THE contractors behind the restoration of an historic bridge connecting the Borders to northern England has dedicated their award win to community champions.

Spencer Bridge Engineering won the Historic Bridge Project of the Year Award at the New Civil Engineer Bridges Awards 2024 for its work on the Union Chain Bridge.

After winning the award representatives of the Hull-based firm visited the bridge to present the award to the dedicated volunteers from the Friends of Union Chain Bridge who championed the bridge's preservation.

Martha Andrews, chair of Friends of Union Chain Bridge, said: “We were delighted when the engineers from Spencer arrived and we knew our bridge was in safe hands.

“The team became part of the local community for the duration of the work and left us with a beautiful bridge, true to its history and heritage, that will link England and Scotland for centuries to come.”

The Union Chain Bridge opened in 1820 and crosses the River Tweed to connect Horncliffe in Northumberland and Fishwick in the Borders.

The historic structure was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world when it was opened, and is now the world's oldest suspension bridge to still carry traffic.

Spencer Bridge Engineering was tasked by Northumberland County Council to restore the bridge to ensure the 200-year-old bridge would continue to safely transport vehicles and pedestrians.

Joe DiMauro, engineering director at the firm, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have been honoured with prestigious industry awards for our work on Union Chain Bridge.

“This recognition further reinforces Spencer Bridge Engineering’s reputation as an industry leader in specialist bridge works, including the delivery of projects on historic structures.

“We were delighted to dedicate the most recent award to the Friends of Union Chain Bridge, who we had a very close working relationship with throughout the project.

“It’s fitting that the Friends now have the award as a tribute to the successful restoration of the bridge that they campaigned so long for.”

Spencer Bridge Engineering also won the Chartered Institution on Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Infrastructure Award for its work on the bridge, as well as a 'Gold Winner' at the Restoration Project of the Year Award, and the silver winner of the Community Engagement Award at the National Building and Construction Awards in 2023.

On selecting Spencer Bridge Engineering as award winners, judges at the New Civil Engineer Bridges Awards said: “The judges found this to be a particularly exciting project which demonstrated an excellent example of stakeholder engagement and collaboration across a broad range of organisations.

“The project scored very highly across all categories, and the panel particularly liked the innovative solution to temporary work implemented within this project.

“The extensive refurbishment rather than replacement really helps to keep its sense of place in the local environment and has significant carbon saving.

"Well done!”