Gravel Ridge and FSM Aircraft Arresting System Awarded Gold by ACEC Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Three Halff projects collected 2026 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Arkansas Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA). Gravel Ridge SID #213 Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements won gold in the environmental category, while the Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) Runway 8-26 BAK-12/14 Aircraft Arresting System collected gold in the special projects category. Additionally, Faulkner Lake Road received an honor award in the transportation category. The ACEC EEA recognizes engineering firms for projects demonstrating high achievement, value and ingenuity.

Gravel Ridge’s SID 213 wastewater facility opened in 1975, utilizing facultative lagoons that served 1,500 customers in northern Pulaski County. When new Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) water quality standards exceeded the facility’s capabilities, Halff designed an upgraded treatment facility that repurposed existing lagoons for wet weather flow equalization and sludge handling. Improvements included a new influent pump station and an innovative sludge process, resulting in quality effluent and environmental protection. The upgraded treatment process features screening, activated sludge, clarification, disc filtration, ultraviolet disinfection, post-aeration and flow measurement. By restoring and integrating assets, the project saved costs, boosted performance and met ADEQ standards.

Ebbing Air National Guard Base was chosen in 2023 as the United States Air Force’s F-35 pilot training center for allied nations, requiring major runway upgrades. Halff led design, coordinated procurement with the aircraft arresting system manufacturer and provided construction management under strict Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Unified Facilities Criteria standards. Working on an active commercial and military runway, Halff implemented innovative phasing to minimize disruptions. Despite a typical 24-month schedule, the project was completed in just 16 months and certified in August 2024, enabling Ebbing to host 36 fighter aircraft and 1,500 military personnel, strengthening U.S. and allied defense readiness.

For years, flooding has plagued Faulkner Lake Road in North Little Rock, creating safety hazards and frustration. Halff partnered with the City to raise and widen the roadway above the 244-foot base flood elevation, improving safety and supporting future growth. Halff led design, permitting, utility coordination and construction oversight, adding equalization culverts and replacing the Ashley Bayou bridge with a reinforced box culvert, all within a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Zone AH floodplain. On time and under budget, Faulkner Lake Road now embodies safety, resilience and the promise of a thriving future for North Little Rock.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned full-service infrastructure consulting firm with more than 75 years of expertise. Established in 1950 by Dr. Albert H. Halff, the firm continues to advance his vision of creating resilient communities through thoughtful design and technical excellence.

Today, Halff operates from more than 30 offices across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Our firm works together to provide comprehensive services from our Mobility, Places and Communities, and Water and Environment solutions. Our professionals remain committed to delivering smart solutions that improve lives and communities by turning ideas into reality.

Since 2021, the firm has earned more than 100 project awards and continues to rank as an Engineering News-Record Top 100 Design Firm and a USA TODAY National Top Workplace. Halff supports communities across its footprint through the Halff Community Initiative (HCI), having contributed more than $1 million to nonprofits and thousands of employee volunteer hours since its inception in 2017.