Sverdrup Civil Inc. and Boh Bros. Inc. were awarded a $72 million contract by the Florida Department of Transportation to design and build a new bridge connecting the St. George Island to the mainland in Apalachicola.

The two-lane, four-and-a-half-mile-long concrete bridge, which will cross Apalachicola Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, will start construction in a year and open to traffic in June 2003. Since the bay is a major oyster and shrimp harvesting area, the design will produce minimal environmental disturbance and include a second elevated crossing to maintain a secondary channel for the harvesters. Plus, parts of the old bridge will be used as a fishing peer and an artificial reef. Sverdrup is a Jacobs Engineering Group company with seven offices in Florida.

Canberra Industries was awarded a contract to provide Florida International University with an internal/external pipe assessment system. The system will perform definitive radiological characterization of the surfaces of pipes and structural steel elements to demonstrate compliance with free release limits. The system is scheduled for delivery this year to the university, where it will undergo various field trials.

Florida-N-Viro, LP, which owns and operates a regional municipal sludge management facility in Fort Meade, was set to start operations of a similar plant in Volusia County in June. The company also intends to build a Bio-Blend processing facility at the plant. Bio-Blend uses the N-Viro Soil product as a reagent to accelerate yard waste composting and reduce the initial odors associated with composting. In addition, the company negotiated several contracts with municipalities the past year for its patented N-Viro process and services.

Acquisitions & Alliances

EG&G Inc., a global technology company with locations in Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral, acquired PE Corp.'s Analytical Instruments Division, which produces analytical testing instruments and consumables. With 1998 fiscal year sales of about $580 million, Perkin Elmer Analytical Instruments will strengthen EG&G's presence in areas such as environmental analyses while allowing PE to focus on the life sciences market. Connecticut-based PE will receive $425 million, consisting of $275 million in cash and $150 million in EG&G debt.

Southern Culvert became a distributor of AK Steel Corp.'s Aluminized Steel Type 2 steel pipe, which is used for storm sewer and drainage projects. Southern Culvert, a subsidiary of Wheeler Consolidated Inc., has plants in Pinellas Park, Fort Pierce, Jacksonville and Plant City.

International Cavitation Technologies Inc. announced that one of its operating licensees, Big Blue Inc., and Zeller International Ltd. formed an alliance to use Ion Collider technology on ICT and Zeller projects. The technology allows the beneficial reuse of waste, including projects such as soil remediation at Miami International Airport.

Awards & Honors

Andres Garganta, president of Consul-Tech Engineering Inc. of Miramar, and Servando Parapar of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority received the 1999 Distinguished Engineers Award from the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers.

Creative Contractors Inc., a Clearwater-based contractor, was recognized by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation for outstanding achievement for non-residential restoration/rehabilitation.

Hough Engineering Inc. of Bradenton has been awarded the 1999 Small Business of the Year Award by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Relocations

AMS Engineering & Environmental Inc., formerly Water & Environment Services, has moved to a new location: 204 E. McKenzie St., Suite F, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. For information, call (941) 575-2500; or fax, (941) 575-2267.