November 24, 2025 Sturgeon Electric Brings Two Trophies Home From 2025 ACE Awards Gala
Transportation team earns top honor for mountain tunnel traffic technology upgrades and commercial team wins silver award for hospital expansion
Each year, general and specialty contractors gather at the Associated General Contractors of Colorado’s ACE Awards Gala. They turn out to celebrate their accomplishments, the work of their peers and to learn which projects will take home the ACE, silver and bronze awards.
This year, Sturgeon Electric teams came home with wins in two categories. The first was an ACE (first place) award for “Meeting the Challenge of a Difficult Job” with the successful completion of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel ITS Upgrades for Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The upgrades were finished on time, on budget and with safety excellence.
The second win was a silver award for the UCHealth Longs Peak hospital expansion and renovation in the $6 and $10 million category for specialty contractor projects.
Upgrading Transportation Systems to Keep Colorado Travelers Safer
Since the 1970s, the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel has served as a critical, heavily trafficked, year-round corridor linking the eastern slope of Colorado to the rest of the state west of the Continental Divide.
However, over time the analog copper technology used to help monitor the health and safety of the traveling public became outdated. CDOT sought to modernize the cameras and signage directly in and around the tunnel with upgraded technology that would allow it to be monitored and controlled from state-of-the-art control rooms at each end of the tunnel and the main command center in Golden, Colo.
Sturgeon Electric’s transportation division took on the vital and challenging project of upgrading the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including the overhead variable message signs (VMS) and closed-circuit television (CCTV) in and around the tunnel. The upgrades would enable CDOT to better monitor traffic flow, traffic incidents, and display current information for travelers.
The electrical work scope included installing 22 VMs and associated control cabinets, replacement of all cameras, ethernet, cabling, and associated equipment, and installation of lane use signs (LUS) for traffic control. Sturgeon Electric’s upgrade project was one of seven simultaneous tunnel improvement projects going on and Sturgeon Electric led traffic control management for all of them.
The upgrades came with unique challenges. The highly visible project required all scopes of work to be completed while still allowing public use of the tunnel for nearly the entire project lifecycle – it could close only for very short periods at specific hours.
Sturgeon Electric created a strong traffic control plan and stayed in communication with CDOT and other subcontractors so work could be safely performed around the heavy traffic flowing through the tunnel.
They also developed an innovative way to meet requirements for monitoring and tracking the location of equipment being used inside the tunnel where GPS cannot operate.
The entire project took place at high elevation, and much of the work scope required working within confined spaces within the tunnel or above the tunnel bores in air plenums (cavities that allow air to flow through the tunnel) where fiber and communication systems were installed.
Their innovation, creativity, and planning drove results. Sturgeon Electric and its subcontractors worked more than 27,759 hours while maintaining safety excellence. The project, which began in July 2023, was completed on time and budget during the summer of 2024.
“The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel ITS upgrades project was a unique one that required significant scheduling due to the sequence of work. Keeping the existing system operational was essential because it provides critical information to the traveling public and commercial vehicles. Through superior planning, scheduling, coordination, communication, and innovation, the project was a success. I am extremely proud of the team that built and managed this project.”
Sturgeon Electric Transportation Vice President Jim Bushnell
A Collaborative Hospital Expansion to Serve a Growing Community
UC Health’s Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont serves many Colorado communities including Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, Erie, Platteville, Fort Lupton and Berthoud. Due to the region’s steady population growth and an increased demand for healthcare services, the hospital needed to be expanded and renovated for the community it serves.
Sturgeon Electric supported the 25-phase project which would expand the hospital from 53 patient beds to 91, and add many new rooms and suites for emergencies, surgeries and births. They were responsible for powering the new three-story tower, a three-story courtyard expansion which connects the hospital to the ambulatory surgery center, a new elevated helideck with an elevator and equipment penthouse, extensive renovations, and installing critical backup power infrastructure.
Successfully renovating and expanding the active healthcare facility without disrupting its operation involved hours of coordination with the hospital, conducting overnight work and phased shutdowns of existing switchgear, temporary power rerouting, energized electrical work and more.
As a preconstruction/design-assist partner, Sturgeon Electric worked closely with the general contractor, design partners, and client from initial planning all the way to completion in September 2025.
“The entire team who worked on the Longs Peak expansion should be proud of what they accomplished. The Longs Peak expansion was no ordinary project; it was a 25-phase transformation carried out in an active healthcare facility where employee and patient safety could never be compromised. Their expertise, dedication to safety and team mindset is what it takes to succeed. I’m very proud of their success and this award acknowledging their achievement.”
Sturgeon Electric District Manager Kelly Zink
Sturgeon Electric knew that for the teams to work together cohesively, their execution had to be rooted in a team-first attitude.
“It was very much a collaborative approach as an entire project team to get to the finish line,” said Sturgeon Electric Project Manager Jacob Giron.
They participated in weekly coordination meetings, building information modeling (BIM) clash detection sessions, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) commissioning meetings and LEAN pull-planning workshops. The collaborative approach fostered transparency and accountability and enabled rapid decision making once construction was underway.
They successfully led BIM coordination for many of the renovated and new areas of the hospital, coordinating complex electrical pathways with other MEP or structural systems within tight spaces.
Prefabrication contributed to efficiency and safety on the job. Sturgeon Electric streamlined installations by utilizing sister company 1912 Manufacturing to prefabricate most of the panelboard feeder conduits and working with another company to prefabricate all in-wall rough-in components.
Another way the team saved time and disruption to other trades on site was by creating modular electrical room assemblies, pre-assembling them offsite, and putting them in place once the rooms were ready.
Safety was a core value for the team throughout the project. Sturgeon Electric conducted all work with a “safety leader” mindset which included following safety procedures, conducting hazard analyses, and auditing 5S systems regularly to maintain safety excellence.
They also implemented infection control risk assessments (ICRA) to protect patients from construction dust and contaminants, and used negative air machines, HEPA filters and sealed work areas to protect patients and workers. Their dedication to safety resulted in more than 46,000 hours worked without any lost-time incidents.
“This project wasn’t just about expanding a hospital,” Giron said. “We built something that will serve generations, and we did it with precision, compassion, and teamwork.”
Following the project’s silver award win, District Manager Kelly Zink said, “The entire team who worked on the Longs Peak expansion should be proud of what they accomplished. The Longs Peak expansion was no ordinary project; it was a 25-phase transformation carried out in an active healthcare facility where employee and patient safety could never be compromised. Their expertise, dedication to safety and team mindset is what it takes to succeed. I’m very proud of their success and this award acknowledging their achievement.”