Snow Hill traffic junction lands top ICE award

May 15 2008

A major scheme to improve traffic flow at one of Birmingham city centre’s busiest road junctions has been named the West Midlands’ best civil engineering project of 2007.

The team behind the Snow Hill re-modelling project – Ballymore, Birmingham City Council, Birse, Cheshire Shakeshaft, Baxter Associates and Gleeds – picked up its prize at the 2008 Annual Awards of the Institution of Civil Engineers West Midlands, held at Millennium Point in Birmingham on Wednesday. As well as the main Project Award, Snow Hill also received the Sustainability Award.

Twelve entries were received for this year’s competition, which was sponsored by EC Harris and supported by The Birmingham Post.

The winning scheme involved replacing an existing roundabout with a central pedestrianised landscaped area, plus reconstruction and realignment of the highway with a signalled junction. The works were on top of the A38 underpass, and had to be constructed around a high voltage electricity building in the centre of the island.

Due to the restricted working space and tight programme, Birse undertook management of all demolition works and highway re-construction. As many of the site materials as possible were re-cycled and re-processed.

In addition to construction constraints, the team involved in the project had to liaise with 18 separate agencies and utilities.

Chairman of the judging panel Ed Gardiner said: "This key city centre project had a great many constraints but these were successfully managed.

"They kept in touch with the community throughout and put a strong focus on sustainability, right down to giving plants from the old island to members of the workforce. Everything was considered."

The project also corresponded to the theme of ICE president David Orr’s speech at the event.

He called for engineers to be recognised within society for the benefits their work brought to their communities. In addition to the main award, prizes were also handed out in several other categories.

The early completion of the Barford Bypass project won the Construction Award, while the refurbishment of Stourport river bridge won both the Communication and the Heritage awards – work on the Severn Valley Railway’s Visitor Centre at Highley was highly commended in the latter category.

The Partnership Award went to Warwickshire County Council and John Laing together with Carillion Rail for their work on the Coleshill Parkway railway station and travel interchange.

Wolseley won the Innovation title for its work developing the Sustainable Building Centre, a £3 million project in Leamington Spa notable for its low impact on the environment.

Work by Shropshire County Council, its consultant Mouchel and contractor Enterprise on replacing a bridge at Burway, near Ludlow, washed away in last summer’s flooding won the Special Award for Community Benefit.

The President’s Award for best exhibition display at the awards went to Network Rail and Birse Rail for their project on the removal of Birdcage Bridge in Rugby.

Awards in three other categories were also given:

* Technicians’ Awards for Best Performing Students – Jennifer Simper (Coventry University), Mark Waterhouse, Matthew Bethell (both Stourbridge College), Alexander Payne (Wolverhampton University), Mark Keeling (Burton College).

* Graduate and Students’ Papers Competition - Nicholas Moore for What Effect Will Peak Oil Have on the UK’s Road Network?

* Communications Competition – Mark Cowan, Chris Jackson, Oliver Nicholas, Ellen Pickett, Hinson Woo (Arup).