Flood defence project nominated for engineering oscar

A MAJOR Warrington flood defence project has made it through to the finals of a prestigious award for civil engineering.
The Institution of Civil Engineers has announced that the 1.5 kilometre-long Mersey flood defence scheme, completed a year ago, is a finalist for the forthcoming North West Civil Engineering Awards.
Winners will be announced at an Oscars-style awards dinner next month.
The £24 million scheme, commissioned by the Environment Agency and completed just before the December 2013 floods, is one of seven finalists in the Medium Project Award category.
Alan Butler, North West regional director of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said: “These annual awards help showcase some of the fantastic civil engineering that’s happening across the region.
“Warrington and the whole North West can feel proud of the innovation and the civil engineering genius that go into providing our region with world-class infrastructure, while improving the environment and benefiting the economy.”
Main designer for the project was US-based engineering company CH2M Hill, which has a regional office at Warrington’s Birchwood Business Park, and the principal contractor was Balfour Beatty Construction Services.
Cllr Linda Dirir, Warrington Borough Council’s lead member for highways,
transportation and climate change, said: “These new flood defences provide peace of mind to over 2000 local families and businesses in Warrington.
“The tidal surge that was experienced in December 2013 shows that the investment was much needed and proves how important they are to the local community and the future protection of Warrington’s waterfront.”
Picture: An artist’s impression of the cen tral feature of the flood defence scheme – the entrance to Victoria Park.