Last week, Engineering News-Record (ENR) recognized the Thomas Brook Rail Bridge Replacement as one of the Best of the Best Projects for 2025. From more than 800 national submissions, the Best of the Best list comprises the top winning projects out of all the ENR regions.
Earlier this year, the project won an ENR New England Award for Best Regional Small Project.
Sargent Corporation accepted the award as the project contractor; VHB served as lead designer. Senior Construction Inspector John Rodrigue, Senior Manager - Special Projects Greg Goodrich, and Principal Tony Grande attended the awards ceremony along with the Sargent team.
The Thomas Brook Rail Bridge project successfully removed and replaced a structurally deficient bridge at a crucial link in freight movement between Canada and the United States. The project team had just 14 days and a highly constrained 96-hour outage to complete work along the busiest part of Maine’s Northern Railway. With the tight timeframe, a strong collaborative partnership between the project team was imperative.
To maximize the rail closure, the team increased early phase activity, rehearsed installation methods, and confirmed the structure’s tolerances before the shutdown. The project team also used digital survey control to verify that the precast concrete elements fit accurately, eliminating the need for field adjustments and saving critical time. The initiative's success demonstrates how targeted infrastructure improvements can significantly enhance rail safety and reliability.
“This complex undertaking was a logistical and technical balancing act,” said Greg. “Our strong partnership with Sargent allowed for the seamless collaboration that moved this project over the finish line.”
Read the full project feature in ENR.
