Multimodal Connectivity for an Iconic Colorado City Recognized at 2025 ACEC CO Engineering Excellence Awards
December, 2025
A creative approach to challenging mountain terrain was recognized at the 2025 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Colorado event with an Honor Award for the Maroon Creek Trail. The transportation design behind this multimodal path is transformative for the City of Aspen, adding community connectivity while using low impact methods in this environmentally sensitive corridor.
For more than 65 years, the annual ACEC CO Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) have been highlighting projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. Learn more about how the Maroon Creek trail met these criteria to enhance mobility, safety, and environmental stewardship in this iconic Rocky Mountain setting.
About the Maroon Creek Multiuse Trail
The Maroon Creek Multiuse Trail provides a safe, non-motorized, and clearly-defined connection throughout the City of Aspen. Integrating with the city’s 22 miles of existing trails, it provides year-round access between the city’s neighborhoods, schools, and downtown core. This includes priority locations such the Aspen Recreation Center transit hub, Aspen Highlands Ski Area, and Maroon Bells Scenic Area. By encouraging walking and biking over vehicle use, this asset supports local climate goals while also reducing traffic congestion.
The trail has become a visible symbol of engineering’s role in promoting active transportation and environmental stewardship. As part of an extensive public engagement, the final design gave careful consideration of adjacent properties while giving priority to community input and ensuring fiscal responsibility. With steep slopes, limited right-of-way, sensitive wetlands, and proximity to a major waterway, the Maroon Creek Trail design addressed a variety of complex challenges. A combination of technical ingenuity and stakeholder collaboration successfully navigated these constraints, including extensive hydrologic modeling and specialized materials to accommodate seasonal freeze-thaw cycles and avalanche-prone areas. A careful balance of roadway separation and physical barriers were part of a creative approach to setting trail alignment in narrow settings.
