45 Bridges in 15 Months: AECOM Saves $850,000 with Bentley Solutions
News | 30.01.2026
Sharing a case study from AECOM — a global leader in infrastructure design that delivered the massive SH 161 highway project in Texas. The team faced the challenge of coordinating 12 sub-consultants and 300 employees across 22 offices within a tight 15-month deadline. By implementing MicroStation and ProjectWise from Bentley Systems, AECOM created a single managed environment, allowing them to complete design phases ahead of schedule and save over $800,000.
Massive Project — Massive Coordination
The $416 million SH 161 project included the design of 6.5 miles of highway, 45 bridges, and over 90,000 m² of retaining walls. Traditional file-sharing methods via FTP or local office servers would have posed significant risks to deadlines and data accuracy due to the complexities of version control and naming conventions.
AECOM engineers needed a "single source of truth" for 4,600+ CAD documents. Using MicroStation and ProjectWise ensured that work adhered to unified standards (Managed Workspace), regardless of where specialists were located — whether in Texas or another state.
Key Challenges Solved by the Bentley Ecosystem
- Unifying Dispersed Teams: 300 people in 22 locations worked on a single online platform.
- Standardization Automation: 95% of documents met strict client (NTTA) CAD requirements thanks to integrated setup wizards.
- Review Speed: Contractors and clients gained real-time access to project views, accelerating review cycles.
- Effective Change Management: Ability to instantly update master files without the risk of data duplication.
Real Impact: Over 10x ROI
The most striking result was financial efficiency. Centralized CAD data management eliminated the need for separate managers in each office, saving $250,000. Additionally, switching to digital reviews instead of in-person meetings reduced travel costs by $600,000.
"The success of this project would not have been possible without MicroStation and ProjectWise. It became the reliable source for all project information for our collaborative team." — Brian Dodson, P.E., AECOM Design Manager
The Role of Softprom and New Licensing Opportunities
As an official Bentley Systems distributor, Softprom provides engineering companies with access to cutting-edge tools. Notably, as of December 2025, ProjectWise and SYNCHRO capabilities have been unified within the Bentley Infrastructure Cloud package, making the transition to digital transformation even simpler and more transparent.
The full version of AECOM's MicroStation implementation story is available on our website, exploring how a properly built data environment serves as the foundation for Digital Twins and increased profitability in infrastructure projects. We recommend reviewing this case if your organization faces challenges with scaling or coordinating large project groups.
We will help you select the optimal software configuration, set up your licensing system, and conduct a POC for your team.
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