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Moody Avenue is the city鈥檚 main access between downtown Portland and the rapidly redeveloping South Waterfront District, but contaminated soils meant a new streetcar line planned for the area had to be elevated by about 14 feet.

That presented unique challenges to Affordable Electric, which was charged with installing 300,000 linear feet of franchise utility conduit throughout a 50,000-cubic-yard zone.

General contractor Stacy and Witbeck Inc. nominated Affordable Electric for a DMWESB Public Works/Infrastructure Award because the firm鈥檚 work was completed quickly and with great skill.

鈥淎ll scopes included franchise utility duct bank and vaults, streetlights, traffic signals, and overhead catenary system,鈥� Stacy and Witbeck wrote in a nomination for Affordable Electric. 鈥淎ll were installed safely, with high quality, and with the skill of an artist.鈥�

According to Stacy and Witbeck, the 鈥渕ost notable challenge鈥� was getting conduits staged at proper elevations as the cellular concrete was poured in daily 8-inch lifts. But not a single line yielded mandrel problems.

鈥淎ffordable Electric, led by Jean-Wildy Malary, approached every challenge as a new opportunity,鈥� said Stacy and Witbeck in its nomination. 鈥淗is can-do attitude was also contagious, as he mentored not only his own, but Stacy and Witbeck employees as well. Affordable Electric is one of the reasons the Moody streetcar realignment was a nationally renowned success.鈥�

Malary said his company benefited as well.

鈥淭his project has definitely built our capacity,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t one point we had 21 employees on site, which is the most we鈥檝e ever had. We were able to do some new work and we also increased our bonding capacity as a direct result of our work on this project.鈥�

The city of Portland also was pleased with the end result. The $51.2 million project was partly funded by a $23.2 million federal TIGER grant, which mandated an 18-month schedule for design and construction, according to the city.

鈥淢eeting this aggressive timeline, Southwest Moody Avenue opened three and a half months early in October 2011 and will support the creation of an estimated 4,980 jobs in the immediate area,鈥� the city said on its website.