Improvements made to the C&G and Walls roundabout last year have won an award from The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT).
The work took place last year to address a known pinch point on the two strategically important Gloucester roundabouts.
As part of Gloucestershire County Council's continued investment in the local transport infrastructure, the lanes and approach roads were widened on both C&G and Walls roundabouts, an intelligent traffic light system was installed, and the drainage and street lighting were improved.
To minimise disruption, the council looked carefully at how traffic would flow while the work was carried out in order to put a plan in place before construction started.
Restricted working hours were imposed which limited work to off-peak hours and overnight. This significantly reduced the impact on businesses and commuters, resulting in an unprecedented level of positive feedback for a highway scheme of this size in the county.
It was announced on 12th February that the £3.13 million improvement work had won the Major Project of the Year Award in a ceremony held by the CIHT South Western Branch in Exeter.
Judges praised the scheme for its strong partnership working and good communication, which helped the scheme to be delivered on time and on budget.
One judge said: "Best submission, clearly setting out what was innovative in its approach.
"Work on a live carriageway is always challenging and to do it whilst minimising disruption by good communication with the travelling public, and the establishment of a good working relationship between client, consultant and contractor is particularly exemplary.
"A really well written submission, good use of comms in a live operational environment – and nice to see a celebration of finishing on time and budget and thanking the public for their patience."
Gloucestershire County Council had a strong working relationship with partner Amey and contractor Hewlett Construction with strong project management and regular progress meetings to pick up any issues and address them early.
Good communication was a key priority throughout, with regular media releases, radio interviews, public information events and weekly bulletins sent to over 200 stakeholders until the end of the project.
The attendance at monthly Barnwood Business forum meetings, which represented a large number of local employers, meant active engagement throughout, and since completion the county council has been inundated with compliments about the work.
Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways said: "The fact that this scheme has won recognition at a national level demonstrates how hard we worked to get this right.
"The scheme was hugely important for Gloucester and the surrounding areas and we managed to deliver it on time, on budget and with minimum disruption to road users and that's testament to the commitment of our teams working on it.
"I'd like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and I'd also like to thank the public for their patience while we got the work done."
Ruth Kinsella, account director at Amey, said: "To be part of the winning team for this award is an amazing achievement and one at Amey we're incredibly proud of.
"We're delighted that the judges recognised the collaborative approach adopted by all the organisations involved to work together seamlessly to deliver all aspects of the project, whilst minimising disruption to residents and local businesses and deliver an end-result which is improving traffic flow in the area – a key priority for Gloucestershire."
Graham McGuire, site manager at Hewlett, said: "All the work for the C&G and Walls Roundabouts Improvement Scheme took place in live traffic conditions. In addition to the construction elements the ability to efficiently manage existing traffic flows, programme service diversions and work around existing services has been fundamental to the success of this project. This award is testament to best practice construction and a great team effort."
