South Devon Highway receives industry award

The South Devon Link Road project is celebrating after winning a regional highways industry award.

Devon County Council, Torbay Council and Galliford Try won the 'Large Transportation Project Award' at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) awards held last week.

The CIHT South West Awards – run by the UK’s leading transportation professional institution - are intended to recognise the best projects completed, substantially completed or having reached a significant milestone in 2015.

The shortlisted projects were selected based on entrants having demonstrated excellence in the planning or engineering field within the highways and transportation industry.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, said: “We are really pleased to receive this award, which is an excellent testimony of our partnership approach. The CIHT awards are very important in the UK highway sector, so this is a real accolade for the project.”

Gordon Oliver, Elected Mayor of Torbay said: “I’d like to say congratulations to the South Devon Highway project team. Ensuring the project receives industry recognition is very important, as it celebrates the engineering innovation and skills that were part of this complex, challenging project.”

Chris Hastings, Project Director at Galliford Try, said: “This is a real achievement and we are proud to have won this prestigious South West Area award. We hope that the project goes on to receive further awards in due course.”

Now known as the South Devon Highway, the 5.5km dual carriageway provides the long awaited bypass for Kingskerswell and was officially opened by Roads Minister Andrew Jones last week.

The accolade comes just months after the project won a UK leading award for its environmental activities: the gold Green Apple award recognised the scheme’s sustainable and green credentials.

Since the project began it has also received two silver Considerate Constructor Awards, and has just been nominated for a third. These awards aim to improve the image of the construction industry: members of the scheme are required to follow strict guidelines to ensure their worksites are kept clean, safe and well managed, and to show respect to the community and the environment.