RJN Group, Inc. ranked in the 2006 Top 75 Design Firms

Midwest Construction

Scenic Overlook at Castle Rock Awarded APWA Project of the Year

Wheaton, IL (April 29, 2005) RJN Group, Inc. was recently selected for the highly prestigious 2005 American Public Works Project of the Year for its Scenic Overlook at Castle Rock State Park in Oregon, Illinois. This is the only award bestowed in the "Structures Under $2 Million" category, and is just one of 14 national awards.

Designed by RJN Group, the project incorporated numerous safety features and environmentally friendly materials.

The new boardwalk has wider safer stairs, child proofing safety siding, special wood railings (to reduce the potential for hand splinters), benches at two overlooks, and environmentally friendly ACQ treated lumber with no known hazards. In addition, the boardwalk was repositioned to enhance the visibility of the sandstorm formations and the view.

The boardwalk is subject to high winds. To enhance the view, the structure is held in place with concrete anchors positioned in a relatively non-conspicuous location.

Vehicle access and pedestrian access was also significantly enhanced. The parking lot was modified to allow school buses to turn around in the parking lot, rather than being forced to back out and up a steep entrance road onto a high speed rural section of Illinois Route 2. Because of the steep elevation changes in the area, retaining walls were required to allow widening of the parking lot. Retaining walls were designed to look like wall construction with rock indigenous to the area, but they are actually monolithic concrete structures.

To minimize the potential for injuries during construction, a helicopter was used to remove the old structure and to bring in materials for the new structure. This approach also helped reduce the construction time required for this award winning project.

The APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award was established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects. The award recognizes the alliance between the managing agency, the engineer, and the contractor who together complete public works projects.

Selection criteria for this award include use of good management techniques; safety performance; community relations; a demonstrated awareness of the need to protect the environment; and unusual accomplishments under adverse conditions.

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