GRAEF is proud to announce that the firm, in partnership with HBM and HNTB, has been honored with an Honor Award in the ACEC Illinois 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards for the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/I-94) Rehabilitation Project. Honor Awards recognize projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering, meet client needs, and benefit the public welfare, making this recognition particularly meaningful for a project that serves hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.

Serving more than 275,000 motorists each day, the Kennedy Expressway is one of the most vital transportation corridors in the region. Originally opened in 1960, the expressway had not undergone major rehabilitation in over 30 years. IDOT entrusted GRAEF, HBM, and HNTB with delivering a comprehensive modernization effort that improved safety, mobility, and long-term system reliability—while maintaining traffic flow in one of the nation’s busiest urban corridors.

GRAEF extends its appreciation to HBM, HNTB, and the many supporting consultants whose expertise contributed to the successful delivery of this critical infrastructure improvement.

The award will be formally presented by ACEC Illinois on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, during the organization’s annual awards ceremony.