Congratulations to the City of Naperville on the Washington Street Bridge and Downtown Streetscape Improvements project being recognized by the APWA Fox Valley Branch with the 2026 Public Works Project of the Year Award in the Historical Restoration/Preservation category (projects $5-25M)! Ciorba Group led the innovative bridge design and associated work that transformed this critical corridor.

Ciorba designed a new concrete structure to replace a deteriorating 40-year-old bridge, to improve hydraulics and to enhance pedestrian connectivity to Fredenhagen Park, North Central College, and the Naperville Riverwalk. The new, slender post-tensioned bridge serves 30,000 vehicles daily. Our design included widening of Washington Street from south of Aurora Avenue to Chicago Avenue and improvements at the two intersections. A low flow walkway connection was also designed along the river to the existing covered bridge. Civiltech Engineering, Inc. provided final design for the streetscaping of the corridor and construction engineering for the entire corridor including the bridge.

Key achievements:
✅ Innovative post-tensioned bridge to improve water flow and structural longevity
✅ Maintained traffic flow throughout staged construction in the downtown area
✅ Enhanced bridge aesthetics complementing Naperville’s historic character
✅ Upgraded critical utilities including water main, sanitary, and electrical infrastructure
✅ Improved pedestrian amenities with barrier-protected sidewalks and river overlooks

Thank you to the City of Naperville, Civiltech, and all project partners for this exceptional collaboration. This award reflects our shared commitment to infrastructure excellence and community enhancement.