SPONSORED by Griffiths, Ocuair and Kaymac Marine Engineering the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Wales Cymru Annual Awards 2025 were held on September 26 in Cardiff. Four South Wales Cymru projects won across various project categories.
Winning projects included:
- The A465 Heads of the Valleys Dualling: Dowlais to Hirwaun
- Glynneath Flood Alleviation Scheme
- Stephenson Street Flood Scheme
- Neath River Bridge Novel Foundation Depth Geophysics Trial
The A465 Heads of the Valleys Dualling: Dowlais to Hirwaun project delivered by Future Valleys Construction were awarded the George Gibby Award, for the best example of outstanding design and construction of a project costing more than £5m. Judges noted that the £595m project secured a strategically important link between the midlands and southwest Wales, being essential to economic growth in Wales Cymru.
Procured by the Welsh Government through the Mutual Investment Model, the A465 upgrade consisted of 16.7km of new on-line dual carriageway, 32 bridges and 28 retaining walls. The project operated across densely populated areas with care for both the environment and local communities.
AtkinsRéalis won the Roy Edwards Award for the Glynneath Flood Alleviation Scheme, a scheme funded by the Welsh Government and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. The judges commented that there was an exceptionally high standard of entries for the category this year; Glynneath Flood Alleviation Scheme claimed the award as the best example of outstanding design and construction of a project costing less than £5m.
Previously identified as one of the top 12 flooding sites in Wales, Glynneath has historically flooded due to insufficient drainage capacity. The £3.6m scheme saw AtkinsRéalis increase Glynneath’s flood resilience using traditional hand-dug tunnelling techniques to construct new culverts in a residential environment, removing 250 properties from the flood risk area.
The Stephenson Street Flood Scheme, funded by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), designed by Arup and delivered by Griffiths was awarded the Bill Ward Sustainability Award. This award recognises the project that best demonstrates the principles of sustainability – social, economic and environmental – across of all aspects of the project during delivery and upon completion.
The scheme addresses climate change issues in a heavily developed industrial and residential area in Lliswerry, Newport where the pre-existing flood embankment posed risk to 1,120 homes and 1,020 businesses by 2070. Whilst reducing flood risk the Stephenson Street Flood Scheme maximised its sustainability through the reuse of its site-won materials, in addition to using EcoPile’s and cement replacement products.
The Chair’s Special Award is a discretionary award, presented to any individual or project demonstrating either exceptional skill and expertise, or making an exceptional contribution to the profession. The judges chose to recognise the Neath River Bridge Novel Foundation Depth Geophysics Trial, awarding AtkinsRéalis the 2025 Chair’s Special Award. The project was funded by South Wales Trunk Road Agent and Welsh Government.
Pushing industry boundaries with non-intrusive geophysical techniques, the Neath River Bridge Novel Foundation Depth Geophysics Trial aimed to predict the foundation depth of an 1850 masonry bridge crossing the River Neath. Combining “under-shooting” and “fan-shooting” techniques, the trial predicted a foundation depth of 3meters. Successfully obtaining this information avoided the need to undertake scour prevention works.
Guests were joined by ICE Senior Vice President David Porter and guest speaker BBC Wales News anchor Jennifer Jones, a Lead Presenter on Wales Today.
Commenting on this year’s ICE Wales Cymru Annual Awards, ICE Wales Cymru Regional Director, Keith Jones, said: “Our members look forward to our annual awards each year, they are important in recognising the exceptional projects and schemes across Wales Cymru, as well as the extraordinary people behind them.
“Our judges have had many projects to consider this year from across the region. Each diverse project demonstrating the benefits that civil engineering brings to the infrastructure we all use in our daily lives, allowing us to celebrate the true impact of civil engineering across the region.”
