The recently opened River Usk Bridge in Newport, Wales constructed by Morgan Vinci CJV, has scooped one of four coveted awards at last weeks annual Structural Steel Design Awards 2005.
The panel of judges described the £55 million project a joint venture between midlands-based Morgan Est plc and Vinci Construction Grands Projets as the best in British bridge engineering. The scheme is the largest local Private finance Initiative (PFI) scheme in Wales.
The awards, presented at The Savoy on Thursday, were open to steel based structures situated in the United Kingdom or overseas that have been built by contractors using steel predominantly sourced from Corus. A panel of independent judges selected the winners after assessing all entrants.
The judges said: "The Usk crossing symbolises the best in British bridge engineering. It combines an elegant design, high quality fabrication and innovative construction."
The judges also paid tribute to the bridge's steel structure. "The box girder arches, with inclined parabolic form are fabricated in weathering steel, externally painted and provide long-term maintenance benefits. Its elegance belies the 200 metres span, they said.
Each of the four winners receives a trophy and certificate.
The single-span, inclined parabolic arch, River Usk Bridge forms the centrepiece of the Newport Southern Distributor Road PFI project, which involves the dualling of a 9.5km stretch of urban carriageway required to ease chronic traffic congestion through the city of Newport and provide access to areas for development. Part of the projects complexity is that construction work in the river had to be kept to a minimum, in part due to the huge tidal range of the Usk and also to protect the Shad, a rare migratory fish.