Paris, Tenn.– L.I. Smith & Associates (LIS) is proud to announce that the firm has earned the Grand Award in the Surveying and Mapping Technology/Large Project category at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards. The honor recognizes LIS’s contributions to the recently completed Crump Boulevard Interchange in Memphis, and was presented during the annual gala held in November at The Four Seasons Hotel in Nashville.
The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards are an annual celebration of engineering achievements, honoring projects worldwide that demonstrate innovation, creative problem-solving, and engineering’s unique ability to improve our world. The Grand Award represents the highest level of recognition, highlighting projects that exemplify engineering excellence and meaningful community impact. LIS is proud to submit this project to the national competition in 2026, where it will be considered alongside top projects from across the country.
The interchange at E.H. Crump Boulevard and I-55, one of downtown Memphis’s busiest and most vital corridors, is a key Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) project that addressed long-standing traffic congestion, safety concerns, and mobility challenges. LIS served as the surveying subcontractor to Bell & Associates Construction, providing construction lines, stakes, grades, and detailed 3D grading models to support the work overseen by TDOT. The 3.5-year project, completed in April 2025, transformed the interchange into a safer, more efficient roadway that will benefit commuters, freight traffic, and the community for decades.
The project included multiple bridges, ramps, and a modern roundabout, as well as two flyover bridges, the reconstructed Wisconsin Street Bridge, 14 retaining walls, a 2,700-foot noise wall, and nearly 17,340 linear feet of new roadway. By combining precision surveying with innovative technologies such as drone surveys and 3D grading models delivered directly to field tablets, LIS enhanced project efficiency, minimized rework, and ensured accuracy. Survey crews completed beam profiling, camber verification, and staking for drilled shafts, geo piers, retaining walls, drainage systems, and traffic signals, with all layouts verified against TDOT specifications.
Through this integration of traditional expertise and modern innovation, LIS helped TDOT deliver a safer, more efficient interchange while supporting the project’s on-time completion. The firm remains committed to providing dependable, precise, and innovative surveying and mapping services that strengthen communities and infrastructure across Tennessee.
Photo: Mason Smith and Caleb Orr at Awards Gala. L.I. Smith photo.