News

Proactive innovation wins the day

The 14^th Highways Awards (formerly the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards) took place on Wednesday 18^th October in the jubilant atmosphere of the Nine Kings Suite at the Lancaster London.

Thirteen winners were announced by the delightful celebrity guest, Julia Bradbury – star of ITV’s recent Britain’s Best Walks and Best Walks with a View travelogues –  along with representatives from each of the five platinum sponsors and eight award sponsors.

Attended by just shy of 500 highway industry professionals, the Awards once again reflected another busy year in the sector, with each winning entry showing a real proactive approach to change, innovation and collaboration.

The Official Charity Partner for the gala evening dinner was construction industry charity, the Lighthouse Club, and an amazing £4,769 was raised during the evening, which was gratefully received by the charity’s Chief Executive, Bill Hill.

Big congratulations to all those winners and highly commended entrants in each of the 13 categories listed below, along with special thanks to all the Highways Awards’ judges, supporters and sponsors:

 

Most Innovative Highway Authority Scheme of the Year                     
Sponsored by Tripod Crest

Winner
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Enjoy Waltham Forest
Judges’ Comment: “An excellent example of community involvement to regenerate and change an area that was infrastructure heavy.”

Highly commended
Kier Highways & Surrey County Council
S-Skills

 

Site Safety Initiative Award
Platinum sponsorship Dynniq

Winner
WJ Group
WJ Guardian Road Stud Installation System
Judges’ Comment: “A very innovative and safe solution to a dangerous operation, that keeps both operatives and the travelling public safe.”

 

Road Safety Scheme of the Year
Sponsored by Keysoft Solutions

Winner
Scotland TranServ, Clearview Intelligence, Coeval and Transport Scotland
A75 Speeding related accidents, route action Variable Speed/Vehicle Class Activated Signs
Judges’ Comment: “An innovative approach identifying the class of vehicle causing issues and specifically targeting that class.”

 

Award for Environmental Sustainability in the Highways Sector                   
Platinum sponsorship Total Bitumen

Winner
Carillion Morgan Sindall Joint Venture
A1 Leeming to Barton Improvements (A1L2B)
Judges’ Comment: “Really impressive saving with 100,000m³ of existing pavement and 97% of waste diverted from landfill.”

Highly Commended
GRAHAM Construction & Metrobus
Metrobus Contract D

 

Road Marking Project of the Year                                                                  
Sponsored by RSMA

Winner
Lancashire County Council, WJ North Ltd & Meon UK Ltd
Bank Bridge, Tarleton
Judges’ Comment: “Impressed by the performance of the scheme and the strong supply chain collaboration.”

 

Major Project Award                                                                              
Sponsored by Tarmac

Winner
Skanska, Jacobs, Highways England & AECOM
M1 Junction 19 Improvement Scheme
Judges’ Comment: “A very worthwhile project, tackling a highly congested section of the network.”

Highly Commended
Aggregate Industries UK Ltd  and Costain Ltd
A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Environmental Improvement

 

Highway Industry Product of the Year                                                         
Platinum sponsorship Shell Bitumen

Winner
Tensar International Ltd
Spectra Pavement Optimisation System
Judges’ Comment:“Impressed by the potential environmental and benefits to society.”  

 

Team of the Year
Platinum sponsorship MWay Comms

Winner
A14 Integrated Delivery Team
Procurement & Supply Chain Team
Judges’ Comment: “Impressed by the clear objectives of the team and how these were executed, with the potential to raise wider industry standards.”

Highly Commended
Suffolk County Council & Kier
Suffolk Highways Surface Dressing
Delivery Team

Highly Commended
A-one+ & Highways England
One Team Approach

 

Highway Partnership Award                                   
Sponsored by WJ

Winner
Hanson UK & Dorset County Council
The Dorset/Hanson Strategic Partnership
Judges’ Comment: “Good performance improvements, clear efficiency targets and excellent to see the partnership charter really working.”

 

Highways Maintenance Efficiency Award
Sponsored by Kier

Winner
A-one+ Integrated Highways Services
& Highways England
Area 12 ASC Programme Delivery
Judges’ Comment: “Very impressive lean initiative taking a whole life cost approach and saving £0.5m.”

Highly Commended
Galliford Try, Capita & Salford City Council
Urban Vision

 

Award for the Best Use of New Technology in the Highways Industry        
Platinum sponsorship MVIS

Winner
Department for Transport, Gaist Solutions, Soenecs, Thurrock Council, Wiltshire Council & City of York Council
Gaist Pothole Spotter
Judges’ Comment: “High quality and frequently refreshed information on potholes across networks providing great potential for development.”

 

Apprentice of the Year 
Sponsored by the IHE

Winner
Lancashire County Council
Cameron Newsham
Judges’ Comment: “Cameron has gone beyond expectations and become a valuable contributor to the team.”

Highly Commended
Tarmac
Richard Denman

Highly Commended
Amey
Bradley Richardson         

 

The outstanding entry considered to be a ‘game changer’ by all the judges and awarded the Judges’ Special Merit Award, sponsored by Archway Products, was the A14 Integrated Delivery Team with their Procurement & Supply Chain Team.

The Highways Awards are independently judged by an esteemed panel of representatives from every corner of the United Kingdom, including the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland, the Welsh Government, Transport NI Eastern Division, Highways England and the Institute of Highway Engineers.

For more information, and for full details of all the shortlisted entries, please download a full copy of the Highways Awards 2017 Review document here, or visit the website here.