Jacobs Arup JV recognized with five awards for iconic Queensferry Crossing

Queensferry Crossing; image courtesy of Transport Scotland.

Dallas — Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and Arup, as part of Transport Scotland’s project delivery team, have received five awards for the Queensferry Crossing project, the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world. Major innovations and technology solutions comprise the Queensferry Crossing, allowing the structure to carry substantial volumes of traffic while bringing it firmly into the digital age.

The bridge is equipped with smart technologies that monitor weather, corrosion, motion and strains on the structure amassing cloud-based data analytics for advanced warnings to pre-empt potential issues. Computer monitoring systems and sensors built into the bridge allow for Integrated Transportation System (ITS) technology which facilitates the management of traffic and ensures the continued health and efficient maintenance of the structure. This technology improves traffic flow, reduces congestion and improves road safety by allowing mandatory variable speed limits to be applied. Wind-protection shields and the innovative design of the bridge’s cable-stayed solution help enhance journey time reliability without the need of closing the bridge.

The Queensferry Crossing project won the Outstanding Transport Project in a Generation award at the Scottish Transport Awards 2018, which is not a customary award of the event, but one that was created to highlight the significance of the Queensferry Crossing project. Now in its 16th year, the awards celebrate industry achievements that are enhancing transport networks across Scotland.  The special award was presented to the project delivery team of Transport Scotland, the Jacobs Arup joint venture (JV) and Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors at the ceremony in Glasgow.

On the same evening, the Queensferry Crossing project won two additional awards. The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) / Causeway Major Projects award at the CIHT Awards 2018 in London, recognizing its successful delivery and its major contributions to national and local transport networks. In Canada, the Association Québécoise des Transports (AQTr) awarded Transport Scotland and the Jacobs Arup JV the Prix Ambassadeur 2018, which recognizes transport projects undertaken around the world, distinguished by the quality of planning, technical implementation, innovation and sustainability.

The Queensferry Crossing project also won the Project of the Year (over £30m) at the 2018 Construction News Awards, with the judges commending the focus on innovation on a project of national significance, which created tangible benefits for people and businesses across Scotland and the U.K. The project was also named Project of the Decade in the Ground Engineering Awards 2018, which celebrate the best in geotechnical engineering. To commemorate the 10th year of the awards, previous project winners were shortlisted and the winner of the decade was selected by an online public vote; the project had previously won Project of the Year in 2015.

“These awards recognize the quality and legacy of the Queensferry Crossing project,” said Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Europe Senior Vice President and General Manager Donald Morrison. “It’s been a tremendous collaboration of diverse talent and technical expertise, fully engaged with the wider community, to deliver a dramatically enhanced user experience and accessibility in the region.”

“Recent awards for the Queensferry Crossing cover a wide range of disciplines and recognize the fantastic achievement this project represents,” said Transport Scotland Chief Executive Roy Brannen. “The Transport Scotland and Jacobs Arup JV team worked closely on site with our contractors to deliver a high-quality project. I would like to pay tribute to the spirit of collaboration and the endeavor of all of those involved with this hugely successful project.”

The Jacobs Arup JV was the lead consultant and delivery partner, working with Transport Scotland to develop and manage the entire $1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) Forth Replacement Crossing project in the east of Scotland, completing 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) of major motorway upgrades to the cross-Forth transport corridor.

Further success at the CIHT Awards saw Jacobs Senior Engineer Nicola Blaney win the CIHT Young Professional of the Year, and Ringway Jacobs receive the CIHT Asset Management award for Setting the Asset Management Standard.