Victoria Bridge restoration scoops two more accolades

Restoration work carried out at Hereford's historic Victoria Bridge has been awarded an excellent rating as part of CEEQUAL, the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme.

CEEQUAL aims to encourage environmental excellence in civil engineering projects and awards are made to projects in which the client, designer and constructor have gone beyond the legal minimum to achieve distinctive environmental standards of performance.

The Victoria Bridge scheme received its excellent rating in the Whole Project Award category, recognising the significant contribution of all parties to the successful completion of the project.

To gain this rating, the scheme needed to demonstrate excellence in all aspects of the project from planning through to design and construction.

This included project management, land use, impact on and mitigation towards the landscape, ecology and biodiversity, archaeological and cultural heritage, water, energy, material use, waste management, transport, nuisance to neighbours and community relations.

The Victoria Bridge restoration scheme has also been awarded a Green Apple award from the Green Organisation.

The Green Organisation is an independent, non-political, non-profit making environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world and the awards scheme is now in its13th year. Winners will be presented with Green Apple trophies at the Houses of Parliament in early November.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "The Victoria Bridge scheme has been extremely popular with the city's residents and visitors but the CEEQUAL award also shows it is valued by industry professionals.

"As a council, we are always keen to promote good environmental practice and the excellent rating and Green Apple award both show we have achieved this in one of our major engineering projects," he added.

Martin Jackson, the Bridgeworks' Team Leader, managed the works, carried out from May until September 2006. Owen Williams, part of Amey plc, was designer and site supervisor and the principal contractor was Interserve.

The Victoria Bridge project was delivered within the budget and programme and to demanding design and construction constraints imposed by the Environment Agency, Natural England and the bridge's Grade II listing.

· In May this year, the Victoria Bridge scheme won the main project accolade at the annual awards of the Institution of Civil Engineers West Midlands and was also named best civil engineering project in the West Midlands.The project was also named Heritage Award winner at the same ceremony and the project team won an additional award for the best presentation and display at the ceremony.