Our team understands the importance of supporting cities, counties, and other government agencies through infrastructure improvements. In 2023, TKDA acquired Sáez Consulting Engineers (SCE), a Seattle-based civil and structural engineering firm, to support these agencies in the Pacific Northwest. With the addition of SCE, we have expanded our local resources and elevated our service offerings to provide more comprehensive solutions.

Today, our integrated team of engineers, planners, and other specialized experts work closely to support cities with their transportation and facility needs. These capabilities include:

Municipal Infrastructure: Our team offers a range of services, including wet and dry utility relocations, safe route design, stormwater management, site development, surveying, mapping, and facility design.

Surveying: We support our clients with multiple projects, including construction staking, topographical surveys, scanning and settlement monitoring, transportation and roadway design, and construction QA/QC. Our state-of-the-art equipment and software help our clients with complex construction stakeouts, accurate as-builds, and renditions of existing conditions for use in reports and construction documents.

Utilities: Our local engineers specialize in power and communication, lift stations, flow control, SWPPP, fire supply, and domestic services.

Structures: Our facilities team focuses on walls, foundations, box culverts, and sign structures. We engage communities to create sustainable and resilient spaces that are beautiful and highly functional. From plazas and playgrounds to large-scale parks, rehabilitated nature preserves, and community centers, our projects tell great stories about the positive impact these facilities have on communities. 

Solar: We have a dedicated team of engineers that specialize in solar array and battery storage as a Core Business Unit. Our team has an in-depth understanding of the technical requirements of solar plant design, but their real expertise lies in guiding clients on how to adopt solar power in a way that fits their specific needs.

Housing: We recently completed two complex projects for Housing Kitsap, quickly resolving site conditions while staying on budget and schedule involving survey, mapping, and civil and structural engineering. We have successfully completed many multi-family facilities for private developers and the Seattle Housing Authority.

Trails and Parks: We provide complete planning and design services to create vibrant parks and corridors connecting your community to our outdoor treasures. We have successfully executed a broad range of trail and park projects for the National Parks, King County, and Kitsap County, aiming to create sustainable and healthy enhancements for the public. 

Safe Routes to Schools: We understand the safe route mandates and have completed several projects for school districts and cities in Western and Eastern Washington.

Parking Lots: Our team has worked on various parking lots, particularly for parks or as an ancillary element of our projects. We understand the intricacies of ADA requirements and parking access geometries.

Fish Passages: Our team is well-seasoned on fish barrier removals, with our expertise in structures, civil roadway, hydrology, survey-mapping, utility coordination, and CADD modeling of the new creek re-alignments.

SR 305 Safety Improvements Hostmark to Ferry Terminal

TKDA established horizontal and vertical control, completed property line surveys, and implemented the entire three-dimensional manual deformation monitoring program. The project entailed replacing an existing 48-inch diameter RCP culvert on this salmon-bearing stream with a 20-foot diameter fish passage crossing a 120-foot-high railroad embankment. Our team worked closely with the contractor and the geotechnical project engineering during the tunneling construction to read, reduce, and report the daily, weekly, and monthly monitoring readings.

Port Gamble Forest

TKDA completed the topographical mapping and geotechnical investigation recommendations for two vehicular parking facilities for Kitsap County Parks. The effort began with a preliminary design and environmental assessment to define the location and dimensions and identify the potential environmental impacts on the parking facilities. The first facility included the Stottlemeyer parking lot, which has vehicle stalls, ADA, and horse trailer parking. The next facility, the Heritage Ride Park parking lot, contains vehicle stalls, ADA, and one portable ADA bathroom.

Port of Bellingham Solar

Working with Sazan, TKDA assessed 12 building rooftops within the Port of Bellingham and five parking lot areas at the Port of Bellingham Airport for potential solar PV installations. The project scope included providing recommendations and cost estimates for various locations, which will assist the Port in planning for a PV system roll-out in subsequent years. The wide array of building types and ages included web locker buildings that were all wood pole barn structures with aging roof beams. This required creative planning, layout, and cost considerations to prepare the Port and project managers for implementation and grant application planning.

The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts

The project site is the current location of the Bainbridge Performing Arts Center in Bainbridge Island, WA. TKDA worked on designing and documenting the site demolition, horizontal controls, grading, paving, curbs, sidewalks, gutters, stormwater drainage and site recharge systems, and the temporary erosion and sedimentation. Our team also prevented and coordinated the permitting process with governing authorities, designed all non-electrical utilities, developed criteria for the site survey, and coordinated work with the architect and consultants.

Learn more about our Buildings and Sites and Transportation service offerings

Fish are an essential resource in Washington, but dams, culverts, bridges, and other infrastructure block certain fish species from going upstream. Municipalities, counties, and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) are replacing this infrastructure with fish-friendly bridges and culverts, and TKDA is helping them preserve this important resource. 

TKDA acquired Sáez Consulting Engineers (SCE), a Seattle and Kitsap County-based civil and structural engineering firm, to expand our capabilities for Pacific Northwest municipalities, counties, and other government agencies. Our integrated team of engineers, surveyors, and other specialized technicians have the experience and expertise to work on fish passage projects. Our expertise spans across structures, civil roadway, hydrology, survey, utility coordination, and MicroStation. Overall, we are a uniquely positioned team with diverse technical abilities and a dedication to implementing proven strategies to create durable and reliable fish passages. 

Advanced PHDS for Olympic Region Fish Passages | Olympic Peninsula Region, WA

TKDA worked with HDR, Jacobs, and a hydraulics subconsultant to develop the creek’s vertical and horizontal realignments and establish surface models of existing and proposed CAD surfaces to develop plans, critical sections, details, and the culvert geometry for insertion into the Preliminary Hydraulic Design document deliverables. Our team supplemented the topographical survey with LiDAR technology to get the most accurate grading model. Additionally, we assisted the PHDS team with other figures such as LWM (Large Woody Material) exhibits for their reports. We provided services related to fish passage hydraulic crossings for Lunch Creek, Crane Creek, and Wayne Creek. Learn more about this project.

SR 3 Chico Creek Fish Barriers | Kitsap County, WA

TKDA performed a topographical survey and mapping to illustrate all existing on-site pipe inverts and drainage ditch locations, show all existing culvert crossing inverts, verify the WSDOT-provided survey along SR 3, provide Chico Creek stream channel survey sections, and provide SR 3 and Chico Way alignment survey. Read more about this project.

Culvert Replacement at Railroad MP 28 | Bremerton, WA

TKDA established horizontal and vertical control, completed property line surveys, and implemented the entire three-dimensional manual deformation monitoring program. The project entailed replacing an existing 48-inch diameter RCP culvert on this salmon-bearing stream with a 20-foot diameter fish passage crossing a 120-foot-high railroad embankment.

I-90 Soderman Creek Fish Passage | King County, WA

As part of the WSDOT Fish Passage Program, TKDA is currently replacing one existing culvert with three new single-span bridges to help with fish passage beneath I-90. Working with COWI, our services include the structural design of the new bridges, the load rating of the new bridges, calculating bridge item quantities, preparing bridge contract plans, and supporting the project through the advertisement period.

Learn more about our Surface Water and Transportation service offerings

At TKDA, we strive to empower communities through their infrastructure. In 2023, TKDA acquired Sáez Consulting Engineers (SCE), a Seattle-based civil and structural engineering firm, to expand our transportation and facilities capabilities in the Pacific Northwest. With the commonality of a collaborative and proactive project approach, this partnership allows us to employ our breadth of resources to provide continued service and expanded resources to municipalities, counties, and other government agencies.

Together, we are a uniquely positioned team with the technical expertise and dedication to implement proven and efficient strategies. Our engineers, surveyors, and other specialized technicians draw on each other’s strengths to offer a wide range of services for cities transportation and facilities needs. These capabilities include:

• Transportation and Roadways
• Fish Passages
• Municipal Infrastructure
• Renewables
• Surveying, Mapping, and Scanning
• Value Engineering Studies
• Utilities
• Constructability Reviews

 

Bainbridge Landing, Island Style 

TKDA was the engineer-of-record for this multi-family development on Bainbridge Island, consisting of 107 apartment units, 18 townhomes, seven live/work lofts, a one-acre park, and two new public cross-street and frontage ROW dedications. Additionally, the team completed the topographical, ALTA, and property line survey for a five-acre parcel and historical site. Learn more about this project.

SR 99 Bored Tunnel

TKDA supported the Seattle Tunnel Partners, A Joint Venture (STP-JV), with design and surveying services for a 2.2-mile tunnel project. They held four contracts, which included designing the utility relocation and street restoration work, utility monitoring QA, manual survey for the settlement monitoring program, and QA Structural and Material Controls inspection. Read more about this project.

Learn more about our Buildings and Sites and Transportation service offerings

By Meredith Wade and Jeannine Clancy

The City of Stillwater, founded in 1843, features a pedestrian-dense downtown with a historic Main Street, scenic views of the St. Croix River, and an abundant sense of community. The Historic Stillwater Lift Bridge is a treasured community asset crossing the St. Croix River. The lift bridge was constructed in 1931 connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Due to traffic issues with the bridge and its location within the heart of the downtown historic district, a new bridge for vehicular traffic was constructed south of Stillwater and opened to traffic in 2017.

 “With the construction of the new St. Croix Crossing bridge and the conversion of the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge to a pedestrian and bicycle only use bridge, an opportunity to redesign Chestnut Street between Main Street and the iconic Lift Bridge concourse became available,” said Shawn Sanders, City of Stillwater Director of Public Works/City Engineer. The Chestnut Street Plaza project is the conversion of two blocks of former Minnesota State Highway 36 from previously shared space between pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, and trucks into a comfortable place for pedestrian and bicycle use. According to Sanders, “TKDA’s integrated design team worked with the City of Stillwater, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and Washington County to create a pedestrian plaza that reflects the historic character of downtown and the Stillwater Lift Bridge, effectively accommodates bicyclists and pedestrians, maintains north and south vehicular crossing traffic, and creates gathering areas in the context of the historic street grid.”

To fulfill the vision of ensuring the new plaza fits the historic nature of the downtown Stillwater area, the design team focused on what makes the city unique—the river, the bridge, the historic character, and liveliness of the city. “With a strong emphasis on community, we found that people want to be where other people are,” said Kathleen Anglo, TKDA’s Landscape Architect. “The plaza’s overall design reflected what one might see on a historic street in Downtown Stillwater.”  The final design includes sidewalks along the buildings to create a comfortable walking area, a buffer space to capture rainwater in planted areas, and new historic light fixtures. Seating areas were established and include custom benches reminiscent of St. Croix Valley limestone bluffs and the iconic timber industry featuring buff-colored precast bases and recycled material seating with a woodgrain design. The seating and other site furniture are in the space typically used for vehicle parking. The center area is free from permanent fixtures. “The Chestnut Street Plaza allows pedestrian and bicycle traffic to freely move between downtown’s Main Street, the St. Croix River Crossing Trail, and the Lift Bridge. The Plaza can be used for various City and community events throughout the year, preserves an unobstructed view of the Lift Bridge down Chestnut Street, and provides emergency vehicle access when needed,” explained Anglo.

The unique blend of urban design, engineering innovation, and community focus created a plaza that honors and preserves the City of Stillwater’s historic character while adapting to the changing use of the area.

Navigating a unique design process and multi-agency review:

After reviewing initial concept designs, officials from MnDOT’s Cultural Resource unit recommended an option where the plaza maintains the look of the street grid of the City’s historic commercial district. This meant the Chestnut Street Plaza should look and feel like a street, where there is a visual separation between the sidewalks and roadway, no planters or permanent additions to the footprint of the street (the area between typical curbs), and the use of materials reflective of the historic elements of downtown. Furthermore, MnDOT required that the plaza be designed to State Aid Standards. To align with this, the design team refined the original concepts and brainstormed how to design the space to accommodate pedestrians but maintain the look of a street. The final design includes concrete sidewalks along the building edge to maintain pedestrian access routes, curb/boulevard space for drainage and fixtures, and the area originally reserved for on-street parking is used for seating, bike racks, and trash receptacles.

The Chestnut Street Plaza project received financing from the City of Stillwater and MnDOT resulting in multi-agency coordination and participation.

Existing Stormwater Systems Required Capacity Improvements:

Stillwater is in the St. Croix River valley, with the City’s upstream watershed flowing through Chestnut Street’s storm sewer system. During rainfall events exceeding the five-year design storm, significant overland flow occurred within the former street section that caused flooding.

During the design phase, stormwater modeling showed the City’s storm sewer was at capacity and raising the roadway bed to align with the sidewalk level disrupted overflow capacity of water down Chestnut Street toward the river. As a solution, a 96-inch by 108-foot pipe was installed to handle overflow capacity. This pipe meters the release of water downstream. Underground storage and sloping the plaza away from adjacent properties provides additional flow capacity and reduces flooding potential.

“Trees on the plaza provide shady areas for a comfortable user experience and help reduce the amount of stormwater runoff,” said Anglo. “To promote tree growth success, we incorporated soil cells into the design to further the stormwater runoff benefits.”  Soil cells were built using a series of two-foot by two-foot open chambers that contained amended soil. The chambers support the plaza and provide space for a loose topsoil mix, allowing the tree roots and plantings to thrive in an urban environment. Separate drain tile systems bring water into the soil cell area and remove water when the soil is oversaturated.

Construction requires extensive coordination, flexibility, and patience from the public:

Because downtown Stillwater holds numerous community events throughout the year, innovative construction management techniques revolved around managing public access to the area. Construction zones were modified to ensure that the work area was protected while accommodating pedestrians and events. The project area was jeopardized, and work delayed due to flooding in 2023 causing the contractor to secure the workzone and vacate operations for eight weeks. Access and detours from the plaza site were diligently coordinated to provide as little disruption as possible for residents, visitors, and businesses during the project.

Stillwater is a historic city that takes pride in being a year-round travel destination and prioritizes bringing people together. “With the plaza opening in September 2023, residents, visitors, and businesses are grateful to have an area for pedestrians and bicycles that heavily emphasizes this notion of community,” said Shawn Sanders. “As the public works profession modifies existing roadways and highways in the future, I hope that the Chestnut Street Plaza project will serve as a case study for successfully engaging the community, stakeholders, and other participating agencies.”

The American Public Works Association (APWA) welcomed TKDA’s Jeannine Clancy to the Board of Directors at this year’s Public Works Expo. APWA serves professionals in all aspects of public works, setting it apart from other organizations and making it an effective voice of public works throughout North America. With over 32,000 members, APWA includes personnel from local, county, state/province, and federal agencies and private sector personnel who supply products and services to public professionals.

Jeannine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the APWA Board. Her public works experience spans over 30 years, including Public Works Director positions with two Minnesota communities and serving on the executive leadership team for Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), the regional agency that provides wastewater collection and treatment services for 111 cities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Throughout her career and current role as TKDA’s Program Director for Strategic and Community Partnerships, Jeannine has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to staff development, customer service, and collaborative processes that provide top-notch public services and capital projects.

Jeannine has been an active APWA Minnesota Chapter member for over 25 years, with experience on the conference planning committee, the Chapter’s Executive Committee, as a Chapter officer, and as a delegate to the Council of Chapters. Most recently, Jeannine served as the chair of APWA’s Water Resources Management Committee. In 2016, Jeannine received the Hugo G. Erickson Award for Chapter Service. Upon nomination by the Minnesota Chapter, she received the APWA Harry S. Swearingen Award for Leadership in 2018 and the prestigious Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year in 2021.