Students in Amr ElRagaby’s graduate course in bridge engineering really dug deep Thursday, as guest lecturer Biljana Rajlic discussed her work as the lead structural engineer and design team project manager of the Right Honourable Herb Gray Parkway.

The 11-kilometre, $1.4 billion project will connect Highway 401 to Interstate 75 in Michigan via a new bridge across the Detroit River.

Rajlic discussed the parkway’s design challenges, providing an overview of the roadways, utilities, geotechnical, structural, traffic management, landscaping and environmental design.

The six-lane parkway  features 12 cut-and-cover tunnels, 13 bridges, 10 trail crossings, seven major culverts, two submerged culverts and earth-retaining structures.

A vice-president of the engineering firm Hatch Mott MacDonald, Rajlic’s responsibilities for the parkway include coordination and oversight of over 100 people on the engineering team, budget and schedule monitoring, presentations to external and internal clients, structural team coordination, structural design, technical submission coordination and preparation.