12 June 2014

Walton Bridge has won the Community Award at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) London Civil Engineering Awards 2014.

The £33 million bridge over the River Thames was built by Costain for client Surrey County Council and officially opened in July 2013. The first new road bridge to span the Thames in 20 years, it is now used by more than 35,000 vehicles, 200 pedestrians and 400 cyclists every day.

The ICE judges hailed the bridge as “a great example of engineering giving real value to the community and was delivered by a fully integrated project team with full and genuine community engagement from inception to completion.

“The bridge is a vast improvement on its predecessor with the added benefit of dedicated space for cyclists and pedestrians and wider enhancement of other local amenities. It also forms a key part of London’s strategic road network over the Thames, which was validated by this winter’s devastating flooding.

“This achievement is even more impressive considering it was delivered on time and budget, despite a 20% budget cut, and with an exemplary safety record.”

The award was announced at a ceremony at ICE’s headquarters in May and collected by representatives from Costain, Surrey County Council and designers Atkins.

Director of ICE London, Miranda Housden, added: “This project - and indeed all of the winning projects - showcase the vital contribution of London’s civil engineers in keeping our ever-growing capital city moving. Congratulations to all involved. ”

John Furey, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “This fantastic result underlines how much we put into improving Surrey’s roads, and getting such an accolade from the cream of the engineering industry is a real compliment to our highways teams and contractors.” 


Commented Tony Scutt, Programme Director, Costain: “This is deserved recognition for a real team effort, as everyone took on the community relations responsibility with fantastic results. This was a top priority for the client and they are delighted.”

This is the second major award for Walton Bridge, whose construction began in January 2012 following nearly a decade of planning that included two public enquires. In 2013 it won the Major Project prize at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards.

 

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