Year in Review 2025

Sullivan County needed to replace a deteriorated bridge and an undersized dam spillway at Beaver Brook Road to address safety risks, regulatory deficiencies, and high-hazard dam concerns. B&L designed a longer, hydraulically efficient ogee spillway and a durable new bridge while maintaining traffic using a temporary on-site detour. The project also included roadway reconstruction, stormwater management, and close coordination with NYSDEC Dam Safety for permitting and compliance. These improvements brought the dam into regulatory compliance, enhanced flood performance, and delivered a safer, more resilient crossing for the County and surrounding communities.

Ardsley Union Free School District needed a full modernization of its outdated athletic complex, which faced field, track, stormwater, and programming deficiencies. B&L, partnering with Fuller D’Angelo, redesigned the site with new grading, a high-performance non-infill synthetic turf field, upgraded track options, improved circulation, and a subsurface stormwater system, ensuring all safety and performance standards were met. Construction was carefully phased to maintain campus access while incorporating lighting, drainage, and amenities that enhance usability and long-term function. The result is a modern, resilient athletic complex that supports multiple sports, improves safety and playability, and provides a future-ready facility for the school community.

The County of Franklin Solid Waste Management Facility needed additional landfill capacity to meet long-term regional disposal demands while maintaining strict environmental protection standards. B&L provided engineering support for an 8.7-acre double composite liner system expansion, emphasizing efficient design, proactive material procurement, and coordinated construction. Through careful planning and collaboration, the nearly $10 million project was completed without borrowing and finished almost a year ahead of schedule. The expansion delivered high-performing liner infrastructure and ensures continued, compliant waste disposal capacity for the region.

The Village of Dundee’s aging wastewater treatment plant faced deteriorating infrastructure, rising maintenance costs, and stricter SPDES permit requirements for nutrient removal and disinfection. B&L helped the Village plan and fund a comprehensive upgrade by preparing a Preliminary Engineering Report and securing $10.3 million in grants along with a long-term, zero-interest loan. The project included major process and equipment upgrades such as new headworks, continuous-flow SBRs with biological nutrient removal, advanced filtration and UV disinfection, biosolids improvements, collection systems improvements, and plant-wide controls modernization. The upgraded facility now provides reliable, efficient treatment that protects Big Stream and Seneca Lake while ensuring long-term regulatory compliance and financial sustainability.

The Lazy River Road Bridge was structurally deteriorated, hydraulically deficient and posed safety concerns due to the poor roadway alignment and frequent flooding.  B&L designed and oversaw construction of the complete replacement of the existing crossing with a new 164-foot single-span steel girder bridge with an improved roadway alignment, raised low beam elevation and a significantly enhanced hydraulic performance.  The project also included approach roadway reconstruction, utility relocations, hazardous material removal, protected mussel survey and relocations, right-of-way takings and stakeholder outreach.  The completed bridge now meets modern NYSDOT standards and provides a safer, more resilient crossing for St. Lawrence County.

The City of Rehoboth Beach needed to meet DNREC water allocation permitting requirements, which focus on preventing well interference and seawater intrusion, key concerns for a coastal community reliant on a shared aquifer. B&L has supported the City and DBF since 2015 by conducting hydrogeologic evaluations, including water level monitoring, geochemical analysis, aquifer characterization, and regulatory coordination. This work helps assess potential impacts of groundwater withdrawals on nearby wells and evaluates the risk of saline intrusion under permitted pumping conditions. As a result, the city remains in regulatory compliance while protecting its long-term drinking water supply and ensuring sustainable groundwater management.

The Bolton Point Water Treatment Facility required modernization because its original 1975 electrical infrastructure had exceeded its service life, was vulnerable to flooding, and lacked a generator capable of powering the full plant. B&L designed a new elevated electrical building addition, replaced aging switchgear and transfer equipment, and integrated a larger generator to ensure full operational continuity. The team also evaluated primary metering equipment and provided extensive construction-phase support, including submittal reviews, field issue resolution, and oversight through final inspection. These improvements greatly increased the facility’s safety, reliability, and resilience, ensuring dependable water service for the communities it serves.

WEP’s sanitary unit charge process previously relied on manual, legacy methods, resulting in fragmented billing, consumption, and asset data. This initiative implemented a fully integrated solution within WEP’s IBM Maximo asset management system, linking water consumption data directly to parcel assets. The result is a single source of truth for sanitary billing, improved data integrity, streamlined workflows, and reduced manual reconciliation. The solution supports compliance, enhances transparency, and positions WEP for long-term operational efficiency.

The Springfield Jewish Community Center needed to replace its aging, outdated athletic courts with modern, durable, and accessible recreational facilities that better supported its programming goals. Working with SJCC leadership and Architectural Insights, B&L created a campus master plan and advanced Phase 1 into full design, resulting in eight new pickleball courts, two tournament-ready, and a new basketball court with updated surfacing, lighting, equipment, fencing, seating, and landscaping. B&L also improved site grading, layout, and ADA-compliant access routes connecting parking areas to the new courts, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment. Completed in August 2025, the project transformed the campus with high-quality courts that enhance year-round recreation, expand programming, and strengthen SJCC’s role as a community hub.

The East River Road project addressed safety, multi-modal accessibility, and capacity needs along a heavily traveled corridor serving residents, businesses, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. B&L provided design and construction inspection services, focusing on cost-effective pavement rehabilitation strategies, targeted full-depth reconstruction, traffic signal replacements, and drainage improvements. Extensive coordination with Monroe County, the Town of Henrietta, RIT, developers, and utility companies minimized disruption while maintaining mobility during construction. The result is a safer multi-modal corridor that extends the roadway service life, supports continued development, and reflects strong collaboration and innovative funding approaches.

Anne Arundel County DPW-BWMS needed reliable operation and maintenance of landfill gas systems across two closed landfills and one active site, including an underperforming landfill gas–to–energy facility operating at only 70% capacity. B&L was engaged to provide full-time monitoring, maintenance, and optimization of the gas collection and control system, including daily system checks, monthly well tuning, and regulatory monitoring. These efforts improved gas quality and collection efficiency, allowing the energy facility to operate at 100% capacity and generate enough electricity to power approximately 2,000 homes. The project enhanced regulatory compliance, informed long-term planning, and delivered safer, more efficient, and more reliable landfill gas operations for the County.

The Hamlet of Glenfield faced aging and deteriorating water and sewer infrastructure that caused service disruptions, limited water supply capacity, and new regulatory requirements for wastewater disinfection and treatment expansion. B&L delivered a coordinated upgrade program that included replacing water mains and services, installing a new groundwater well and water treatment plant with reverse osmosis and backup power, and modernizing all production wells with new controls and telemetry. For the sewer system, B&L designed ultraviolet disinfection, expanded treatment capacity with new septic tanks and sand media filters, and planned replacement of an aging pump station. Together, these improvements significantly enhanced system reliability, water quality, regulatory compliance, and long-term resilience for the Hamlet’s water and wastewater services.

The West Washington Avenue Bridge, built in 1930, required full replacement due to structural deterioration, safety concerns from poor roadway geometry, and hydraulic deficiencies that caused flooding and scouring. B&L designed an 80-foot single-span bridge on an improved alignment and incorporated stream realignment and natural channel design features to enhance hydraulic performance and stability. The project also included full-depth roadway reconstruction, utility coordination, and environmental mitigation to improve sight distance, reduce flood risk, and accommodate suspended utilities. The completed design delivers a safer, more resilient crossing that resolves long-standing structural and hydraulic issues along Pascack Brook.

The existing training tower had deteriorated beyond repair, requiring complete demolition and new site and structural design to support a replacement fire operations building. B&L managed the safe removal of the old tower and engineered reinforced concrete foundations customized for the new pre-engineered structure. The team also improved stormwater systems and modified utilities to ensure the site could fully support the updated facility. These integrated services resulted in a modern, reliable foundation and site layout that will serve the County’s emergency training needs well into the future.

Construction of the new M&T Bank Center required attentive environmental oversight due to its participation within the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program. The handling of excavated materials had to meet firm regulatory standards, including particulate and air monitoring, and overseeing contractor compliance with BCP requirements. The team also implemented the Site Management Plan to document conditions, guide redevelopment, and maintain regulatory adherence. This proactive approach ensured a smooth, compliant construction process that supported the transformation of a formerly blighted property into a modern community entertainment venue.

The Town of Olive needed a durable, code-compliant storage facility that could withstand harsh runoff conditions and support year-round DPW operations. B&L provided a full-service engineering and architectural solution, designing a steel-structured building with a fire barrier that eliminated the need for a sprinkler system. The facility incorporated corrosion-resistant materials, energy-efficient electrical and mechanical systems, and features that improve vehicle performance and ventilation. Completed in January 2025 for $1.7 million, the project delivered a long-lasting, cost-effective facility supported by thorough construction oversight.

The West German Street Bridge, built in 1920, had severe structural deterioration and limited hydraulic capacity that contributed to safety risks and flooding in the Village of Herkimer. B&L designed and administered construction of a new, longer-span prestressed concrete bridge with a raised roadway profile and widened stream opening to improve flow and resilience. The project also included roadway reconstruction, sidewalks, drainage upgrades, and utility relocations, along with securing supplemental funding to minimize the local cost burden. The completed bridge now provides a safe, modern crossing that reduces flood risk and supports reliable transportation through the Village.

Lycoming County needed to continue to reduce leachate generation and improve landfill gas collection efficiency at their landfill facility while maintaining long term regulatory compliance.  Since 2019, B&L has provided planning and professional engineering services to support the County’s landfill-related activities.  This year marked the completion of a 24-acre closure project that included significant expansion and upgrades to the landfill gas collection system, stormwater management system and final capping system at the facility.  These efforts have minimized leachate generation, increased gas collection and the corresponding energy recovery efforts by the County.  As the facility continues to expand, this project has secured historical wastes placed and provided opportunities for future expansions at the facility.

OCWA needed to upgrade from Maximo 7.6 to the Maximo Application Suite (MAS) before end-of-support while also migrating its full system, database and attachments, to a new cloud host with minimal disruption. B&L led the upgrade and migration effort, completing the transition with only one business day of downtime and no data loss. The team also inventoried, corrected, and validated all external system integrations, reviewed and improved work management workflows, and delivered staff training to ensure a smooth cutover. The project left OCWA with a stable, supportable MAS environment featuring modern hosting, documented integrations, standardized workflows, and users prepared to take advantage of new platform capabilities.

Severe flooding in May 2025 caused major damage to the Aaron Run Road culvert, prompting Garrett County to declare the crossing an emergency replacement. B&L quickly assessed the site and recommended replacing the failed culvert with a bridge to improve hydraulic capacity and long-term resilience. By repurposing precast beams and abutments from a postponed project and using an efficient foundation system, B&L significantly reduced construction time and cost. The roadway reopened in October 2025, restoring access while delivering a safer, more flood-resilient crossing over Mill Run.