The South Devon Highway has picked up another major national award.
At the British Construction Industry awards, the link road scheme won the Community Engagement Award.
The project team, made up of WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, Torbay Council, Devon County Council, construction firm Galliford Try and its designer Ramboll, accepted the prize at the London awards ceremony. They are considered the UK’s most prestigious awards for the entire built environment.
The project has won a number of awards since it opened, including a gold Green Apple award for its environmental activities, a regional Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation South West award, an institute of Highway Engineers award, a gold Considerate Constructors award and two Institute of Civil Engineering regional awards.
Devon County Council cabinet member for economy and growth, Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, commented: “Building the South Devon Highway was highly complex, involving many partners and engineering challenges.
“The proximity of the project to residents meant engaging with the community was crucial to the success of the project. This award is therefore formal recognition of our thorough communication with residents and motorists throughout the project.”
Gordon Oliver, mayor of Torbay, said: “This is brilliant news for the project and is well deserved.
“We know the community engagement activities, including setting up a community liaison group, all helped to keep people informed of activity on the project and helped activity to progress smoothly.”
Chris Hastings, Galliford Try project director, added: “The award is a tribute to the huge effort made by the team.
“Close collaboration and strong working relationships with the community played a huge part in the project staying on programme.
“The community was kept informed of developments at all times and had a say in the construction process through the community liaison group.”
The scheme also received a highly commended rating in the major civil engineering project of the year (over £50 million) category and was shortlisted in the low carbon construction, judges special and Prime Minister’s better public building categories.
