HR Green has received the ACEC Missouri 2026 Engineering Excellence Grand Award for the Cedarhurst Drive Creek Bank Stabilization Project, completed for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) in partnership with Keeley Construction Group. Presented during ACEC Missouri’s Awards Banquet on March 5, 2026, in St. Louis, the honor recognizes outstanding engineering achievement that demonstrates technical excellence, innovative problem‑solving, and meaningful public benefit through resilient, community‑focused infrastructure design.
Located behind the 10,000 block of Cedarhurst Drive in unincorporated north St. Louis County, the project addressed a long‑standing erosion problem along Black Jack Creek that had worsened over several decades. What began as a localized streambank slump evolved into two major failures, threatening nearby homes, fences, and utility poles. Increased stormwater runoff from surrounding suburban development further destabilized the creek, creating a confined, fast‑moving channel that put both private property and public infrastructure at risk.
MSD selected HR Green to develop a durable, corridor‑wide solution rather than pursue isolated repairs. Following detailed geomorphological and hydraulic analyses, HR Green advanced a comprehensive stabilization design spanning approximately 1,300 feet of stream corridor. The final solution combined structural protection with ecological restoration through stream realignment, bank regrading, stone toe protection, native vegetation, floodplain benches, and grade‑control measures. Close coordination with MSD, residents, and construction partners throughout design and construction helped maintain access, protect utilities, and keep neighbors informed, resulting in a resilient solution that balances engineering performance, environmental restoration, and community needs.
Today, the Cedarhurst Drive Creek Bank Stabilization Project stands as a strong example of how thoughtful water resources engineering can solve immediate risks while creating broader public benefit. The project now protects adjacent homes and infrastructure, improves stream stability, restores environmental function, and provides a model for resilient, nature-based creek stabilization.
By earning the ACEC Missouri Grand Award, the project has been recognized as one of the state’s most outstanding engineering achievements and a reflection of HR Green’s commitment to building communities and improving lives.
