An embankment was constructed over foundation soils consisting of marls overlying soft clayey silts. Analyses of the foundation conditions indicated that the embankment could not be constructed safely within the required time frame of 9 mo without foundation treatment. In addition, the embankment would be subjected to a large amount of settlement. It was decided to use prefabricated vertical drains spaced at 4.0, 5.5, and 7.5 ft on centers in order to accelerate consolidation of the soft foundation soils. This would accomplish a twofold purpose of transitioning differental settlement behind a pile-supported abutment and developing the necessary foundation strength required to support the embankment. The embankment was constructed in two stages with waiting periods. Performance of the drains was monitored with piezometer and settlement recording devices. This instrumentation indicated that the prefabricated vertical drains performed as expected and are a viable alternative to conventional vertical sand drains. This paper presents an evaluation of the performance and effectiveness of the prefabricated vertical drain system.