A three-year project to alleviate the risk of flooding in Yorkshire has been shortlisted for a prestigious civil engineering award.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has announced that Phase 1 of the Cottingham and Orchard Park Flood Alleviation scheme has been shortlisted for recognition in its 2020 Yorkshire and Humber Awards.
In 2007 more than 14,000 properties were affected by flooding in Kingston-Upon-Hull, and the system is now operational and protecting thousands of residents and properties from flooding, most recently following heavy rainfall in November 2019.
Richard Lewis, civil engineering services manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council who worked on the new reservoir, said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award. We are incredibly proud of the Cottingham and Orchard Park Flood Alleviation scheme, which has already been proved to provide protection for many Hull residents.
The project is one of nine projects from across the region to be shortlisted for the Centenary Award which recognises projects valued at £5m or less, alongside Victoria Clough Culvert and the Wakefield Road realignment project.
The awards are held annually to showcase the outstanding work done during the past year by civil engineers in the Yorkshire and Humber Region. They are divided into three categories; projects with a cost in excess of £5m will compete for the Centenary Award, those under £5m can apply for the Smeaton Award, and those concerned with studies and research can compete for the Sir John Fowler Award.
In 2019 the Smeaton Award was won by Knostrop Footbridge.
This year’s winners will be revealed at the ICE’s annual black-tie gala dinner at Sheffield City Hall on March 6, sponsored by Mott Macdonald, Balfour Beatty and YORhub.
Penny Marshall, the ICE’s regional director for Yorkshire and Humber said: “The standards of entries we have seen this year is exceptionally high and the judges now have a very difficult task ahead of them.
“There are thousands of civil engineers in Yorkshire and Humber that work tirelessly to design, improve and maintain the infrastructure that we rely on, and these awards are a great opportunity to highlight the positive impact their work has on our lives.”
