The new-look Greystone Footbridge near Huyton, Merseyside, has been highly commended at the ICE North West Civil Engineering Awards – the only scheme to receive special recognition from the 20 shortlisted.
The £1.7m bridge which crosses the M62 near Liverpool was completed by Eric Wright Civil Engineering, part of the Eric Wright Group, in September 2015.
The 16-week project saw the old ‘Sausage Bridge’, as it was known locally, demolished and replaced with a contemporary combined footpath and cycleway on a single symmetrical cable-stayed deck structure.
Eric Wright Civil Engineering also constructed a new concrete pier and steel pylon support in the central reservation.
The scheme required meticulous planning between Eric Wright Civil Engineering, the client, Knowsley Council and bridge designers, Mouchel, to minimise disruption across the busy motorway whilst ensuring the build completed on time and within budget.
Hosted by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the awards showcase achievements in infrastructure. The North West winners were revealed during a sell-out dinner at the Halston Hotel, Carlisle, on Friday 26 February 2016.
Adrian Taylor, director at Eric Wright Civil Engineering, said: “The new Greystone Footbridge provides a vital crossing for communities on both sides of the motorway linking key facilities and employment opportunities.
“We’re delighted that the judges recognised the outstanding efforts of everyone involved in transforming the original 70s-built bridge, which needed immediate attention, into a deserved landmark structure.”
Darrell Matthews, North West regional director of the Institution of Civil Engineers, added: “These awards are judged according to an exacting set of criteria and are highly regarded within the industry. It’s not too often that the judges decide they need to single out a project for a special mention, so it’s clear that they thought Greystone Footbridge was something special.
“Greystone Footbridge is a very clever design and is widely considered beautiful to look at – it’s popular with the local people who use it, and it really does make an excellent gateway to the Liverpool City Region, spanning one of the important strategic routes into the city.
“So our heartiest congratulations go to Knowsley Council and their principal designers and contractors for the project, Mouchel and Eric Wright Civil Engineering.”