Hockley Viaduct restoration wins award
The restoration of Hockley Viaduct and completion of National Cycle Route 23 through Winchester has won a prestigious award.
The £1m project received the Institution of Civil Engineers’ South East England Engineering Excellence 2013 Award for ‘Community Benefit’.
The award recognises the collaborative nature of the project which was funded by Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, Sustrans and the Fieldfare LEADER Programme and supported by Avon Construction, the South Downs National Park Authority and the Friends of Hockley Viaduct.
The submission for the winning entry highlighted innovations such as lowering the parapet of the viaduct in places to open up countryside views for walkers and cyclists, environmental benefits including the creation of a sustainable transport route and sustainable procurement which involved re-using existing bricks and coping stones.
The winning scheme provides a missing link in the National Cycle Network Route 23 from Reading to the Isle of Wight by completing the section through Winchester incorporating the refurbishment of the Hockley Viaduct.
The Viaduct has been restored and a purpose-built, mainly off-road cycle and pedestrian route constructed from the South Winchester Park and Ride to the city centre.
Cllr Victoria Weston, Winchester City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Built Environment, said:
On behalf of all the partners I would like to say how proud we are of the Hockley Viaduct scheme. This award is great recognition for a huge amount of hard work by many people over a number of years.
This project is a fabulous example of teamwork – not just between local authorities but also with partners and contractors.
The Engineering Excellence Awards showcase the best civil engineering projects in the region in 2013, with previous entries ranging in scale from £3,000 to £370m. Thirty-five projects were shortlisted in the South East Region.