Transport projects speed ahead in Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award 2015 shortlist
A record number of projects that aim to improve transport have been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award 2015.
The Prime Minister’s Award is the pinnacle of the British Construction Industry Awards. It is for excellence in construction and design for buildings and civil engineering projects. The award recognises publicly funded construction projects that are completed on time, on budget and bring real change to their local community.
Shortlisted transport projects
Twelve out of the 32 publicly funded construction projects shortlisted for the 2015 award are helping improve the country’s transport infrastructure, providing better journeys for all.
The shortlisted projects are:
- Church Bridge Reconstruction, South Gloucestershire Council
- Crossrail Running Tunnels, Crossrail Limited/Transport for London
- Dawlish Sea Wall Emergency Works, Network Rail
- Humber Bridge Main Span Bearing Replacement, Humber Bridge Board
- M25 Managed Motorway, Highways England
- Manchester Metrolink Phase 3, Transport for Greater Manchester
- Pudding Mill Lane station resiting, Crossrail Limited/Transport for London
- Stockley Airport Junction Civil Main Work, Network Rail
- Teeside Transporter Bridge, Middlesborough Council
- Tennison Road Bridge Replacement, Network Rail
- The Borders Railway, Transport Scotland
- Tottenham Court Road station redevelopment, Transport for London
The projects are all great examples of the high standards in the Government Construction Strategy for innovative, efficient construction that make cost savings for the taxpayer. For example:
Crossrail Running Tunnels
This project created 42 kilometres of new 6.2 metre diameter rail tunnels under London. Teams of workers spent 3 years under the city to make the tunnels, working with 1,000 tonne boring machines and the latest engineering technology. When complete, Crossrail will drastically reduce journey times across London and increase the city’s rail capacity by 10%.
Dawlish Sea Wall Emergency Works
This project became one of the stories of the winter of 2014. Part of the main railway line through Dawlish was destroyed during winter storms, cutting off the service linking Cornwall and much of Devon with the rest of the UK. A 300-strong Network Rail team rebuilt the track at a cost of £35 million, and it reopened just 2 months later.
The Borders Railway
The railway reopened the old Waverley line, which closed in 1969. The project created the longest domestic railway to be built in Britain for more than 100 years. The new Edinburgh to Tweedbank service is expected to carry almost 650,000 passengers per year and will support new jobs and economic growth across Midlothian and the Borders.
Full list of nominees for the 2015 Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award
- Alfriston Swimming Pool, Alfriston School
- Burntwood School, Wandsworth Borough Council
- Church Bridge Reconstruction, South Gloucestershire Council
- Courtyard Housing, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Crossrail Running Tunnels, Crossrail Limited
- Dawlish Sea Wall Emergency Works, Network Rail
- Five Pancras Square, London Borough of Camden
- Gobbins Coastal Pathway, Larne Borough Council
- Guys Tower, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Herne Hill Flood Alleviation, Southwark Council and Thames Water Utilities
- Humber Bridge Main Span Bearing Replacement, Humber Bridge Board
- Lancaster University Engineering Building, Lancaster University
- Littlehaven Promenade and Sea Wall, South Tyneside Council
- M25 LUS, Managed Motorway, Highways England,
- Maggies Cancer Caring Centre, Lanarkshire, Maggies Cancer Caring Trust
- Manchester Metrolink Phase 3, Transport for Greater Manchester
- Mayfield School, London Borough of Redbridge
- National Graphene Institute, University of Manchester
- Pudding Mill Lane, Crossrail
- South Glasgow University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Sick Children, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- Steart Coastal Management Project, Environment Agency
- Stockley Airport Junction Civil Main Work, Network Rail
- Strabane Works Depot and Waste Transfer, Strabane District Council
- Teeside Transporter Bridge, Middlesborough Council
- Tennison Road Bridge Replacement, Network Rail
- The Borders Railway, Transport Scotland
- The Brooks Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
- The Core, Science Central, Newcastle City Council
- Tottenham Court Road, Transport For London
- University of Greenwich, Stockwell Street Library and Academic Building, University of Greenwich
- Weston Library, New Bodleian Library Refurbishment, University of Oxford
- William Street Quarter, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
The award for the winning project will be presented at the British Construction Industry Awards ceremony in Park Lane, London on 14 October. Previous award winners include the Medmerry Flood Defence Scheme, Tate Modern and the Velodrome at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.