VHB is proud to celebrate five project wins in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) New England 2025 Best Projects Awards, recognizing exceptional engineering and collaboration across the region. Honored projects include South Coast Rail, Thomas Brook Rail Bridge Replacement, Parcel 12, Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge Replacement, and the UMass Chan Paul J. DiMare Center for Innovation & Excellence—each demonstrating VHB’s commitment to delivering solutions that improve mobility, strengthen communities, and enhance quality of life.
“Being part of multiple ENR New England Best Projects in a single year is an incredible honor,” said Meredith Avery, VHB’s New England Regional Manager. “These projects reflect the strength of our client partnerships and the dedication of our teams to deliver solutions that make communities more connected, resilient, and vibrant.”
South Coast Rail, awarded Best Project Award of Merit in the Airport/Transit category, stands out as a transformative investment for southeastern Massachusetts. The project restores passenger rail service between Boston and the South Coast for the first time since the 1950s, connecting residents of Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford with new opportunities. As Program Manager and Designer of Record for Phase 1, VHB supported more than three decades of project development—from planning and environmental review to final design—helping deliver new track, stations, layover facilities, bridges, grade crossings, and modernized signal systems. South Coast Rail showcases the power of sustained partnership among VHB, the MBTA, MassDOT and our joint-venture partner HNTB to advance a complex regional priority.
The Thomas Brook Rail Bridge Replacement in Oakfield, Maine earned Best Small Project, reflecting the successful replacement of a structurally deficient bridge along a critical freight rail route. Completed within a highly constrained work window, the project demonstrates how targeted infrastructure improvements can significantly enhance rail safety and reliability.
In Boston, Parcel 12 received Best Project - Office/Retail/Mixed-Use. Spanning the Massachusetts Turnpike, the air-rights development reconnects the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods with a dynamic mix of office, hotel, and retail uses complemented by public open space. VHB provided transportation, site/civil, and structural engineering services to help bring new life to this complex urban gateway.
The Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge Replacement was honored as Best Project - Highway/Bridge for revitalizing a key cross-border link between Maine and New Brunswick. VHB contributed engineering services supporting a safer, more resilient connection that strengthens long-standing economic and community ties.
The UMass Chan Paul J. DiMare Center for Innovation & Excellence, honored with an Award of Merit for Excellence in Sustainability, reflects the project team’s commitment to high-performance design and environmental stewardship. VHB supported the Medical School through campus planning, site/civil and utility engineering, permitting, traffic and parking analysis, and sustainability strategies that helped advance this next-generation research facility.
“As a firm, we are committed to working side by side with our clients to solve challenging problems and create a more sustainable, resilient future,” adds Meredith. “These awards are a testament to that collaboration and to the passion our people bring to every project.”
