The 2012 winners of the prestigious ICE Wales Cymru civil engineering awards have been announced.
At the recent ICE Wales Cymru Project Awards, the north Wales A487 Porthmadog, Minffordd & Tremadog Bypass scheme was the overall Winner of the George Gibby Award (for projects over £3 million) and Porth Teigr Outer Lock Crossing, in Cardiff Bay, was the overall Winner of the Roy Edwards Award (for smaller projects). The awards were presented by ICE President Richard Coackley.
The other winners were the A470 Cwmbach to Newbridge-on-Wye scheme, which won the George Gibby Special Award; the M4 Variable Speed Limit scheme which won the George Gibby Award for Innovation; and Usk Town Flood Wall Refurbishment scheme which won the Roy Edwards Special Award.
Keith Jones, Director ICE Wales Cymru said: "I’m proud that our Project Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in civil engineering in Wales. These projects show the level of expertise in civil engineering and we can all be proud and share in their successes.”
Sally Sudworth, Chair of the Project Awards Panel, said:
“The judges were impressed by way in which the A487 project had the natural environment and the local community at the heart of its development. It has set new thresholds for the delivery of highways in Wales and has left a significant legacy to the area.”
She continued: “The judges were equally impressed by the sensitive approach to the heritage value of the location of the Porth Teigr scheme and to the provision of high quality public open space at the gateway to the development. It is a striking structure that will no doubt be a landmark for decades to come.”
The Awards judges felt the recipient of the George Gibby Award for Innovation, the M4 Variable Speed Limit scheme, demonstrated innovation in the design of new fold-down signs, reuse of existing materials and the resulting change in standards for variable speed schemes across the UK. The scheme has seen a 13% reduction in accidents, improved journey times and improved air quality through lower emissions.
The judging panel decided to present the George Gibby Special Award to a scheme that impressed them with its community engagement. They particularly liked the way the A470 scheme helped to raise the profile of civil engineering through the project team’s contribution to schools and to education.
The Roy Edwards Special Award went to the Usk Town Flood Wall Refurbishment scheme, located in the historic town, as it minimised the impact of construction on the Site of Special Scientific Interest and to local residents.
ICE Wales Cymru Project Awards information:
- George Gibby Award Winner
A487 Porthmadog, Minffordd & Tremadog Bypass
Client: Welsh Government
Designer: Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd
Engineer: Halcrow Group Ltd
Principal Contractor: Balfour Beatty / Jones Bros Joint Venture
- George Gibby Special Award:
A470 Cwmbach to Newbridge-on-Wye scheme
Client: Welsh Government
Designer: Jacobs
Engineer: Atkins Limited
Principal Contractor: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd
- George Gibby Award for Innovation
M4 Variable Speed Limit Scheme
Client: Welsh Government
Designer & Engineer: Atkins Limited
Principal Contractor: Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited
Contractor’s Engineer: Halcrow Group Ltd
Porth Teigr Outer Lock Crossing
Client: Igloo Regeneration
Designer & Engineer: Flint & Neill Limited
Principal Contractor: Vinci Construction
- Roy Edwards Special Award
Usk Town Flood Wall Refurbishment scheme
Client: Environment Agency Wales
Designer & Engineer: Halcrow Group Ltd
Principal Contractor: GallifordTry Infrastructure Ltd