A New Lake and a Beautiful Bridge

The two 1988 OCEA awards of merit are the Great Salt Lake west desert pumping project and the Sunshine Skyway near Tampa, FL. Both projects were constructed fairly quickly. The pumping project involved creating a 250,000 acre lake in the middle of the desert. Record precipitations had risen the Great Salt Lake—A terminal lake—to record levels. After flooding damage had exceeded $250 million, the state decided to fund this award winning design. The Sunshine Skyway has a record setting span for a cable stayed bridge. Its striking appearance has also attracted tourists. The bridge was constructed after its predecessor was damaged by a ship, causing over 20 deaths. The Sunshine Skyway was such a massive construction that a huge, dryland concrete assembly yard was required.