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BUSINESS NEWS BALFOUR BEATTY WINS PRESTIGIOUS CAGC PINNACLE AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE HARKERS ISLAND BRIDGE PROJECT Balfour Beatty has been honored with a 2024 Pinnacle Award from Carolinas AGC for its exceptional delivery of North Carolina Department of Transportation’s $60 million Harkers Island Bridge Replacement project. The award was presented during CAGC’s 104th Annual Convention in Charleston, South Carolina. The CAGC’s Pinnacle Awards, co- sponsored by CPA firm GreerWalker LLP and the law firm of Johnston, Allison & Hord, recognize construction projects in the Carolinas that enhance their communities and demonstrate excellence in the industry. Entries are judged on unique aspects and challenges, special values, project management, budget and schedule, and safety performance. The Harkers Island Bridge Replacement project involved constructing a new 3,200-foot fixed-span bridge connecting Harkers Island to mainland North Carolina, replacing the aging Earl C. Memorial Bridge and Bridge No. 96. The
new structure eliminates the accessibility challenges that plagued the previous swing-span bridge, which required mechanical opening for marine traffic and experienced periodic breakdowns that isolated the island community. “This project exemplifies innovation in highway and bridge construction, particularly through its pioneering use of non-ferrous reinforcing materials – a first for North Carolina,” said Mark Johnnie, Balfour Beatty US Civils senior vice president and chief operating officer. “This advancement doubles the bridge’s design life to 100 years while significantly reducing future maintenance requirements. I’m incredibly proud of our project team for delivering this critical infrastructure nearly a year ahead of schedule. Their unwavering commitment to operational excellence has provided a transformative transportation solution that will benefit countless travelers and the Harkers Island community for generations to come.” Despite facing significant challenges, including a strict annual in-water work moratorium and the project’s remote location 25 miles from the nearest concrete plant, the Balfour Beatty team
completed the bridge 308 days ahead of schedule. The Harkers Island Bridge Replacement project maintained an impressive safety record, achieving the North Carolina Department of Labor “Building Star Site” status with zero lost-time incidents or environmental infractions. The project’s success was supported by key partners including Coastal Precast Systems, S&W Ready Mix Concrete, and New South Construction Supply. Balfour Beatty is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design- build services for public and private sector clients across the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company performs heavy civil, rail and a broad variety of vertical construction in select local geographies. The company is held by Balfour Beatty plc, who is a global leader in international infrastructure with interests in Hong Kong, U.K., and U.S. Balfour Beatty US is ranked among the top domestic building contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record.
are cutting your potential employee pool by half, clients by half, suppliers and subcontractors by half – and it’s all unnecessary. We don’t know everyone’s personal experiences that have led to their political orientation and beliefs, but if we don’t want to halve all of our possibilities and cut out people from our lives – people we can learn from and who are helpful to accomplishing our goals – we need to be more open and understanding of their point of view. It’s just that simple. Maybe these three things aren’t that profound to you all – our readers – but they have been to me. I’m just thankful that at my age I am still capable of learning new things! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. “What I decided I really wanted to do instead was tell you about a few of the things I learned or had reinforced to me recently that I thought might help you. They may seem disconnected but they are all important to me.”
MARK ZWEIG, from page 5
and those overtly complex. One has been trying to help my wife who is suffering through a variety of autoimmune system problems that all started after getting COVID-19 very early on. With so many doctors (eight), and so many different diagnoses it has been very difficult for us to sort out all of it to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Only through continuous research and reading (and considering the credibility of our information sources!), and in several cases, sharing what we have learned with her doctors, is the picture of a multi-faceted approach emerging to address her health issues. Even some of the doctors have been impressed. Neither of us are physicians nor do we have any significant scientific backgrounds. But it would not happen without our intense effort and constant digging. 3. Be careful about being overly judgmental. It really works against your ability to get along with other people, and that will hamper every aspect of your personal and business life. The recent election has proved that to me. So many people I know are willing to write off everyone on one side or the other as being “bad,” “ignorant,” ”stupid,” “evil,” or “ill-intentioned.” If you want to do that you are going to make yourself very unhappy and automatically reduce your chances of success in any endeavor. You
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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 17, 2025, ISSUE 1573
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