Pictured L-R: Dale Russell, Practice Leader, Urban; Derek Martin, NEC President;
Melinda Montgomery, NEC Past President

Urban is pleased to receive the 2025 Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (NEC AAAE) Airfield Project of the Year Award for our work on the Parallel Taxiway “D” Project at Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN).

Urban was responsible for the overall design and construction management of the project. Issues related to airfield circulation were identified during the Master Plan Update Urban completed in 2018. Urban continued work on the project through the completion of construction in September 2024.

Key improvements included removing “hot spots” at taxiway intersections, addressing safety concerns at runway crossovers, and creating direct access to a previously undeveloped airfield quadrant, which attracted a second Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) to TTN in 2021. Overall, the project simplifies all taxiway movements between the terminal apron and the four runway ends at the airport. Additionally, the design and construction comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards enacted in the mid-2010s, creating a safer, more efficient taxiway for aircraft to enter the runway.

“It’s very fulfilling to be recognized by NEC for this composite project. Every engineer in our design group has participated and learned from the variety of challenges addressed by this multi-stage, multi-year program of construction,” shared Dale Russell, PE, Practice Leader for Urban Engineers.

The Airfield Project of the Year award is presented by NEC AAAE to an airport and consulting firm that has performed major infrastructure and airside developments. The award demonstrates Urban’s committed performance to delivering critical aviation infrastructure while minimizing impacts on airport operations and maximizing safety.

Since its restart of air carrier services in 2013, TTN has actively undertaken several airfield capital improvement projects. Urban values its long-standing relationship with TTN, playing a key role in supporting the airport's growth by providing engineering services through multiple five-year on-call contracts.

Our involvement includes supporting key airfield projects such as a master plan update, runway rehabilitation, this award-winning Parallel Taxiway “D” Project, and the planning and design for the airport’s new Terminal Replacement Project. These initiatives are integral to enhancing the airport's infrastructure and contributing to its overall growth.