2024 | CASFM Engineering Excellence Award
For decades, Kennys Run, a minor drainageway, had been confined to pipes under the streets of Golden, Colorado and below a large industrial facility. This caused the stream to become disconnected and resulted in flooding of the major industrial complex. To accommodate a planned expansion, the industrial facility needed to be protected from floodwaters and removed from the floodplain. To accomplish this, Kennys Run was daylighted into a new open channel running adjacent to a significant transportation corridor, Ford Street. The open channel took the place of underused impermeable parking lots and created a riparian greenway in the middle of the City. The multi-use trail system expanded to allow direct access through the new greenway and down to the recreational confluence at Clear Creek. This multi-disciplinary project resulted in a public private partnership that not only preserved a major contributor to the Colorado economy but also created a dynamic pedestrian and recreation corridor that enhanced the habitat value and ecosystem at the confluence of Clear Creek and Kennys Run in the heart of Golden.