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Designated Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks New!
Alphabetical Listing

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  • If a project is part of the Heritage Knowledgebase Database, its name is linked directly to that particular Web page.
  • * Projects which have been documented by Historic American Engineering Record.
  • ‡ Projects which have been designated by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark or part of such a landmark

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Project Name, Location Designated Year
Acequias of San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA

This is one of the earliest uses of engineered water supply and irrigation systems in the United States. The first of eight original acequias was under construction in 1718 and two are still in operation. The remains of one are visible on the grounds of the Alamo. 		1968
Acquedotto Traiano-Paolo, Rome, Italy

The original aqueduct built by the Emperor Trajan, circa 110 AD, was a symbol of the advanced infrastructure of ancient Rome. Largely rebuilt in the 17th Century, it continues to provide water for the fountains of Rome as well as fulfills a partial need of the modern city. 		1992
Acueducto de Segovia, Segovia, Spain

One of the best preserved Roman constructions, the Aqueduct at Segovia was still in use as recently as fifty years ago. Constructed around 50 AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan, out of some 200,000 granite blocks, the aqueduct was made without concrete. 		1999
Alaska Highway, Canada/United States

The Alaska Highway, extending from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska, was built in 1942 in just eight months. This 2500-km highway provided an essential transportation link for troops and equipment to Alaska and Northwest Canada during World War II. 		1995
Allegheny Portage Railroad, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, USA * ‡

Opened in 1834, this railroad was designed to carry fully-loaded canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains (summit of railroad at 2,291 feet above sea level). The thirty-six mile project included the first railroad tunnel in the United States, ten double-track inclined planes and four viaducts. In 1844, John A. Roebling replaced the hemp rope with wire rope, the first such use in the United States. 		1987
Alvord Lake Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA * ‡

Built in 1889 by Ernest L. Ransome, this bridge, located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, is the oldest (and first to be constructed in the United States) concrete arch bridge with steel reinforcing bars. 		1969
Armour-Swift-Burlington Bridge, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

This unique, telescoping vertical-lift, steel-truss bridge spanning the Missouri River at Kansas City since 1912 is representative of the innovative moveable bridges designed by former ASCE President, and leading bridge engineer, John Alexander Low Waddell. It was originally designed with a movable lower span to carry the rail traffic while the upper span carried uninterrupted highway traffic. Recent renovation has removed the highway traffic. 		1996
Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles, California, USA

This 6.7-mile parkway was the first freeway to be built as a state highway in the United States and is the first freeway west of the Mississippi. 		1999
Ascutney Mill Dam, Windsor, Vermont, USA

Built in 1834 and still in service today, this is among the very earliest masonry dams of significant size. Made of granite and measuring 120 feet in length with a crest 42 feet above tailwater, it is the structural precursor of today's concrete gravity dams. 		1970
Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA *

When completed in 1929, this hall was the world's largest auditorium and the greatest permanent span three-hinged roof arch system ever built. Now known as Boardwalk Hall, this bold feat of structural engineering remains in service today. 		1983
Bailey Island Bridge, Harpswell, Maine, USA *

Completed in 1928, the Bailey Island Bridge traverses an 1,150-foot stretch of high tidal water with swift currents, severe saltwater exposure, and heavy winter ice floes. This challenge was met with an innovative split-stone open crib construction, carrying the concrete deck; a concrete span crosses the navigation channel. The bridge continues to serve its function without impeding tidal flow; an exceptional example of an engineering solution to meet extremely unusual conditions. 		1983
Baltimore & Ohio Roundhouse & Shop Complex, Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

This structure is the sole surviving cast-iron framed roundhouse and an important example of mid-19th century industrial building design. Designed by Albert Fink, in collaboration with Benjamin H. Latrobe, it represents an early use of standardized, prefabricated iron structural elements to create an efficient and fire-resistant building. 		2001
Bayonne Bridge, New Jersey/New York State, USA *

Completed in 1931, this steel arch bridge, designed principally by Othmar Ammann (Hon.M.ASCE), was the greatest span (1,675 feet) of its type in the world and remained so until the New River Gorge Bridge at West Virginia exceeded it by twenty-five feet in 1977. The Bayonne, which connects Bayonne, N.J. to New York City, N.Y, was the first major bridge to use manganese steel for its main structural members. The construction process employed an innovative system of falsework, developed to preclude the need for heavy anchorages. 		1985
Belle Fourche Dam, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, USA

A key element in the Belle Fourche reclamation project, this was the largest homogeneous rolled-earth fill dam in the world when completed in 1911. The project's engineers developed many of the quality standards that became the practice for later major compacted-soil structures. 		1988
Bethlehem Waterworks, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA ‡

The first known pumping system providing drinking and wash water in the North American colonies. The existing building is dated 1761, but it was preceded by an experimental frame building dated 1754. A wooden waterwheel, driven by the flow of Monocacy Creek, drove wooden pumps which lifted the water through wooden pipes to the top of the hill where the water was distributed by gravity. 		1971
Bidwell Bar Suspension Bridge, Oroville, California, USA *

An example of the typical suspension bridges constructed during California gold rush days, the Bidwell Bar Suspension Bridge was built in 1856 over the Feather River approximately ten miles northeast of Oroville. The bridge has been reconstructed at a historical park about a mile from its original site and it is the only remaining suspension bridge of its time in the West. 		1967
Blenheim Bridge, North Blenheim, New York, USA ‡

Constructed in 1855, this covered wooden truss bridge, designed and built by Nicholas Powers, is the longest (210 feet) bridge of its kind in the world. This record clear span was achieved by an ingenious interlocking of truss and arch action and remains today as a tribute to American engineering. This bridge is one of the few bridges on the Register of National Historic Landmarks of the National Park System. 		1983
Blimp Hangars, Tustin, California, USA

These blimp hangars constructed in 1943 remain the largest clear span wooden structures in the world. They demonstrate civil engineering ingenuity in response to a wartime shortage of typical building materials. 		1993
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia-North Carolina, USA

Begun in 1935, this 469-mile scenic highway was, at the time, the longest road ever planned as a single unit in the United States. The parkway includes numerous engineering accomplishments over a wide variety of terrains, and contains the first segmental structure in North America built using progressive placement (Linn Cove Viaduct). The Parkway was designed to provide scenic variety, including road routing along mountainsides, plateaus, streams, and broad river valleys, presenting motorists with one of the most diversified experiences in the world. 		1999
Bollman Truss Bridge, Savage, Maryland, USA * ‡

The noted Baltimore bridge engineer Wendel Bollman built this eighty foot double truss span in 1869. It is the only remaining example of a patented design that was used extensively on the Baltimore & Ohio and other railroads. 		1966
Bonneville Dam, Columbia River System, Bonneville, Oregon, USA ‡

This structure, put on stream in 1937, was the first Federal dam of fifty-five major hydroelectric projects on the Columbia River. They constitute the largest hydroelectric system in the world and have contributed immeasurably to the development of the Pacific Northwest and the nation. 		1987
Borden Base Line, Hatfield, Massachusetts, USA

Completed in 1831, the Borden Base Line of over 39,000 feet remains today an outstanding achievement in precision measurements made possible through the care and inventiveness of the American civil engineer, Simeon Borden. Through this work, American skill in geodetic engineering attained international acclaim. 		1981
Boston Subway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA ‡

Open for service in 1897, this subway was the first in North America and, as an engineering innovation, became the prototype for other urban mass transit subway systems in the United States. 		1978
Bridgeport Covered Bridge, Nevada City, California, USA

Built in 1862, this bridge is the longest single span (230 feet) covered bridge west of the Mississippi River. The design is best described as a Burr truss. This bridge, which originally carried heavy freight between Marysville, California and Virginia City, Nevada, remains in service. 		1970
Bridges of Keeseville, Keeseville, New York, USA

Keeseville has three remarkable operational 19thcentury bridges of different types all within five hundred yards of each other: a one hundred foot span stone arch (1843); a wrought iron Pratt truss (1878); and a twisted wire cable suspension bridge (1888). The evolution of civil engineering materials, analysis, and design, are clearly illustrated by these structures, all of which remain in service. 		1987
Bridges of Niagara, Niagara Falls, Canada/United States

The Niagara River gorge has been the site of a number of historically significant bridges. Charles Ellet, Jr.'s suspension bridge of 1849, John A. Roebling's railroad suspension bridge of 1855, Charles C. Schneider's railroad cantilever of 1883, Leffert L. Buck's two arch bridges (1897-1898), and Shortridge Hardestry's Rainbow (1941) all influenced the development of long-span bridge design and construction. 		1992
Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA * ‡

When completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was the first to use steel cables and trusses. Designed by John A. Roebling, it was built under the supervision of his son Washington. 		1972
Brooks AFB, Old Hangar 9, San Antonio, Texas, USA

In 1918, during its first year of operation, Brooks Field consisted of sixteen hangars with extensive support facilities. Of these early buildings, Hangar 9, dedicated to the memory of Edward H. White II, is the only structure still in existence. 		1998
Buffalo Bill Dam, Cody, Wyoming, USA *

At the time of its completion in 1910, this dam was the highest in the world and the only one with a height/width ratio greater than one. This was the first major concrete arch dam to be designed and built using the trial-load analysis technique. 		1973
Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, Claremont, North Carolina, USA

The Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, constructed in 1895 and restored in 1994, is the only remaining example of the improved lattice truss timber bridge patented by Herman Haupt in 1839. Haupt, who was in charge of railroad engineering for the Union Army during the Civil War, evolved the design while developing a rational method for truss analysis as outlined in his 1851 book, General Theory of Bridge Construction, one of the earliest American books on bridge engineering. 		2001
Cabin John Aqueduct, Cabin John, Maryland, USA * ‡

Built between 1857 and 1863 under the direction of Capt. Montgomery C. Meigs, this was the longest span stone masonry arch in the world until 1903. This structure is still serving the basic purpose for which it was built, providing water to Washington, DC, as well as carrying traffic loads. 		1972
Caledonian Canal, Scotland

This 60 mile long 110 ft wide ship canal across Scotland between the north and Irish seas was constructed between 1804 and 1822 using state-of-the-art technology on an unprecedented scale. The civil engineer, Thomas Telford, working with consulting engineer William Jessop and contractors John Simpson, John Wilson and John Cargill, built the canal with 28 locks 170 ft or 180 ft long, 40 ft wide, and 25 ft deep. At the time, it was the largest series of locks ever built. The canal significantly advanced highland development and engineering knowledge. 		2007
Canton Viaduct, Canton, Massachusetts, USA *

Since its opening in 1835, the Canton Viaduct has been in continuous service to high speed rail. This 21-arch granite masonry bridge was uniquely designed with hollow spaces between walls, connected by solid buttresses between arches. The slightly curved, functional bridge is 615 feet long, 70 feet high and 22 feet wide. 		1998
Cape Cod Canal, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA

Under Chief Engineer William Barclay Parsons (Hon.M.ASCE), this sea-level canal's seventeen mile length opened in 1914 after being designed to cope with a tidal differential of 4.5 feet coupled with a three-hour out-of-phase tidal cycle without the use of locks. The canal has since been improved and is now maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 		1985
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA

Constructed in 1870, this lighthouse, at 198 feet, is the tallest in the United States and the second tallest brick light tower in the world. As part of an integrated system of navigational aids, providing safer maritime travel along the mid-Atlantic coastline, the lighthouse warned mariners of the treacherous "diamond shoals" located just off Cape Hatteras. In 1999 the lighthouse was moved 2500 feet from the shore to protect it from the changing shoreline. 		1999
Carrollton Viaduct, Baltimore, Maryland, USA * ‡

Designed and built by Casper Weaver, the viaduct was the first major structure on an American railroad. Completed in 1829, this two-span masonry arch remains in full service today, a monument to our civil engineering heritage. 		1982
Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida, USA *

This is a unique link between medieval European military engineering and modern American civil engineering. It is the oldest (1695) major engineered structure in the United States. 		1975
Cedar Falls Water Supply, Seattle, Washington, USA

The forerunner of the public power movement, this was the first municipally owned hydroelectric project in the United Sates. 		2000
Central Pacific Railroad, Sacramento, California, USA *

America's first transcontinental railroad began in Sacramento in 1863, and was completed in 1869 at Promontory, Utah. The railroad was organized and located over the Sierra Nevada Mountains by Theodore Judah. 		1968
Chain of Rocks Water Purification Plant, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

At this plant, a civil engineer and a chemist cooperated in the spring of 1904 on an innovative process of chemical coagulation (ferrous sulfate/lime) to purify the highly turbid water of the Mississippi River. This pioneering effort was recognized internationally as an outstanding success in the field of municipal water supply. 		1981
Charles River Basin Project, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

In 1910, this environmental engineering project converted 675 acres of estuarial muck into a freshwater basin of beauty and recreational value. John R. Freeman (1922 ASCE President) was Chief Engineer for the study committee, and Frederic P. Stearns (1906 ASCE President) was consulting engineer for the construction. This project has served as an international model in environmental engineering, landscape architecture, and urban planning. 		1981
Charleston - Hamburg Railroad, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

At the time of its construction in 1833, the Charleston-Hamburg Railroad was the world's longest railroad (136 miles). Designed and constructed by Horatio Allen (1873 ASCE President), it was the first to operate passenger trains on an established schedule, the first to use a steam locomotive built in the United States, the first railroad to be completely locomotive powered, and the first to carry mail. 		1969
Charlestown Naval Dry Dock, Boston, Massachusetts, USA * ‡

Built between 1827 and 1833 the Charlestown Naval Dry Dock, Boston, Massachusetts and the Gosport Naval Dry Dock, Norfolk, Virginia are two of the earliest major structures of their type in the United States. Despite the lack of scientific knowledge of hydraulics and geotechnology at the time, Loammi Baldwin II and his associated engineers successfully completed these projects which served the U.S. Navy for well over a century. 		1977
Cheesman Dam, Denver, Colorado, USA

When completed in 1905, the Cheesman Dam was the world's highest gravity stone arch masonry dam. It was the first major dam in the United States to incorporate the gravity arch concept in its design. As the key structure in the Denver water supply system, the dam provided the first continual on-stream storage of water for municipal use in the semi-arid west. 		1973
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, New Castle, Delaware, USA

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was originally built between 1825 and 1829 by the Erie Canal civil engineering team of Benjamin Wright ("Father of American Civil Engineering"), Canvas White, and Nathan Roberts. Benjamin H. Latrobe, Sr., had begun the project a few years earlier. While only 14 miles long, this canal was one of the most expensive canals ever built in America. The main reason was the 3-mile long, 90-foot deep cut, ingeniously engineered and constructed, that had to overcome terrain composed of unstable earth and tidal marshes. Between 1921 and 1927, the United States Army Corps of Engineers converted the project into a sea-level canal, eliminating its locks, and expanding its width and depth. The canal remains in service today as a major national waterway and a tribute to Albert Gallatin's original "master transportation plan" of 1808. 		1985
Chesbroughs Water Supply System, Chicago, Illinois, USA

This famous 1869 water tower and pumping station in Chicago stand as symbols of civil engineering achievement. A two-mile tunnel under Lake Michigan carried water from a timber intake crib to the pumping station in order to provide a safe potable water supply for the citizens of Chicago. The tunnel was designed to supply fifty gallons of water per capita per day for one million inhabitants. The chief engineer was Ellis Chesbrough (1878 ASCE President). 		1972
Choate Bridge, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA * ‡

The Choate Bridge of Essex County, completed in 1764, is the oldest documented two-span masonry arch bridge in the United States. It presents a unique example of two co-existent forms of 18th century masonry arch construction in one bridge. 		2008
City Plan of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Dating from 1682, the City Plan of Philadelphia has provided a model which has helped mold the development of cities throughout the country. Key features, many of which were firsts in the United States, include a gridiron street pattern, street widths appropriate to their function, open public squares, a central public square for future public building, and the provision of ample land for future development within the plan. 		1996
City Plan of Savannah, Savannah, Georgia, USA ‡

The Savannah city plan, whose execution began in 1733, is the oldest city plan in the United States to use a repetitive modular grid with mixed residential blocks and multi-purpose public areas. This model has produced a city internationally known for the beauty of its neighborhood squares. It is a most notable example of an urban planning concept still emulated by modern civil engineers-planners. 		1977
Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Completed in 1925, this Ohio airport is the first major municipal airport to provide an integrated engineered system of paved landing surfaces, floodlit runways, and a terminal complex consisting of both operational buildings and hangars. 		1979
Colorado River Aqueduct, Blythe, California, USA *

The 242-miles Colorado River Aqueduct made the large scale population and economic growth of Southern California possible. Constructed between 1933 and 1941, this aqueduct was selected in 1955 as one of ASCE's original "Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders" because of its unprecedented cost, length, pumping rate, and lift as well as its construction under conditions of severe climate and difficult terrain. 		1994
Columbia River Scenic Highway, Portland, Oregon, USA * ‡

Built between 1913 and 1922, this is an outstanding example of civil engineering. It blended seventy-four miles of roadways, tunnels, viaducts, and overlooks harmoniously into the natural environment. Opened early in the automobile era, this highway was responsible for accelerating the development of the Northwest, while preserving its beauty. 		1984
Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, Columbia, Pennsylvania, USA

When completed in 1930, this was the longest (one-mile) multiple-arch concrete highway bridge in the world. To achieve this economically, civil engineers developed a unique system of combining a parallel construction railway, track mounted whirly cranes and re-usable steel forms. It remains in full service today and is also the site of a historic American Covered Bridge that existed between 1812 and 1833. 		1984
Conwy Suspension Bridge, Conwy, Wales

A major structure on the strategically important Bangor-to-Chester road, Conwy Suspension Bridge, Telford's most dramatic creation in the gothic style, was built with the identical technology developed for the larger Menai Bridge and still has its original iron chains. 		2002
Conwy Tubular Bridge, Conwy, Wales

Built for the Chester-Holyhead Railway, which provided rail access to the sea crossing to Ireland, this bridge was a forerunner to Robert Stephenson's Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. Conwy Tubular Bridge was the first railway bridge in which trains ran through the main girders. It represents a pioneering use of wrought iron for bridges and a major advance in the development of box-section girder elements. 		2002
Cornish - Windsor Covered Bridge, Windsor, Vermont, USA *

This two-span covered bridge, with an overall length of 460 feet, is the longest covered bridge existing in the United States. It is a Town lattice timber truss design, a type widely used on many early timber bridges and later in building construction. Rebuilt in 1988, the bridge was originally constructed in 1866. 		1970
Cortland Street Drawbridge, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Completed in 1902 and still in use, this trunnion-bascule highway bridge was the first of its kind and became the model for this type of urban transportation structure. 		1981
Craigellachie Bridge, Moray, Scotland

This elegant 150 ft span cast iron arch was erected in August-September 1814. It is the earliest surviving example of a new portable lattice-braced standard type developed for use at wide sites unsuitable for masonry spans. Thomas Telford was the designer and engineer for this new type of arch. At least 10 arches were erected in Britain from 1812-30. 		2007
Cranetown Triangulation Site, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA

Fieldwork begun in 1816 established this triangulation point in 1817 as an essential part of the first precise geodetic survey in the United States. The present Coast and Geodetic Survey, at the request of the History and Heritage Committee, relocated this point, which is a monument to Ferdinand Hassler and other skilled early American civil engineer surveyors. 		1986
Croton Water Supply System, New York City, New York, USA * ‡

Completed in 1842 by Chief Engineer John B. Jervis (Hon. M. ASCE), this system was the most outstanding municipal water supply system in the United States and the prototype for many large scale projects that followed. Its forty mile masonry aqueduct, including High Bridge in New York City (still standing), was unprecedented. 		1975
Crozet's Blue Ridge Tunnel, Waynesboro, Virginia, USA *

This 4,270-foot tunnel, completed in 1858, represents the culmination of civil engineering technology based on manual drilling methods. Designed and built by Claude Crozet, it was the longest railroad tunnel in the United States at the time. Through its linkage with the Ohio River basin and Southern ports, it has greatly facilitated the development of ocean-borne commerce in the South. 		1976
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway, Chama, New Mexico, USA ‡

This railroad, constructed between 1879 and 1880, is a conjunctive part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. It is sixty-four miles in length and is now one of the last narrow gauge railroads. 		1976
Davis Island Lock and Dam, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

When constructed between 1878 and 1885, this lock facility, the world's first rolling lock gate and the widest lock chamber ever built, represented a full-scale civil engineering experiment of unprecedented size and scope. In use until 1922, it served as the prototype for fifty similar locks in the Ohio River canalization. It was also the largest movable dam built in the 19th century. 		1985
Delaware Aqueduct of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, Lackawaxen/Minisink Ford, Pennsylvania/New York State, USA * ‡

This span is John A. Roebling's earliest, still-standing suspension bridge and perhaps the oldest existing cable suspension bridge in the world (that retains its original principal elements). This bridge is considered one of the nation's most significant engineering relics and the earliest work of Roebling. It was completed in 1848 as an aqueduct bridge to carry the Delaware & Hudson Canal across the Delaware River. It was completely restored by the National Park Service in 1983. It goes from Lackawaxen, PA to Minisink Ford, N.Y. 		1972
Denison Dam, Denison, Texas, USA

This was the largest rolled-earth fill dam in the United States when it was constructed from 1939 to 1943. The civil engineering design and rolled-earth construction techniques implemented in this project were subsequently applied to US Army Corps of Engineers multiple purpose lake projects that provided flood control, water supply, electric power, recreational and wildlife benefits on the prairie lands of the American West. 		1993
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, Detroit, Michigan, USA

When constructed from 1928 to 1930, this subaqueous single tube highway tunnel between Michigan and Ontario, Canada, was an exceptional engineering achievement using three distinct tunneling techniques (cut and cover for the land sections, compressed air shield for the channel approaches and trench and sunken tube under the main channel). Of particular note is that the thirty-two foot diameter main channel section involved sixty-five miles of arc welding, the first major use of arc welding in tunneling history. The helical ramps at the Detroit approach were another engineering innovation. 		1982
Dismal Swamp Canal, Chesapeake, Virginia, USA *

This canal is the oldest surviving artificial waterway in continuous use in the United States. Construction began in 1793 and the canal, utilizing a system of seven locks, was opened in 1805. Initially dug by hand, this canal still serves as a scenic route along the Intracoastal Waterway. 		1987
Dorton Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

The arena represents the first permanent use of a cable-supported roof system in the world. Among those who contributed to the realization of Matthew Nowicki's (1910-1950) original concept were architect William Deitrick (1895-1974), structural engineer Fred Severud, P.E., (Fellow ASCE) (1899-1990), and contractor William Muirhead Construction. Owned by the State of North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the arena is named after fair manager J.S. Dorton. 		2002
Druid Lake Dam, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

When completed, the Druid Lake Dam was the first major earthfill dam to be constructed in the United States. Built between 1864 and 1871, it had a number of unique characteristics. First was the challenge of constructing in a ravine an earth barrier having sufficient height to form a reservoir of sufficient capacity. In addition, there was the challenge of using materials to build an economical dam which would be structurally sound and long lasting. It was the forerunner of other United States earthfill dams. 		1971
Dublin-Belfast Rail Link, Ireland/Northern Ireland

The Dublin-Belfast rail-link, constructed between 1842 and 1855, provided, and continues to provide, a link between Northern Ireland and Ireland. It is recognized for the 536m long Boyne Bridge and Viaduct, which represented the first large-scale use of wrought-iron latticed girders and the first full-scale test of continuous beams. 		1996
Duck Creek Aqueduct, Metamora, Indiana, USA

Constructed in 1846, this 71-foot span is the oldest covered wooden aqueduct in the country. It still carries the Whitewater River Canal over Duck Creek. The aqueduct was reconstructed in 1948 using much of the original material. 		1992
Dunlap's Creek Bridge, Brownsville, Pennsylvania, USA *

Dunlap's Creek Bridge is the oldest all-metal arch bridge in the United States. Conceived by Captain Richard Delafield in 1830, it was completed in 1839, and it emphasized the feasibility of cast iron in bridge construction at that time. 		1978
Durango-Silverton Branch of the D&RGW RR, Durango, Colorado, USA * ‡

Now used for tourist excursions, this is one of the last of the narrow gauge railroads that linked the Colorado mining towns of Durango and Silverton. Constructed in 1882, the railroad is an example of the important role that civil engineering played in developing the west. 		1968
Eads Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri, USA * ‡

Completed in 1874, this celebrated bridge is named for James Buchanan Eads, its designer and builder. To found the mid-river piers on solid rock, Eads used the first large pneumatic caissons in the United States. Their sinking represented the deepest subaqueous construction work in the world at the time. The scale of the structure was unprecedented: the more than five hundred foot span of the center arch exceeded by some two hundred feet any arch built previously. The arch ribs were made of steel, its first extensive use in a bridge. An innovation was the cantilever erection of the arches, without falsework, the first instance of this for a major bridge. 		1971
Eads South Pass Navigation Works, Venice, Louisiana, USA

This project enabled the entire Mississippi River basin to have direct deep draught marine access to the oceans of the world. The boldness of its engineer, James B. Eads (1882 ASCE Vice-President), resulted in a monumental work whose success was internationally acclaimed. Completed in 1879, it is today a classic of hydraulic engineering. 		1982
East Maui Irrigation System, East Maui, Hawaii, USA

This pioneer irrigation system was constructed between 1876 and 1923 by private enterprise to irrigate sugar cane plantations. It consists of seventy-four miles of tunnels, ditches, inverted siphons, and flumes with a capacity of 455 million gallons per day. 		2002
Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Cheussees, Paris, France

Founded by Trudaine in 1747, and still operating, this is the oldest civil engineering school in the world. Its graduates have had a major impact on the art and science of civil engineering worldwide. 		1988
Eddystone Lighthouse, Plymouth, England

Erected between 1756 - 1759 on the Eddystone Rocks by John Smeaton, was among the first individuals to call themselves a civil engineer, it was the first masonry-tower lighthouse to be built at sea. Its form was universally adopted. Removed in 1882 because of erosion of its foundation, the lighthouse was partially reconstructed on the Plymouth Hoe in 1884. 		1991
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

When completed in 1889, this world renowned structure was the highest in the world. Eiffel chose to use wrought iron instead of steel because of its easier workability at the time. This is a joint designation with the Societe des Ingenieurs et Scientifiques de France, the successor organization for the France Society of Civil Engineers, which was founded in 1848, and of which Gustave Eiffel was an early president. 		1986
El Camino Real, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

El Camino Real, the Royal Road, was the 1,500-mile route that connected Santa Fe and the rest of New Mexico with Mexico City during Spanish Colonial times. Begun in 1598 when Don Juan de Onate led a group of settlers along it into New Mexico, it continued to be used until the railroad put it out of business in the 1880s. 		1986
El Camino Real (The Royal Road) Eastern Branch, San Antonio, Texas, USA

This major Spanish pioneer transportation artery, begun in the 16th century, provided support, defense, and political stability for early colonists. It extended from the present-day Republic of Mexico through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. 		1986
Elephant Butte Dam, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, USA

This dam, completed in 1916, created the largest reservoir in the world at that time and was the first civil engineering water project associated with the international allocation of water. 		1976
Ellicott's Stone, Mobile, Alabama, USA

After the Republic was formed, the government commissioned Andrew Ellicott to establish an international boundary. This "stone", located a few miles north of Mobile, Alabama, is the key extant monument from the historic survey, which located with remarkable accuracy the 31st parallel between the United States and Spanish West Florida in 1799. 		1968
Embudo, New Mexico Stream Gauging Station, Embudo, New Mexico, USA

Established in 1889 as the first stream gauging system ever undertaken, this project led to the development of techniques which have been used extensively to collect essential data for water resources projects, land use and urban planning. This station remains in use. 		1973
Erie Canal, Albany, New York, USA * ‡

Begun in Rome, New York in 1817, and completed in 1825, this 365-mile long canal cut a swath through New York State from the Hudson River at Albany to the Great Lakes at Buffalo. Called the first practical school of Civil Engineering in America, it was a principal route for emigrants from the East and agricultural products from the West. In its day, it was the world's longest canal and America's greatest engineering feat. Benjamin Wright, the "Father of American Civil Engineering," was Chief Engineer. 		1967
Fink Deck Truss Bridge, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA

A unique survivor of a truss system widely used between 1854 and 1875, this cast and wrought iron truss system was patented by Albert Fink (1880 ASCE President) in 1854. Constructed in approximately 1870 as a railroad bridge, it was converted to vehicular use in 1893. The truss elements were moved to a park in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1985, where it is now used as a footbridge. 		1979
Fink Through Truss Bridge, Hamden, New Jersey, USA *

Possibly the oldest metal truss bridge in the nation, this bridge, completed in 1858, was constructed of cast and wrought iron and demonstrated a major breakthrough in patented railroad bridge design and construction. A car collision in 1978 destroyed this bridge. 		1979
First Concrete Pavement, Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA

This pavement, laid in 1893 at Bellefontaine, Ohio represents the first engineering use of portland cement concrete street pavement in public road construction. It was the forerunner of many thousands of miles of similarly constructed roads in the United States. 		1976
First New York Subway, New York City, New York, USA *

Completed between 1900 and 1904, this project was the first major rapid transit subway system in the United States. Chief Engineer William Barclay Parsons (Hon. M. ASCE) was responsible for many innovative practices in cut-and -cover excavation, underground steel bent construction and subaqueous shield tunneling through rock. (Jointly designated a Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.) 		1977
First Owens River - Los Angeles Aqueduct, Bishop, California, USA *

This aqueduct system, unprecedented in size and scope at the time of its 1913 completion, was the prototype for the extensive water supply systems needed to support the major urban complexes of today. Begun in 1907, this aqueduct is more than two hundred miles long and provided Los Angeles with a flow of 440 cubic feet per second. 		1971
Firth of Forth Railway Bridge, Queensferry, Scotland

Built between 1882 and 1890, this British railway bridge held for twenty-seven years the world's record for span (521 meters). To achieve this, John Fowler and Benjamin Baker (Hon.M. ASCE) developed a unique double cantilever profile and utilized mild steel. This structure remains in service today as a link in the British Rail system. The 101-meter tall towers allow a shipping clearance of forty-six meters. The overall length of the bridge is 2,529 meters. 		1985
Five Stone Arch Bridges, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, USA

These five bridges, Carr Bridge (mid 1800's), Gleason Falls Bridges (circa 1830), Gleason Falls Road over Beard's Brook (mid 1800's), Second New Hampshire Turnpike Bridge (circa 1864), and Sawyer Bridge (circa 1866), constitute the largest extant cluster of dry-laid stone arch bridges within the U.S. They were built by trained masonry craftsmen and continue to demonstrate the durability of such construction. 		2002
Folsom Hydroelectric Power System, Folsom, California, USA * ‡

Completed in 1895, the Folsom Hydroelectric Power system was the second system (Mill Creek No. 1, near Redlands, CA was completed two years earlier) providing long distance high voltage three-voltage transmission for significant municipal and industrial multi-purpose power use. 		1975
Forth & Clyde Canal and Union Canal, Glasgow, Scotland

These canals, completed in 1790, are recognized as the world's first man-made, sea-to-sea ship canal project. Constructed with no natural waterways included on its route, this project is a monument to the civil engineering profession and was a significant factor in the advancment of the industrial revolution in Scotland. 		2000
Fort Peck Dam, Ft. Peck, Montana, USA *

When built between 1933 and 1940 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Peck Dam, with its crest extending four miles, was over five times larger than the largest dam in the world. For thirty years after its construction, Fort Peck Dam was the largest hydraulic-filled dam in the world. During construction, environmental extremes, problematic soil conditions, and the enormous scale of the project required monitoring of site conditions using the latest geotechnical instrumentation, careful selection of materials and many innovations in construction techniques. 		1990
Frankford Avenue Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

This three-span stone arch bridge over Philadelphia's Pennypack Creek was built in 1697 and has served as an important roadway ever since. It is the first known stone arch to be built in this country and probably the oldest bridge in the United States. 		1970
Fritz Engineering Laboratory, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Constructed between 1909 and 1910 by John Fritz (Hon. M. ASCE), the Fritz Engineering Laboratory at Lehigh University was the largest and best-equipped university structural laboratory in the United States at the time. Tests conducted at the lab were instrumental in the development of skyscrapers and other major structures. The lab served as a prototype for subsequent university and research laboratories. 		1991
Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising, Galveston, Texas, USA

Following the hurricane of 1900, the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history, with the loss of 6,000 lives, civil engineers designed and built a concrete seawall and raised the elevation of Galveston Island, using pioneering materials and methods. After almost one hundred years and numerous hurricanes, only minimal damage and loss of life have occurred. 		2001
George Washington Bridge, Fort Lee/New York City, New Jersey/New York, USA *

The 3,500 foot center span of this world-renowned suspension bridge, completed in 1931, virtually doubled the span of its largest predecessor. Othmar H. Ammann (Hon. M. ASCE) directed the planning, design and construction. This bridge connects Fort Lee, N.J. with New York City, N.Y. 		1981
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Lake McDonald, Montana, USA * ‡

When completed in 1932, this was the first major trans-mountain scenic highway in the United States. In carrying the road over the Continental Divide at Logan's Pass, its civil engineers had to overcome diverse and difficult design and construction challenges, and in doing so, established the engineering principles for future roads in national parks as well as principles that included precedents for environmental sensitivity for "roads that lay lightly on the land." These principles have been refined and applied by the Bureau of Public Roads (now Federal Highway Administration) and the National Park Service in many park roads and parkways throughout the United States. 		1985
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA

Put in service in 1937, this world-renowned bridge, conceived by Joseph Strauss and designed largely by Charles Ellis, was the longest single span (4,200 feet) in the world for a quarter century. 		1984
Goldfields Water Supply, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia

The Goldfields Water Supply had the world's longest fresh water pipeline when built, which was the first to be fabricated from steel. It was designed and constructed by the Western Australian Public Works Department from 1895 to 1903 and consisted of Mundaring Weir on the Helena River, eight steam powered pumping stations and a 566 km pipeline to Kalgoorlie. The PWD Engineer-in-Chief was Charles Y. O'Connor, and the scheme's Engineer-in-Charge was Thomas C. Hodgson. During the 1930s the pipeline was raised above ground and made into a continuously welded conduit under the direction of District Engineer Norman Fernie. 		2008
Goodyear Airdock, Akron, Ohio, USA *

Completed in 1929, this unique structure, with a volume of 55,000,000 cubic feet, was the largest building in the world in terms of uninterrupted space. This required pioneering studies in the aerodynamics of buildings as well as the application of unusual engineering innovations. 		1980
Gosport Naval Dry Docks, Norfolk, Virginia, USA * ‡

Built between 1827 and 1833, this and the Charlestown Naval Dry Dock, Boston, Massachusetts are two of the earliest major structures of their type in the United States. Despite the lack of scientific knowledge of hydraulics and geotechnology at the time, Loammi Baldwin II and his associated engineers successfully completed these projects, which served the U.S. Navy for well over a century. 		1977
Gota Canal, Sweden

Directed by Baltzer von Platen, sixty thousand workers built the Gota Canal between 1810 and 1832. The transnational canal has fifty-eight locks and sixty-five bridge spans over the 190 kilometer "Blue Ribbon" waterway. Baltzer von Platen engaged Thomas Telford, the first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, as an advisor. 		1998
Grand Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, Washington, USA *

Completed in 1941, this gravity dam is the largest concrete structure and hydroelectric facility in the United States. This project also provides primary flood control for the entire Columbia River basin, and offers significant irrigation and recreation benefits. 		1997
Granite Railway, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA *

This unique project, completed in 1826 before the advent of steam locomotives, first demonstrated the engineering advantages of rail transport in America, and introduced many technical features such as switches, the turntable and the double-truck railway car. 		1975
Great Falls Raceway and Power System, Paterson, New Jersey, USA * ‡

The basis of the oldest (circa 1800) American integrated water power, industrial development and urban planning system. (Jointly designated with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.) 		1977
Great Western Railway, Bristol, England

Built between 1835 and 1841, the Great Western Railway was the first major civil engineering work to be completed by its designer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859). The original terminus, Bristol Temple Meads Station, was opened on August 31, 1840 and the whole line, Bristol to Paddington, opened on June 30, 1841. Brunel was an outstanding innovator and engineering genius. Notable works still surviving on the line include Box Tunnel, Sonning Cutting, Maidenhead Bridge, the Wharncliffe Viaduct, and Paddington Station. 		2005
Guayabo Ceremonial Center, Turrialba, Costa Rica

Constructed mainly between 300 B.C. - A.D. 1400, the early people of Costa Rica built this ceremonial center with care and skill. Guayabo's roadways, retaining walls, underground channels, water supply, and flood control and drainage facilities represent remarkable civil engineering achievements by pre-Columbian civilization. 		2009
Gunnison Tunnel, Montrose, Colorado, USA

The tunnel was the key to the first major trans-mountain irrigation system in the United States. When completed in 1909, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in America. The 30,582-foot tunnel initially supplied irrigation water to 146,000 acres of cropland. 		1972
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Built under Justinian's direction from 532 to 537 and named the Church of the Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia has four massive piers for east/west arches 19.8 m high with north/south buttresses to support the dome's diameter of 30.5 m. The dome is among the largest in the world. 		2000
Hanford B Reactor, Richland, Washington, USA ‡

Designed and built as a part of the Manhattan Project during World War II, this reactor was the world's first full scale nuclear production facility. Built in only fifteen months during 1943-44, its design and construction required a team of nuclear physicists, chemical engineers, mechanical engineers, and civil engineers working together to overcome the many problems associated with a new and untried technology. The teamwork developed during this project served as a model for many future projects, such as the peaceful development of nuclear power and the space program. 		1993
High Bridge, Jessamine, Kentucky, USA *

Known as the first major cantilever bridge in the United States, this span was built between 1876-1877 by Charles Schaler Smith, and was the highest (275-feet) and longest span cantilever (three 375-foot spans) in the world at that time. The structure utilized portions of an earlier uncompleted bridge, designed by John A. Roebling in its construction. High Bridge was replaced, because of increases in train loads, by a bridge of similar construction in 1911 by Gustav Lindenthal, (Hon.MASCE). The 1911 bridge is still in service for the Norfolk Southern Railway. 		1985
Hohokam Canal System, Phoenix, Arizona, USA *

The Hohokam canal system is a significant pre-Columbian example of modification of the environment for beneficial use by Native Americans. This extensive irrigation system, constructed and utilized by the Hohokam Indians between 600 - 1450 A.D., foreshadowed by several centuries the important role that modern civil engineering was to play in the agricultural development of the western United States. 		1992
Holland Tunnel, Jersey City/New York City, New Jersey/New York, USA

This tunnel's twenty-nine foot diameter tubes were shield driven through extremely difficult river bottom conditions that were overcome by the ingenuity and determination of its engineers, Clifford M. Holland, Milton H. Freeman and Ole Singstad. When completed in 1927, this twin-tube subaqueous highway tunnel which runs from Jersey City, N.J. to New York City, N.Y., with its unprecedented length of 8,500 feet, was a bold step forward in navigable waterway crossings. 		1982
Hoosac Tunnel, North Adams, Massachusetts, USA

When completed in 1875, the Hoosac Tunnel was the largest and longest transportation tunnel in the Western Hemisphere. Many major rock tunneling innovations, such as the use of steam drills and nitroglycerin, were employed successfully on this project. The use of a central ventilation shaft as a construction shaft to provide two additional work faces was another remarkable engineering feature used in its construction. 		1975
Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Nevada, USA ‡

Completed in 1935, this dam was designated one of "America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders" in 1955. This 726-foot high arch gravity structure was the greatest constructed at that time and remains the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere. It continues to generate unparalleled benefits to the nation through regulation of the Colorado River for water conservation (fulfilling international commitments), power production, flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancement. 		1984
Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania, USA

Designed and built under the direction of Pennsylvania Railroad chief engineer and, later, company president, J. Edgar Thomson, Horseshoe Curve opened February 15, 1854. It is 549 meters across and 805 meters long with a 1.8 percent grade. Eliminating the Portage Railroad's ten incline planes greatly encouraged east-west trade crossing the Allegheny Mountains. 		2003
Houston Ship Channel, Houston, Texas, USA

The Houston Ship Channel, originally constructed in 1837, has been under continuous development since that time. The main channel, about fifty miles long, is directly linked to hundreds of transportation facilities, industrial plants, and other enterprises that use the channel to ship products to markets throughout the world. 		1987
Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Tunnel, Jersey City/New York City, New Jersey/New York, USA

The original Hudson River tunnel crossing was begun in 1874 and construction was completed in 1908 connecting Jersey City, N.J. with New York City, N.Y. It was the first railroad tunnel under a major river in the country and introduced shield-system of subaqueous tunneling to the United States. Acclaimed internationally at its opening, it serves millions of commuters each year. 		1978
Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon City, Republic of Korea

The Hwaseong Fortress was designed by the builder/scholar Jeong Yak-Yong and built from 1794 to 1796. Hwaseong Seong-yeokuigwe is a unique ten-volume work that documents its construction. The rapid construction of the fortress, using paid labor, symbolizes the cultural and technological renaissance under King Jeongjo. 		2004
Hydraulic-Inclined Plane System of the Morris Canal, Stanhope, New Jersey, USA

This system was the key civil engineering feature which permitted the successful completion of the Morris Canal project in 1831. The bold concept of using water turbine power to supply the energy necessary to lift canal boats over the 914-foot topographic barrier was a technical feat conceived by engineering consultant Professor James Renwick. It enhanced American engineering prestige worldwide. 		1980
Hydraulics Laboratory at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA

The Hydraulics Laboratory at The University of Iowa, renovated in 2001 and in 2003 renamed the C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory, is the oldest university-based hydraulics laboratory in the U.S. that continuously has focused on research, education, and service in hydraulic engineering. Since its initial construction in 1919, the facility and staff have produced a massive amount of research that has shaped water-related constructs around the world. Its efforts have been guided by noted directors such as Floyd Nagler (1920-1933), Hunter Rouse (1944-1965), and John F. Kennedy (1966-1991). Students trained here have come from and practiced around the world. The building provides the home base for IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, formerly the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research. 		2005
Ifugao Rice Terrace, Banaue, Philippines

Dating from 100 BC, this is the oldest and most extensive use of terraces in the world. The 20,000 hectares of terraces represent a rearrangement of the Cordillera Mountain Range from bedrock to topsoil. The engineering principles of hydrology, sustainable development, and efficient use of water resources and irrigation are all embodied in the careful design of this ancestral land management program. 		1995
Ingalls Building, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

This building, completed between 1902 and 1903, was the first reinforced-concrete skyscraper in the world. A 16-story (210 feet) structure, it demonstrated for the first time the safety and economy of reinforced-concrete frames for high rise construction. It was a vital stimulus for the use of reinforced concrete as a fireproofing structural material. 		1973
International Boundary Marker #1, El Paso, Texas, USA

This marker, located between Dona Ana County, New Mexico (near El Paso, Texas) and Juarez, Mexico, not only represents an international boundary but is also a monument to the professional skills of the American surveyors who were called upon to locate it in 1855. 		1976
Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale-Ironbridge, England

This bridge, completed in 1779, is recognized as the first iron bridge in the world. Standing today, it is an outstanding international monument to both the civil engineering profession and the industrial revolution. 		1979
Iron Building of the U.S. Army Arsenal, Watervliet, New York, USA *

Completed in 1859 by James Bogardus, this half-acre military storehouse is an outstanding example of the civil engineer's skill and the iron master's art in the the mid 19th century. Built entirely of cast iron and wrought iron elements, it is believed to be the oldest all-metal building in the United States. The Iron Building remains in service as a warehouse housing the Arsenal's Ordinance Museum. 		1983
John A. Roebling Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA * ‡

When completed by John A. Roebling in 1866, this suspension bridge, with a main span of 1,057 feet, was the greatest structure of its kind in the world and was the prototype for his greatest achievement, the Brooklyn Bridge, which followed sixteen years later. This bridge, due to renovations, has remained in continuous service since its opening, even in 1937 when the Ohio River rose eighty feet. 		1982
Joining of the Rails - Transcontinental Railroad, Promontory, Utah, USA * ‡

On May 10, 1869, the completion of the 1,776 miles of trunk line railroad over the mountains and deserts of the continent marked a turning point in American history by signaling the opening of the West and the emergence of a unified nation. 		1968
Kamehameha V Post Office, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Designed by J.G. Osborn and completed in 1871, this structure is the oldest public building in the United States to incorporate structural elements of reinforced portland cement concrete. 		1987
Kansas City Park and Boulevard System, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

This pioneer project, completed between 1893 and 1915, was among the first to integrate the aesthetics of landscape architecture with the practicality of city planning. Not only did the Kessler plan, a system of parks connected by scenic boulevards, provide the people of Kansas City with close contact with the natural environment amid the urbanized area, but it also stimulated other metropolitan areas to undertake similar projects. 		1974
Kavanagh Building, Buenos Aires, Argentina

This thirty-one story structure, complete with central air conditioning and advanced technology, was one of the first reinforced concrete skyscrapers in the world when opened in 1935. It remained the tallest building in South America for many years. 		1994
Kentucky Dam, Gilbertsville, Kentucky, USA

The Kentucky Dam, completed in 1944 at mile 22.4 on the Tennessee River, is the key structure in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. Not only does it play an important role in the reduction of flood crests on the lower Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, but the construction process also involved the first successful use of ground freeze stabilization for an open vertical shaft, and made pioneering use of extensive aerial photography. In addition, the project contained the largest single lift lock on any United States inland river at the time of its construction. 		1996
Keokuk Hydro-Power System, Keokuk, Iowa, USA

This privately-financed enterprise was placed in operation in 1913. At that time the Keokuk project incorporated the longest monolithic concrete dam in the world and was a pioneering effort in large-scale, low-head hydroelectric power. 		1988
King's Road, New Smyrna, Florida, USA

When completed between 1766 and 1775, King's Road was the principal overland transportation link between the former British Colony of St. Augustine, and the thirteen colonies. The original road of 126 miles was a remarkable engineering feat passing through the swampy flatlands of coastal Florida and over rivers and streams. 		1976
Kinzua Railway Viaduct, Kane, Pennsylvania, USA *

Constructed in only 102 days and completed in 1882, this structure was by far the highest (302 feet) and the longest (2,053 feet) viaduct in the world at that time. Reinforced in 1900 because of heavier service loads, the new bridge included the first Vierendeel type truss in the western hemisphere. Octave Chanute (1891 ASCE President) participated in the engineering of both structures. 		1982
Lacey V. Murrow Bridge and Mount Baker Ridge Tunnels, King County, Washington, USA

These structures constitute the world’s first reinforced concrete floating bridge - the largest floating structure ever built - and the largest diameter soft-earth tunnels when completed in 1940. This project greatly reduced highway travel time and distance to Seattle from the east and led to the construction of other major floating bridges in the United States, Canada, Norway, and Japan. Civil engineer Homer Hadley conceived this unique application for concrete and civil engineer Lacey V. Murrow led project design and construction. Contractors were Pontoon Bridge Builders for the bridge and Bates and Rogers for the tunnel. The bridge pontoons were replaced during rehabilitation in 1993. 		2008
Lake Moeris Quarry Road, Egypt

This road is recognized as the oldest surviving paved road in the world. Dating from the Old Kingdom period in Egypt (2575-2134 BC), it transported basalt blocks from the quarry to a quay on the shores of ancient Lake Moeris. It was paved with large slabs of limestone and sandstone, of which approximately 47% of its total length of 11.7 km remains. 		1996
Lake Washington Ship Canal & Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle, Washington, USA

Conceived and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1911 and 1917, these heavily utilized locks, the largest on the West Coast, incorporated unique, parallel dual-sized lock chambers for water conservation and preventive measures to reduce salt water intrusion into Lake Washington. 		1997
Lawrence Experiment Station, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Established in 1886, the Lawrence Experiment Station was a pioneer engineering laboratory dedicated to research on the treatment of water supply, sewage and industrial waste. The station's contribution to the field of environmental engineering has been outstanding both nationally and internationally.[Renamed the Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station in 1993] 		1975
Louisville and Portland Canal Locks & Dam, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

The original canal and locks constructed at this site in the first half of the 19th century were responsible for permanently changing navigation on the Ohio River. The original locks and their successors improved the transportation of people and goods towards St. Louis, New Orleans and points west and played an important role in the settlement and growth of the nation. 		2002
Louisville Water Works, Louisville, Kentucky, USA ‡

When constructed between 1875 and 1896 by Charles Hermany (1904 ASCE President), this project demonstrated the practicality of rapid sand filtration on a municipal scale, and was a major milestone in American sanitary engineering. 		1981
Lowell Waterpower System, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA * ‡

A network of power canals with a highly sophisticated controlled and measured distribution system, when work commenced in 1821, this was a pioneer water development scheme. The network was continually expanded and improved until the 1880's when electrical energy was introduced. The early industrial development of the Northeast was greatly enhanced by application of this original civil engineering concept, leading to the emergence of the famous mill towns of New England and elsewhere. For many years the principal engineer of this enterprise was James Bischeno Francis (1881 ASCE President). 		1984
Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru

A masterpiece of site selection, city planning, design and construction of trails, buildings, a water supply canal with many fountains, and agricultural terraces, the Machu Picchu infrastructure illustrates the advanced civil, hydraulic, and geotechnical engineering capabilities of the Inca people. The steep agricultural terraces, fine masonry walls, surface and subsurface drainage, and the spring headworks are all excellent examples of Inca civil engineering. 		2006
Maine Turnpike, Maine, USA

The Maine Turnpike, opened in 1947, was the first superhighway in New England and the second modern toll highway in the United States. Financed entirely by revenue bonds issued by the Maine Turnpike Authority to be paid solely from toll revenues, it was the first major modern highway built without any state or federal funding. 		1999
Manhattan Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

A wire cable suspension bridge with a main span of 1,470 feet, the Manhattan Bridge was the world's third longest from 1909 to 1924. Working under Chief Engineer Othniel Foster Nichols, Leon Moisseiff designed the bridge, employing the first use of deflection theory on a suspension bridge. Considered to be the first modern suspension bridge, it was the earliest to use slender "two dimensional" steel towers with shallow stiffening trusses. It is an important link in New York's rail transit system. 		2009
Marlette Lake Water System, Virginia City, Nevada, USA

Constructed from 1873 to 1887, the Marlette Lake Water System was the first American system developed to overcome mountainous topography. This system's inverted siphon, sustaining a head of over 1,700 feet, was the greatest in the world by a factor of two. 		1975
Marshall Building, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

A pioneer of reinforced concrete construction, Claude A.P. Turner designed the Marshall Building's structure. It is the oldest extant example of Turner's "mushroom" flat-slab system, which transformed the design and construction of reinforced concrete floors worldwide. 		2002
Mason-Dixon Line, Maryland-Pennsylavania, USA

This world-famous line, completed in 1767, established the highest standards for engineered surveys in its delineation of the boundary lines between Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 		1977
McNeill Street Pumping Station, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

The station is a self-contained lesson in the history of municipal water system development. From high-volume pumping technology to water filtering and disinfection, it helped introduce or refine key technologies that were central to the evolution of America's urban water supply. This facility was Louisiana's second waterworks and provided potable water for Shreveport for over a century (1887-1994). It was the last facility in the United States to use steam power to distribute water to a major city and is the only remaining steam-power water treatment plant with much of its antique equipment still intact. 		1999
Menai Suspension Bridge, Menai, Wales

Built for the Chester-Holyhead Railway, this bridge was a major structure on the road connecting London with Holyhead and by sea to Ireland. The bridge had the world's longest span and greatly advanced suspension bridge development. 		2002
Miami Conservancy District, Dayton, Ohio, USA

This project, completed in 1922, was the first regionally coordinated flood control system in the United States embodying retention reservoirs for controlled release of floodwaters. The actual project consisted of the construction of five dams, as well as levee and channel improvements of nine villages and towns. It also included the relocation of four railroad lines and of many highways and wire lines, the removal of one village, the lowering of water and gas mains, and the overcoming of many other obstacles. Since its completion, there has been no flood damage to the protected Miami Valley. 		1972
Middlesex Canal, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA *

The canal is one of the oldest man-made waterways in the United States. Begun in 1794 and completed in 1803, the canal stretched twenty-seven miles from what was to become Lowell, to Charlestown, Massachusetts. Twenty locks and nine aqueducts were designed and constructed along the route. The canal served as a model for the later Erie Canal and was the first in the country to prove the practicality of canal transportation by low freight rates and expansion of traffic. It was designed and constructed by Col. Loammi Baldwin. 		1967
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA *

Started in 1919, this is America's earliest large-scale activated sludge type municipal sewage treatment plant. Because activated sludge proved to be a more successful method of environmental recycling, this plant was a major improvement over other contemporary treatment methods and an advance in municipal sanitary engineering. Many other municipalities have adopted its system of sewage treatment. 		1974
Minot's Ledge Lighthouse, Cohasset, Massachusetts, USA

This lighthouse, built between 1855 and 1860, successfully served mariners for over 116 years. It was engineered by Joseph G. Totten (Hon.M.ASCE) and was internationally recognized as an outstanding achievement in the civil engineering design and construction of a structure to resist open-sea wave forces. 		1977
Missouri River Bridges, Chamberlain, South Dakota, USA

Five Pratt truss steel bridges, completed between 1924 and 1926, constituted the first Missouri River highway crossings in South Dakota. Designed for economy and endurance by the South Dakota Highway Commission, only the Chamberlain Bridge remains in service. It now includes trusses from the original Wheeler Bridge. Subsequent Missouri River dams made the river too wide for the original structures. 		1994
Moffat Tunnel, Winter Park, Colorado, USA

Beginning service in 1928, this 6.2 mile Rocky Mountain tunnel, located sixty miles west of Denver, Colorado, was not only the largest railroad tunnel in the Western Hemisphere when completed, but also demonstrated new tunnel construction techniques and the innovative concept of using its pilot bore later as a permanent aqueduct. 		1979
Montgomery Bell's Tunnel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA * ‡

As the earliest (1818) known rock tunnel of significant size in the United States, it served as a guide to early American civil engineers and thus can be said to be the precursor to later American tunneling accomplishments. 		1981
Morison's Memphis Bridge, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Erected in 1892 by George S. Morison (1895 ASCE President), this cantilever truss was built entirely of the then-newly-developed basic open hearth steel. When completed, its 790-foot main span was the longest railroad truss in North America. The bridge is now called the Frisco Bridge. 		1987
Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA * ‡

Completed in 1867, with 150-foot wooden lattice arches, the design and construction of this structure's roof was an engineering challenge. A railroad had not yet been completed that could bring metal building components from the industrialized centers in the East. Stone and lumber building materials were obtained from surrounding mountains. Few changes have been made in the original construction, and the roof remains structurally sound. 		1971
Moseley Wrought Iron Arch Bridge, North Andover, Massachusetts, USA

Designed, patented, and built by Thomas W.H. Moseley in 1864, this arched ninety-six foot span bridge incorporated for the first time in the United States the use of riveted wrought iron plates for the triangular-shaped top chord and preceded by years the standard use of wrought iron for bridges. 		1998
Mount Washington Cog Railway, Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, USA

When completed in 1869 this was the first mountain climbing railway in the world. Its cog rail system allows the railway to overcome grades exceeding 37 percent. Still in service this world-renowned project clearly demonstrated the ability of the American engineer to provide innovative and economical solutions to unusual and difficult problems. (Jointly designated with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.) 		1975
Mullan Road, Walla Walla, Washington, USA *

This road, surveyed between 1853 and 1854 and constructed between 1858 and 1862, was the first major engineered highway in the Pacific Northwest. Its 624 miles connected the Missouri River Basin to the Columbia River Basin, thereby greatly accelerating the development of the Northwest as an integral part of the United States. 		1977
Muskingum River Navigation System, Zanesville, Ohio, USA

The Muskingum River Improvement, started in 1837, played a key role in economic development of the Greater Ohio River Valley as one of the nation's first complete slackwater navigation systems for steam powered vessels, and survives as the most intact system of large hand-operated locks in the United States. 		2000
National Road, New Concord, Ohio, USA

Constructed between 1811 and 1839, this highway, surveyed by Jonathan Knight and Josiah Thompson, was the precursor of today's federal interstate system and represented the highest standards of road design and construction of its time. 		1976
Navajo Bridge, Page, Arizona, USA

This 616-foot main span, three-hinged, braced spandrel steel arch bridge was completed in 1929, and for the next sixty-six years it served as the only crossing of the Colorado River for six hundred miles. The bridge's opening provided the first permanent connection between the states of Utah and Arizona. The span provides access between the southern and northern rims of the Grand Canyon, and connects the Navajo nation and three national parks. At the time of its construction it was the highest steel arch bridge in the United States. 		1997
Newark Airport, Newark, New Jersey, USA

This pioneer major airport began service in 1928. Its 1,600-foot runway was one of the first hard surfaced runways to be constructed at any municipal airport in the United States and, as such, it served as a prototype for today's modern airport runways. 		1978
New Castle Ice Harbor, New Castle, Delaware, USA

In 1794, because of the peril of ice crushing the wooden hulls of ships using the Philadelphia area harbors, a special protected harbor was authorized by the state of Delaware and three piers were built. In 1803,the existing piers and potential sites for new ice piers were transferred to the United Sates Government. These innovative harbor structures were prototypes for others, but with the advent of iron hulled ships their demand declined and they were abandoned by the end of the nineteenth century. Their vestiges remain as monuments to the ingenuity of the early civil engineers who designed and built them.(Among those engineers was Richard Delafield who later became Chief of Engineers). 		1986
Norris Dam, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

This was the first of a series of dams designed and built to put the vast water resources of the Tennessee River System to work for the people of the region. Located on the Clinch River in Anderson and Campbell Counties, Tennessee, the dam was the fourth largest water barrier in the world when its sluice gates were lowered in March 1936. The completion of the dam was a significant step in turning the destructive power of the Tennessee River into a resource for economic and social progress. 		1986
Northampton Street Bridge, Phillipsburg/Easton, New Jersey/Pennsylvania, USA

Completed in 1896, the Northampton Street Bridge, which runs from Phillipsburg, N.J. to Easton, PA, is the sole existing through-type cantilever eyebar bridge in the United States serving only highway traffic. The structure's graceful lines were a prototype for aesthetic appeal in bridge design. 		1997
Northern Pacific High Line Bridge No 64, North Dakota, USA

This 1908 steel viaduct across the Sheyenne River Valley allowed the railroad to avoid steep grades. At 3,886 feet long and 155 feet high, it is an excellent example of its bridge type. 		2004
North Island Main Trunk Railway, New Zealand

Constructed from 1885 to 1908, the railway linked Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, permitting overland travel and development of the hinterland. Built under challenging conditions and over difficult terrain, cuts, fills, and tunneling were minimized by careful use of the topography and by features such as the famed Raurimu Spiral. 		1997
Ohio Canal System, Akron, Ohio, USA

This magnificent system of waterways constructed between 1825 and 1848 included both locks and slackwater navigation, some of which remain in use today. By integrating natural and artificial waterways its engineers produced a transportation system that opened the heartland of America to the Atlantic states. Totaling over 1,015 miles in length, the engineering of this complex system of canals, bridges and dams produced the largest man-made lake in the world at the time and was one of the greatest feats of early 19th century engineering. 		1983
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first construction project authorized by the First Congress. Constructed by John McComb, Jr. of New York City, this project set the stage for all subsequent public works projects of the federal government. In addition, this specific lighthouse was a vital navigation aid to all shipping through the Virginia Capes, thereby enhancing international and coastal trade with the Mid-Atlantic States. 		2002
Old Wisla Bridge, Tczew, Poland

Completed in 1857, this historic bridge is the first example of a long span lattice-truss bridge on the European mainland. By combining the original American idea of wooden trusses with the tubular concept of the Britannia Bridge, Wales, a new type of dense lattice truss structure made of iron was developed. This pattern of engineering was then disseminated throughout the continent. 		2004
Panama Canal, Republic of Panama

Originally undertaken by the French, the canal was redesigned and constructed by American engineers between 1903 and 1914. The greatest sea-to-sea lock canal of all time, it was successfully built and remains today a major artery in world trade. The chief engineers of this American project were John F. Wallace (1900 ASCE President), John F. Stevens (1927 ASCE President), and George W. Goethals. 		1984
Peavey-Haglin Concrete Grain Elevator, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA * ‡

When completed in 1900, this was the first circular concrete grain elevator constructed in North America and the prototype of those ubiquitous structures that hold the country's wheat harvest. It demonstrated that the new engineering material, reinforced concrete, could sustain the varying loading conditions created by the fluctuating levels of granular material up to heights of 125 feet. 		1983
Pelton Impulse Water Wheel, Camptonville, California, USA

The prototype of the first successful impulse water wheel is on display in Camptonville. The high efficiency, due to the use of the first splitter-type bucket used on a water wheel, marks this significant development (1877-1878) by Lester Allen Pelton. This method was the key to tapping the vast water power of the American West. 		1973
Pennsylvania Turnpike, Pennsylvania, USA

When completed in 1940, the original section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was the greatest single highway project in the history of the United States. It was the prototype for the modern American high-speed, limited access super highway that became a world standard for long distance highway design. 		1988
Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

At the time of its completion in 1901, this building was the tallest occupied structure in the world. At that time it was the largest municipal government building in the nation, and its design and construction as a masonry load-bearing structure was unique for a building of its size. The building site, at the exact center of the original city of Philadelphia, had been reserved for a municipal building for more than 175 years. 		2005
Philadelphia Municipal Water Supply, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA * ‡

This system, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820), was the first major municipal water works to employ steam powered pumping methods in the United States. Many of the Latrobe drawings and papers for the project are at the Library of Congress. Construction of the system started in 1799 and operation began in 1801. 		1974
Point of Beginning, U.S. Public Lands, Liverpool, Ohio, USA ‡

The point of beginning was established in 1785 following Congressional passage of the Land Ordinance of 1785 "for ascertaining the mode of disposing of lands in the Western Territory." Directed by Thomas Hutchins, surveyors from eight states established the framework for the growth of the newly independent country. This original survey, completed under extremely trying conditions and with primitive instruments and techniques, resulted in the "seven ranges" of Ohio that provided the basis for similar frameworks for the disbursement of public lands in thirty other states. 		1985
Ponte Maria Pia Bridge, Oporto, Portugal

When opened in 1877, it was the longest iron arch bridge in the world with its parabolic arch being 160 m in span. Designed and built by Gustave Eiffel, it marked the beginning of his ascent to the top ranks of the world's best bridge engineers. Eiffel used the technique of cantilevering the arch elements by means of cables connected to the tops of the end towers. 		1990
Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA

Portland Head Light was the first lighthouse completed (1790) and put into service by the Federal government under the Lighthouse Act of 1789. 		2002
Portland Observatory, Portland, Maine, USA

One of the earliest marine signal stations in the United States, this tower is unique in its engineering, design and construction and contributed to the prosperity of Portland Harbor as a vital center of maritime commerce during the "Golden Age of Sail." 		2006
Potowmack Canal and Locks, Great Falls, Virginia, USA

These canals and locks are a part of the first extensive system of canal and river navigation works undertaken in the United States. The Potowmack Company began this project's construction in 1785 and it operated from about 1799 to 1821. The locks required at Great Falls to overcome the 76-foot difference in elevation are a significant component of the system proposed and planned by George Washington. 		1970
Poughkeepsie-Highland Bridge, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

The Poughkeepsie-Highland Bridge is the oldest surviving steel cantilever bridge in the world and, when built, had the longest truss and cantilever spans. The bridge provided the first, and only, all-rail route across the Hudson River south of Albany, and it facilitated the movement of coal eastward and manufactured goods westward for 85 years. Restored as the Walkway Over the Hudson, the bridge provides an outstanding example of adaptive reuse. Its designers were Thomas C. Clarke (ASCE President 1896) and Charles Macdonald (ASCE President 1908). 		2009
Prehistoric Mesa Verde Reservoirs, Mesa Verde, Colorado, USA

Mesa Verde's industrious Ancestral Puebloans designed, constructed, and maintained Morefield, Box Elder, Far View, and Sagebrush Reservoirs for domestic water-storage between A.D. 750 and 1180. 		2004
Quebec Bridge, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

This bridge is the longest span (549 meters) cantilever bridge in the world. It was the longest overall single span bridge in the world from 1917 to 1929. The bridge carries railway and highway traffic across the St. Lawrence River. ASCE and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering jointly designated it. 		1987
Queensboro Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

The Queensboro Bridge was the longest cantilever span in North America (1,182 feet) from 1909 until the Quebec Bridge opened in 1917 and the longest in the United States until 1930. Many engineers, including R. S. Buck and Gustav Lindenthal, along with architect Henry Hornbostel, were involved in the design and construction of the Queensboro Bridge which spurred the development of the Borough of Queens. 		2009
Queretaro Aqueduct, Queretaro, Mexico

This 1280-meter long, 74 semi-circular stone arch aqueduct, completed in 1738, provided a dependable supply of clean water to the city of Queretaro, Mexico. Based on the Roman aqueducts, it remains virtually intact today, and is one of Mexico's most important monuments. With a maximum height of 23 meters, it is a remarkable example of 18th century civil engineering practice in Mexico. 		1995
Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

This complex system of twenty underground fuel tanks, each large enough to hold a twenty story building, is buried under 100 feet of volcanic rock. Innovatively designed and constructed, this system provided fuel for United States forces during the latter half of World War II and for the next fifty years. Construction began prior to the outbreak of World War II and was completed two years later. 		1994
Reversal of the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Completed in 1900, this major civil engineering innovation required imaginative planning and ingenious construction. It resulted in a multi-purpose project involving water supply, pollution control, transportation, and power, and had a significantly beneficial impact on the development of America's heartland. 		1977
River des Peres Sewage & Drainage Works, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

The thirteen mile system of sanitary trunk sewers and drainage channel was the largest undertaking of its kind when built between 1924 and 1931; it is still operating. Among the many innovations associated with this project are the advanced techniques of hydrologic computations, use of large diameter (thirty-two foot span) buried reinforced concrete pipe designed with original geotechnical calculations, new large-scale trench dewatering methods, and soil stabilization procedures. 		1988
Rockville Stone Arch Bridge, Rockville, Pennsylvania, USA *

When opened in 1902, this bridge represented the zenith of American stone arch construction. This span is one of the longest (3,820 feet) and widest (52 feet) multiple stone arch bridges in the world. 		1979
Rocky River Pumped Storage Hydro-Plant, New Milford, Connecticut, USA

Completed in 1925, this project was the first pumped major storage hydroelectric project in the United States. The engineers on the project, sensitive to rugged landscape, created Candelwood Lake which enhances the beauty of the area while still providing economical power from the Housatonic River. 		1984
Rogue River Bridge, Gold Beach, Oregon, USA *

Completed in 1931, this seven-span arch bridge was the first major structure in America to use the concept of the pre-stressed concrete arch. Each twin-ribbed arch spanned 230 feet. As an experimental structure sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Public Roads, it successfully demonstrated the engineering application of the pre-compression technique of the French engineer Freyssinet and formed the basis for its later widespread use. 		1982
Royal Colonial Boundary of 1665, Middlesboro, Kentucky, USA

Begun in 1728, the survey of this boundary, located in what is now Cumberland Gap National Park, Kentucky, reached the Mississippi River in 1819. It delineated, in part, the present states of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Its execution was characterized by personal courage, dedication, and technical innovation in the art and science of cadastral and geodetic survey practice in the United States. 		1989
Salginatobel Bridge, Shiers, Switzerland

Designed by Robert Maillart, the bridge represents a major innovation of structural type - the three-hinged, hollow-bow arch of reinforced concrete - using a new method of staged-arch construction. This unprecedented form by the most celebrated bridge designer of the time was completed in 1930 and is considered a work of structural art. 		1990
San Antonio River Walk & Flood Control System, San Antonio, Texas, USA

This planned flood control and river enhancement system was built between 1929 and 1941. The system has proven extremely successful in controlling San Antonio's devastating urban flooding problem. Beyond its success in flood control, the engineering design pioneered the sensitive and effective blending of architectural, historical, environmental, and urban development needs. The river walk, considered a prototype for effective urban river development, is replicated both in the United States and internationally. 		1996
San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA *

Built between 1933 and 1936, this was the longest crossing over water and most costly bridge of its time. Construction was possible due to the use of compressed-air flotation caissons. The two-mile wide West Bay was bridged by two suspension spans, linked in tandem by the world's largest bridge anchorage. 		1986
San Jacinto Monument, Houston, Texas, USA

Precise monitoring of foundation settlement for this world's tallest free-standing concrete tower at the time of construction (1936-1939) provided data for testing Karl Terzaghi's consolidation theory, a fundamental component of soil mechanics. 		1992
Sault Ste. Marie Hydroelectric Complex, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA * ‡

Completed in 1902, this complex remains the largest low-head facility in the United States. Its canal, carrying thirty thousand cubic feet per second, is the largest of its kind. James W. Rickey, who was honored by the Society's Rickey Medal, and ASCE presidents Alfred Noble (1903) and Clements Herschel (1916) were among the engineers responsible for this project. 		1983
Second Street Bridge, Allegan, Michigan, USA

This 225-foot span Whipple double intersection through truss, erected in 1886 by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company, represented the culmination of an era during which cast iron was replaced by the far more reliable wrought iron as an engineering material. 		1982
Seventh Street Improvement Arches, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

The Seventh Street Improvement Arches celebrates the engineering application of mathematics to improve living conditions. In 1909, the Associations of Engineering Societies Journal described the skewed, helicoidal, stone arch design as "the most important piece of masonry in the city." It is currently one of the only documented examples of helicoidal arch construction in the United States and the only known example in the State of Minnesota. 		2000
Sewall's Bridge, York, Maine, USA

Built over the York River in 1761, this bridge was designed and constructed by Major Samuel Sewall, Jr. It is the first pile structure for general highway traffic constructed in accordance with an engineering plan based upon a site survey. It was reconstructed in 1934 as a treated wooden pile structure, designed to look like the original bridge while accommodating modern day traffic. 		1986
Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme, Shannon, Ireland

By international standards the Shannon scheme for the electrification of the Irish Free State was one of the largest civil and engineering projects at the time it was built. It created an essential framework and platform for the social, economic and industrial development of the country. The civil engineering achievements include the removal of 7.6 million cubic meters of earth and 1.2 million cubic meters of rock, the building of a 96.6 km purpose built narrow gauge railway, the construction of four major bridges and the diversion of nine rivers and countless streams. 		2002
Smithfield Street Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA * ‡

This project, completed in 1883, represents a unique adaptation of a contemporary European engineering device, the lenticular truss, to suit American needs. It served as a guide for the many highway bridges of similar design built in America during the ensuing decades. Probably the oldest extant major steel truss in the United States, it was the earliest major project of Gustav Lindenthal (Hon. M. ASCE). 		1975
Snoqualmie Falls Cavity Generating Station, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA *

The concept of an underground hydroelectric station was first successfully achieved at this site in 1899. This innovation has since been applied successfully in many other locations throughout the world. The plant is still producing power today. 		1981
Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, New South Wales, Australia

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, consisting of sixteen large dams, 145 km of tunnels, seven power stations, a pumping station, and 80 km of aqueducts is a world-class civil engineering project that provides vital electric power and irrigation water. Its construction, which commenced in 1949 and was completed in phases through 1974, was modeled after the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This monumental project brought great economic growth to the southeastern sector of the country. 		1997
St. Clair Tunnel, Port Huron, Michigan, USA * ‡

This tunnel, constructed between 1888 and 1891 under the St. Clair River, was the first successful subaqueous railway tunnel in North America. Canadian engineer Joseph Hobson of the Grand Trunk Railway directed design and construction of the 6,028-foot tunnel. The twenty foot diameter tunnel was shield-driven under compressed air and was lined with segmental cast irons rings. 		1991
Starrucca Viaduct, Lanesboro, Pennsylvania, USA *

This key masonry viaduct of the New York and Erie Railroad was one of the earliest structures between the Eastern seaboard and the Midwest. It was constructed in record time, and was among the first, if not the first, important engineering work to utilize structural concrete. It was built in 1848 to the design of Julius Adams (1875 ASCE President) and under the supervision of James B. Kirkwood (1868 ASCE President). It is still in use today. 		1973
Statue of Liberty, New York City, New York, USA *

Through the aesthetic genius of Frederick Bartholdi and the engineering ingenuity of other French and American engineers, particularly Gustave Eiffel, Charles Stone and Charles C. Schneider (1905 ASCE President), the "Lady" was completed in 1886, and became the world's symbol of the United States as the land of the free. This landmark was designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and jointly dedicated by the Association of Civil Engineering of France and ASCE. 		1985
Stevens Pass Railroad Tunnels & Switchback System, Stevens Pass, Washington, USA

The area of Stevens Pass contains the first and second Cascade Tunnels and the switchbacks that carried Great Northern Railroad trains over the pass since 1892. The pass is named for John F. Stevens (1927 ASCE President) who located it in 1890. Stevens was made chief engineer of the Great Northern in 1895, and while in this position he supervised construction of the first Cascade Tunnel between 1897 and 1900. The second Cascade Tunnel was the longest tunnel in the Western Hemisphere from 1929 to 1989. 		1993
Stone Arch Bridge - Great Northern Railway, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Constructed in 1883, this oldest extant railroad bridge over the Mississippi River was a key element in the development of the northwest part of the country. This span is a double track structure, 2,100 feet long, 76 feet high, 26 to 28 feet wide, with 23 circular stone arch spans of various lengths. 		1974
Suez Canal Project, Cairo, Egypt

The longest man-made sea level canal in the world when opened in 1869, the modern Suez Canal is one of the world's most heavily used shipping routes and continues to play a critical role in international trade. 		2003
Sweetwater Dam, Spring Valley, California, USA

When completed in 1888 to a height of 90 feet, Sweetwater Dam was once the tallest masonry arch dam in the United States, and it led to many others of the same basic design. The original construction began in November 1886 under the direction of Frank E. Brown (civil engineer for Bear Valley Dam) with the rubble-masonry thin-arch design being 50 feet in height. Subsequently, the owner of the water system called upon civil engineer James D. Schuyler to continue and complete the project. Although the field of hydrology was very new and not fully understood at the time, Mr. Schuyler determined that the area of the watershed tributary to the dam, at about 186 square miles, justified a higher structure that would increase the reservoir capacity by five times the original design. He noted that the height change from 50 to 90 feet and the change to a gravity arch design now relied on the arch design for its “factor of safety”, but felt confident with the foundation and construction methods. The volume of water expected to be stored was 18,636 acre-feet. There were subsequent modifications after the dam’s original completion, with the majority completed by 1940. The major modifications were completed under the direction of Schuyler and civil engineer Hiram N. Savage. Since its original completion, Sweetwater Dam has experienced unprecedented flood flows that overtopped the center crest three times (1895, 1909, and 1916). Sweetwater Dam now stands 127 feet high with a crest length of 700 feet that provides over 27,000 acre-feet of water for domestic and irrigation use. 		2005
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

A steel through-arch multi-modal structure, this was the second longest span (503 m) of its type when completed in 1932. J.J.C. Bradfield and Sir Ralph Freeman were the designers of this bridge that is now an international symbol of Australia and her engineering achievements. 		1988
Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line, California, USA

This line, which climbs out of the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains originally had eighteen tunnels, ten bridges and numerous watertowers for the steam locomotives. Completed in 1876 in less than two years time under the leadership of civil engineer J. B. Harris, chief of construction, this line was part of the last and final segment of the first railroad line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was the primary factor in the early growth of the City of Los Angeles and the State of California. 		1998
Tennessee State Capitol, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

The Tennessee State Capitol (constructed between 1845 and 1877) was designed by engineer and architect William Strickland. It was one of the first buildings in the nation with structural iron roof trusses. The Capitol grounds were designed by engineers J.A. Hayden and John Bogart and set the standard for park development in the region. 		2003
Texas Commerce Bank (formerly Gulf, now Chase) Building, Houston, Texas, USA

This building, completed in 1929, was the tallest west of the Mississippi River until 1962. With Karl Terzaghi as consultant, the project represented one of the first applications of the new field of soil mechanics to foundation design and building settlement on a clay soil. 		1997
Thames Tunnel, London, England

Built between 1828 and 1843, this tunnel was the crowning achievement of Marc Brunel and the inception of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's illustrious career. This project marked the beginning of a new era in tunneling practice. It was the first shield-driven tunnel, the first successful soft ground subaqueous tunnel, and, in 1869, was adapted to be the first subaqueous railway tunnel. 		1991
Theodore Roosevelt Dam & Salt River Project, Phoenix, Arizona, USA * ‡

This dam was the first project of the Bureau of Reclamation and the first multipurpose (irrigation, river regulation, power generation and recreation) project in the United States. The dam marked the beginning of federal reclamation projects throughout the West. When it was completed in 1911, the dam was one of the highest in the world at 284 feet above bedrock. 		1970
Tipon, Tipon, Peru

This Tipon complex attests to the advanced hydraulic and geotechnical engineering of the Inca people and their predecessors.  Tipon is an engineering masterpiece of planning, design, and construction.  The complex irrigation system of canals, aqueduct, fountains, buried conduits, and a tunnel, some of which remain in use, provided conjunctive use of surface and spring water to these terraces constructed of massive, zoned earthworks and fine stone masonry walls. 		2006
Triborough Bridge Project, New York City, New York, USA

This three and a half mile, three-branched waterway crossing, opened in 1936, comprises a major suspension bridge, a large vertical lift span, a fixed span designed to be convertible to a lift span, a long viaduct, and an innovative three-legged roadway interchange. It included fourteen miles of arterial highway approaches and urban design features such as parks and recreational facilities. The project is an early example of the complete planning and development of a major transportation project in an urban environment. Robert Moses and Othmar H. Ammann (Hon. M. ASCE) were key to the project. 		1986
Tunkhannock Viaduct, Nicholson, Pennsylvania, USA *

This reinforced-concrete structure, the largest of its kind ever built, was put in service in 1915 by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The Tunkhannock Viaduct represents a great feat of construction skill and a successful departure from contemporary, conventional concepts of railroad location in that its main line traversed the regional drainage pattern, therefore reducing the distance and grade impediments to economy of operation. 		1975
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Exp. Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA *

The Waterways Experiment Station was created in 1929 as the first federal hydraulics research facility and is now the largest engineering and scientific research facility of the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The station has expanded into a six-laboratory complex that employs over 1,600 people and has an annual program of over $130 million. The project's hydraulic roots have evolved to include fields such as soil and rock mechanics, earthquake engineering, coastal engineering, concrete, nuclear and conventional weapons effects, vehicle mobility, water quality, and more. 		1986
U.S. Capitol, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Started in 1793 and completed in 1863, the capitol's construction included an iron-ribbed dome 135 feet in diameter topped by Thomas Crawford's statue "Freedom". The dome required a scaffolding 350 feet high. New engineering techniques of construction and quality control were developed to meet the challenge of this immense project which was to become an international symbol of democracy. 		1986
Union Canal Tunnel, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA * ‡

The Union Canal Tunnel is the oldest existing transportation tunnel in the United States. It is part of the canal connecting the Susquehanna and Schuylkill Rivers providing an important transportation route to the West. Completed in 1828 under difficult conditions, the tunnel is 729 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 14 feet high. The tunnel has been restored to its original condition. 		1970
Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri, USA * ‡

This structure, wherein twenty-two railroad lines from east and west terminated in a centralized location, was the largest in the world at the time of its construction in 1894. The problems involved in the planning, design, and construction of this project were enormous, and its successful completion brought international acclaim to American civil engineering. 		1981
United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA

The Academy is the oldest educational institution in the United States to offer formal academic instruction in the field of civil engineering (1813). 		1978
Vancouver's Mapping of the West Coast of North America, Baja California, Mexico-Anchorage, Alaska, USA, Mexico/United States/Canada

The voyage of George Vancouver, 1791 - 1795, resulted in the first accurate and detailed map of the entire west coast of North America, and proved conclusively the absence of a Northwest Passage through the continent. Vancouver was the first European to discover and map Puget Sound and to prove the insularity of Vancouver Island. His survey of coastal British Columbia and southern Alaska benefited from information received from contemporary Spanish explorers. Vancouver's charts, used by mariners late into the 19th century, and those of the Spaniards served as important references during settlement of the international boundary disputes between Great Britain and the United States in 1846 and 1872. 		2009
Viaducto del Malleco, Collipulli, Chile

This early steel viaduct, opened in 1890, was designed by the Chilean engineer Jose Victorino Lastarria, and utilized steelwork prefabricated in France. It has an overall length of 408 m, and carries the rail line 91 m above the Malleco River. As one of the key structures in the Chilean railway system, it typifies the engineering challenge associated with design and construction in remote mountainous areas. 		1994
Victoria Falls Bridge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia

The Victoria Falls Bridge, completed in 1905, is a 152-meter span, steel-lattice, two-hinged arch bridge with a deck level 122 m above the Zambezi River. Conceived by Cecil Rhodes as a key link in his proposed Cape-to-Cairo railway, it is situated just downstream of the Victoria Falls in a site of unsurpassed grandeur. Although a product of the colonial period, it continues to serve and enhance the lives of all people living in the region. 		1995
Vulcan Street Plant, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

When it began operation in September 1882, this plant was the first Edison hydroelectric central station to serve a system of private and commercial customers in North America. This project was the beginning of cooperation among civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers in order to provide power for the United States. (Designated jointly with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.). 		1977
Waldo-Hancock Suspension Bridge, Bucksport, Maine, USA *

This bridge was innovative in its use of Verendeel truss towers and has been a key structure on U.S. Route 1 connecting down east Maine to the international maritime commerce of the coast. Completed in 1931, the main span is 800 feet long and provides a navigational clearance of 135 feet. On December 30, 2006, the Waldo-Hancock Bridge was officially closed and the replacement bridge, Penobscot Narrows Bridge, was opened to traffic. 		2002
Walnut Street Bridge, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA *

The Walnut Street Bridge, completed in 1890 with fifteen truss spans and an overall length of 2,820 feet, is the finest and largest example of the standardized wrought iron truss bridges produced by the Phoenix Bridge Company. 		1997
Ward House, Rye, New York, USA

Built between 1873 and 1876, this house was the first reinforced concrete building constructed in the United States. It dramatically demonstrated the construction potential of an engineered combination of steel and concrete. (Jointly designated by the American Concrete Institute and identified as an Concrete Engineering Landmark in 1977.) 		1977
Washington Monument, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

When completed in 1885, this monument was the tallest structure in the world. Lt. Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey was the engineer responsible for completing this project, and it remains today the tallest stone masonry structure in the world. 		1981
Watertown Arsenal, Watertown, Massachusetts, USA

This arsenal was the first major engineering testing laboratory in the United States. Beginning approximately in 1859 and continuing through the early 1900's, when the National Bureau of Standards began operations, the pioneering experiments and tests conducted contributed not only to the greater understanding of the properties of construction materials themselves, but also to the perfection of testing techniques and testing machines. The dissemination of its test results made this arsenal of special significance to the civil engineering profession. 		1982
West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden Springs, Indiana, USA

This hotel, designed by architect Harrison Albright and civil engineer Oliver J. Westcott, was constructed in less than one year. At the time of its completion in 1902, it was the largest domed structure in the world. The dome diameter of two hundred feet was not surpassed for more than sixty years. 		2000
Wheeling Suspension Bridge, Wheeling, West Virginia, USA * ‡

Built in 1849 by Charles Ellet, Jr., this is the oldest existing major suspension bridge in the United States. It was the first long-span wire-cable suspension bridge in the country and served as a link in the National Highway from Washington, DC to the west. Wrecked in a storm in 1854, it was reconstructed in 1856 and remains in service today. 		1968
Whipple Truss Bridge, Schenectady, New York, USA

The Whipple Truss Bridge (circa 1855), relocated to Union College, was built from a design patented in 1841 by Squire Whipple (Hon. M. ASCE) and was the first scientifically designed truss bridge in the United States. 		1981
White Pass & Yukon Railroad, Canada/United States

American and Canadian engineers constructed the White Pass and Yukon Railway, extending from Skagway, Alaska to White Horse, Yukon Territory, in only 27 months between 1898 and 1900. The railroad passed through glacial terrain, far removed from supplies in the United States, and represented the first cold region engineered construction in Alaska. 		1994
White River Concrete Arch Bridge, Cotter, Arkansas, USA

When completed in November 1930 (only one year after initiation) this innovative structure included the first major use of a cableway in association with lattice steel ribs that acted as reinforcement and precluded the need for conventional centering. This structure remains in full service. The key civil engineer responsible for this beautiful multi-span arch bridge was J. Barney Marsh. 		1986
Williamsburg Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Designed by Leffert Lefferts Buck, a prolific bridge engineer of the post-Civil War period, the Williamsburg Bridge's 1,600-foot main span was the longest in the world from 1903 until 1924. With 40-foot deep stiffening trusses, it was the first major suspension bridge to have steel towers. It is an important link in New York's rail transit system. 		2009
Woodhead Dam, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Built between 1893 and 1897, the Woodhead Dam was the first large masonry dam in South Africa. A regional water system with a major reservoir was a bold venture requiring difficult construction in a remote area. Innovative techniques, including an aerial cableway to carry materials, were needed. The dam's successful completion paved the way for sister dams that continue to supply water to Cape Town and environs and established young Thomas Stewart, the engineer who designed and managed the project, as a leading water engineer and a reliable consultant. Stewart is known as the father of consulting engineering in South Africa. 		2008
Zhaozhou (or Anji) Bridge, Hopei Province, China

This segmental stone arch, built between 595 and 605 AD with a span of 37 meters, has double arch spandrels, and is the earliest known bridge with this type of construction. Li Chun, the designer of the bridge, is recognized as one of China's great builders. The Zhaozhou Bridge (in Chinese literature known as the Anji Bridge) still serves its original function with a substantial number of its original components. 		1989


    
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