Warrington companies shine at Engineering Oscars

COMPANIES based in Warrington dominated the 2015 North West Civil Engineering Awards, dubbed the “Engineering Oscars”.
ICE North West – which represents the region’s 6,000 civil engineers – said the awards “highlighted the fact that Warrington is a centre of civil engineering quality”.
United Utilities, whose regional office is in Lingley Mere Business Park in Great Sankey, scooped the top awards in both the Large Project and Medium Project categories.
Birchwood-based CH2MHill and Atkins Ltd were nominated alongside the Environment Agency office in Latchford for its flood risk management schemes.
Alan Butler, ICE’s regional director in the north west, said: “When it comes to civil engineering in North West England, it’s clear that Warrington is home to some of the leaders in the field.
“Companies based in Warrington were involved in two-thirds of the top civil engineering projects recognised at the ICE North West Annual Awards 2015.
“Whether through commissioning, design or actual delivery of the project on the ground, Warrington-based companies have been centrally involved in leading infrastructure developments from Cheshire to Cumbria.
“These Warrington-based companies have improved water management in Lancaster and Blackpool, improved station access for disabled people in Manchester, helped modernise the region’s railways, and helped bring peace of mind to residents through flood defence schemes in Lancashire and in Warrington itself. I think it’s fair to call Warrington a centre of civil engineering quality.”
Warrington’s expertise in civil engineering was further shown as the principal designer for the Large Project winner was MWH Global, operating from its office in Birchwood. And Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd, based at Centre Park in Warrington, also made it onto the score sheet, as principal designer for the project to replace the bridge at Appleby Station in Cumbria.
Finally Warrington’s contribution to infrastructure construction in the North West was highlighted by Golborne-based J Murphy and Sons Ltd, who were the principal contractors for three of the award nominees – Network Rail’s National Electrification Programme Bridge Reconstructions project; the Access For All project at Manchester’s Oxford Road Station; and the Chorley Tunnel and Flying Arches Project, which was Highly Commended in the Medium Projects category.