Crawford County Airport’s tornado recovery won an Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Central Illinois Section.

	Rob Harris, P.E.

Crawford County Airport’s rehabilitation after a devastating tornado and Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Rob Harris, P.E., were recognized Sept. 10 during the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Central Illinois Section (CIS) annual banquet in Champaign.

The project for the airport near Robinson, Illinois, won an Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award. An EF3 tornado March 31, 2023, caused three deaths and significant property damage in the area, including the destruction of the airport. Immediately after the storm, the airport and Hanson revised the airport layout plan on a fast track to submit it and an environmental document for approval prior to competing for Federal Aviation Administration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funding. In 2024, the airport received a $3.8 million grant from the federal program to rebuild the terminal building. By the end of 2024, the newly reconstructed, 7,331-square-foot airport resumed full operations. Hanson’s assistance also included damage assessments, repair and replacement recommendations, construction documentation and the observation of improvements and repairs.

Harris, a civil engineer at Hanson’s Peoria, Illinois, office, was named the Young Civil Engineer of the Year. He was an intern at Hanson and became a full-time employee in 2018. He is a project engineer for local public agency roadway projects and manages the Peoria office’s roadway team. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Bradley University and is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois. He is a member of ASCE’s Illinois Valley Branch and was a member of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Community Leadership School class.

ASCE is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. Founded in 1852, ASCE has more than 150,000 members worldwide.

Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, planning and allied services. The firm’s corporate headquarters is located at 1525 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703. The office may be reached by phone at (217) 788-2450.