Award for repair to bridge

A speedily-implemented rescue plan for a collapsed bridge in Ludlow has won a special award at the civil engineering ‘Oscars’.

The Engine House, at Severn Valley Railway’s Education and Visitor Centre in Highley, near Bridgnorth, has also been honoured at the annual 2008 awards of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) West Midlands.

The Burway Bridge emergency works that followed last summer’s heavy floods won the Special Award for Community Benefit.

Shropshire County Council, its consultants Mouchel and its contractors Enterprise were yesterday crowned winners in Birmingham. In June 2007, heavy flooding led to the collapse of this crucial river crossing, leaving a 16-metre breach and severing utilities and communications.

The challenge was to re-open the road as soon as possible which was done in just six weeks, by erecting a temporary bridge while a new one was designed.

John Everall, Shropshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment and sustainability, today congratulated the teams for their exceptional efforts.

Peter Sharples, from ICE said judges were impressed by The Engine House at Highley which won the Construction Highly Commended Award. He said: “When contractors were building the new attraction they discovered it was built on some mine workings that made stabilising the ground very difficult.”