Nearly 2,000 people voted to select the People’s Choice Award winner, one of the categories celebrated at the gala ceremony.
The Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecology Mitigation and Flood Defence Project was crowned winner across three categories at the ICE South West Awards 2024.
The £100m scheme took home the Resilience Award, Showcase Award and the popular People’s Choice Award at the gala ceremony in Bristol on 24 October.
The project includes 17km of improved defences from Aust, South Gloucestershire to Shirehampton, Bristol to reduce flood risk to 2,500 homes and businesses.
The defences will help to unlock 12,000 new jobs by enabling new commercial development, which could contribute an estimated £3.9bn to the regional economy.
Around 80 hectares of new wetland habitat have also been created, providing locations for wildlife to thrive, including rare and important bird species.
The project is a partnership between South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency, working with BAM Nuttall Mott MacDonald joint venture.
The ICE South West judging panel were impressed by the sympathetic design of the scheme, which they felt was built to fit into the unique landscape.
They praised the engineering innovation employed across the project and the consideration given to stakeholders.
Nearly 2,000 people voted in the online poll to decide the winner of this year’s People’s Choice Award category, which saw the Avonmouth scheme come out as the clear winner.
Engineering talent celebrated at the ICE South West Awards
The ICE South West Civil Engineering Awards are staged annually in association with Kier BAM to recognise the achievements of civil engineers in South West England and highlight the contribution infrastructure projects make to the region.
The awards scheme is one of the most rigorous and prestigious in the regional industry, involving judging site visits to all shortlisted schemes.
The other project winners this year included:
- Portway Park and Ride Station, Bristol’s first new train station in more than 90 years;
- the Lower Otter Restoration project in East Devon, which restored an historic floodplain and natural habitats; and
- the Saints Trails in Cornwall, a network of off-road routes connecting Cornish villages.
There were also awards recognising new talent.
The Graduate of the Year Award was presented to Chloe Taylor, a civil engineer at Arup in Bristol.
Ella Blakeley, section engineer for Balfour Beatty at Hinkley Point C was named Apprentice of the Year.
Creativity is alive across the industry
Miranda Housden, regional director, ICE South West, said the awards showcased the remarkable ingenuity and dedication of civil engineers.
“From groundbreaking projects that enhance our regional infrastructure to apprentices and graduates who inspire with their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives. This year’s winners and finalists exemplify excellence and show the creativity alive across the industry.
“Celebrating these achievements not only highlights their contributions to our communities but also underscores the vital role civil engineers play in shaping a sustainable and resilient future for the region,” she said.
The awards are sponsored by Kier BAM, AECOM, Arup, AtkinsRéalis, Balfour Beatty, Cormac, Girling Jones, Mott MacDonald, Stantec, Tony Gee and Partners, Temporary Works forum and WSP.
Full details of all the winners are available on the ICE South West page.
