Two local firms capture Build America Awards
by Stephanie Basalyga

This year, two local general contracting firms walked away with Build America Awards during an evening ceremony that capped off a national AGCA convention in Seattle.

Advanced American Diving Services Inc. of Oregon City, Oregon nabbed the Municipal Utilities-New category. Each year, the award competition attracts hundreds of project entries from around the country.

The first time was a charm for Advanced American Diving, which won a Build America award for work on Phase I of the East Bank Esplanade project for the City of Portland.

Billed as the longest floating walkway in America, the project called for the design and construction of six 60-by-12 foot aluminum gangways, four 60-by-40 foot float pods and 1,000 feet of floating walkway.

This was the first city project to be completed since the salmon and steelhead trout were included under the Endangered Species Act. That meant the construction of the project had to have minimal impact on the Willamette River while taking into consideration fish spawning and migration cycles.

The walkway boasts such features as "fish friendly" non-toxic, low maintenance materials like aluminum and galvanized hardware.

Fully handicapped accessible, and outfitted with extensive safety features, the walkway provides a gracefully arcing opportunity to walk on water.