A joint venture between the Texas-based Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and the UK’s Arup consultancy, as part of Transport Scotland’s project delivery team, has received five awards for the Queensferry Crossing project, the world’s longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge.
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 Jacobs Arup JV was the lead consultant and delivery partner, working with Transport Scotland (TS), to develop and manage the entire US$1.6bn (£1.3bn) Forth Replacement Crossing project in the east of Scotland, completing 13.7 miles (22km) of major motorway upgrades to the cross-Forth transport corridor. The Queensferry Crossing project has recently won:
• The ‘Outstanding Transport Project in a Generation’ award at the Scottish Transport Awards 2018, which is not a customary presentation at the event but one created to highlight the significance of the scheme. Now in its 16th year, the awards celebrate industry achievements that are enhancing transport networks across Scotland.
• The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) / Causeway Major Projects award at the CIHT’s 2018 ceremony 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 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 UK.
• 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 SVP 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.”
