As we entered the new millennium, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) initiated programs to reflect on the contributions of the profession to the development of quality of life in the 20th century. The Millennium Challenge and Monuments of the Millennium were introduced in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

Through these programs, ASCE seeks to honor the civil engineering profession's contribution to the quality of life and well being of people and communities worldwide, and acknowledges the creative spirit and ingenuity of the civil engineering profession.

For the Millennium Challenge, ASCE canvassed its members in late 1999 to determine the 10 civil engineering achievements that had the greatest positive impact on life in the 20th century. Rather than individual projects, they chose to recognize broad categories of achievements.

ASCE's members ranked the 10 greatest civil engineering achievements as:

Airport Design And Development
Dams
The Interstate Highway System
Long-Span Bridges
Rail Transportation
Sanitary Landfills/Solid Waste Disposal
Skyscrapers
Wastewater Treatment
Water Supply and Distribution
Water Transportation

While each monument exemplifies the use of engineering ingenuity to overcome major design and construction challenges, this is not the sole criterion. All were selected because, like the great civil engineering works of previous centuries, they uplifted the human spirit and created pride in the communities served; used state-of-the-art design and construction techniques to preserve the natural environment; and made a significant contribution to regional and world economies. Most importantly, all of these monuments have created a positive change in the way people live and how they conduct business. They represent some of the most significant public works achievements of the past century and serve as a symbol of engineering's finest moments in history.