The Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail project has been selected as Engineering News-Record’s (ENR’s) Best of the Best in the Specialty Construction category in its Regional Best Projects Awards competition. A panel of judges selected 20 winners in 18 construction sector categories from 10 U.S. regions. Projects were also considered for two special awards: Excellence in Safety and Excellence in Sustainability. The 20 selected projects were chosen from over 800 contenders and reflect excellence in U.S. design and construction for fostering innovation, safety culture, and community impact.
Inspired by the High Line—a park located on a former elevated freight-rail line in Manhattan, New York City—the Minnesota Zoo set out to repurpose its original monorail structure, which began operation in 1979 and closed in 2013, into a unique attraction for guests. The zoo hired a team led by Snow Kreilich Architects, which asked Barr to serve as the civil engineer on this unique project. Barr’s project team assisted with wetland delineation and permitting; civil, stormwater, and electrical engineering; and support for SITES certification, which recognizes the project’s use of sustainable and resilient landscapes. Other project partners included Buro Happold, Meyer Borgman Johnson, PCL Construction (the project submitter for this competition), Ten x Ten Landscape Architecture, and Victus Engineering.
The project also won an American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC/MN) Grand Award in its 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. Meyer Borgman Johnson and Buro Happold were the project submitters for that competition.
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