intermountain” region and were divided into multiple disciplines with each having one winner and one to two merit awards. This year they had the largest number of entries in its 20-year history of the award at 156 for the small project category. Twelve judges made up of architects, GCs, green consultants, and virtual engineers evaluated entries based on five criteria: overcoming challenges and teamwork, safety, innovation and contribution to the industry, construction quality and craftsmanship, and functionality of design and aesthetic quality.

Baseline submitted our Ski Time Square Drive and Mt. Werner Circle Roundabout project in the small project category. The project required expert communication between all stakeholders to address the growing issue of transportation and mobility in the Steamboat Ski Area. The city described their relationship with Baseline as “a partnership that exceeded our expectations and resulted in a successful project that was completed on schedule and under budget.” The project involved designing a roundabout for the intersection at Mt Werner Circle and Ski Time Square Drive while adhering to the City’s design criteria for Roads and Drainage according to the citywide goal to improve the overall arrival experience at the ski base.

Throughout the project, Baseline overcame different challenges and went above and beyond to ensure that the construction maintained accessibility for the duration of the project. Baseline went a step further to attest that all stakeholders were satisfied by adjusting the center of the roundabout early in the design to minimize impacts to adjacent properties and easement acquisition needs. The project was on an aggressive timeline and strict budget creating further obstacles to overcome. The City, Baseline, and the contractor regularly updated the budget which allowed City staff to make informed decisions regarding value engineering which ultimately delivered the project under budget. As well as designing a technically-sound and cost-effective final product, Baseline took extra care to make the project beautiful as well, adding natural sandstones, trees, and plantings native to the surroundings. The wayfinding and lighting coordinates with the rest of the base and provides an inviting entrance to the ski area. In his letter of recommendation for this award, Danny Paul, the project manager for the City of Steamboat, described the final roundabout as “a tremendous new asset to the community and visitors alike. The roundabout will keep traffic flowing smoothly and allow for a shortened transit bus turn-around which will lend to an improved guest experience.” Baseline is very honored to receive this outstanding design award. For more information, be sure to visit ENR’s website to see a full listing of 2019 project winners