Aberdeen bypass, P&J Live and Gardenstown landslide action on the shortlist for top awards

Four north-east projects, including the new Aberdeen bypass, have been shortlisted for a prestigious civil engineering award.

The 2019 Scottish Civil Engineering Awards celebrate outstanding engineering achievements, innovation and ingenuity across the country.

A total of 17 projects are in the running for an award including the AWPR, the Gardenstown landslide works and the £22 million Inverurie Waste Water Treatment Works.

The new bypass, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Scotland, finally opened to the public in full in February after being dogged by delays.

The £745 million scheme saw the construction of a 58km-long dual carriageway with two major river bridges, a mainline rail bridge, 12 junctions and around 100 other structures.

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P&J Live is also in the running for the award and has been described as an important part of Aberdeen City Council’s plan to grow the city’s economy. It is hoped to contribute to an additional 4.5 million visitors and £113m of visitor spend.

Aberdeenshire Council has also been shortlisted for its quick-thinking action following a landslide, which occurred in the village of Gardenstown blocking the B9123 Harbour Road and causing major disruption to the local community.

Announcing the shortlist, CECA Scotland, the sole trade body for Scotland’s civil engineering contractors, said: “With no option for a diversion, Aberdeenshire Council reacted immediately to clear the debris and erect a blockwork wall at the toe of the landslide which provided temporary protection; enabling the road to be partially reopened pending further inspection.”

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in the Double Tree by Hilton North Queensferry on Thursday. A Transport Scotland spokesman welcomed the nomination. He said: “We are extremely pleased that the AWPR/B-T project has been nominated for these awards, recognising the strength of the competition this year.”