The team that built the A595 High and Low Newton bypass in Cumbria is celebrating after winning a top environmental award.

They have been awarded an excellent rating in the Institution of Civil Engineering's Environmental Quality Assessment (Ceequal).

The tip top partnership is made up of the Highways Agency; Jacobs, the Agency's on-site representatives; Laing O'Rourke who built the road on behalf of the Agency; Pell Frischmann, the contractor's designer and Golder Associates, the environmental consultants.

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Ceequal adopts a tough marking system that examines environmental standards and engagement with the local community.

Highways Agency project manager Graham Dakin said: "We knew before we started the work on the ground that we needed to limit our impact on the environment and that we were working in a sensitive area - the Lake District National Park. The team worked hard to achieve the highest environmental standards, and kept in close contact with local people before and during the road building. Everyone who worked on the scheme should be proud of their achievements and winning the Ceequal award."

Simon Russell, Laing O'Rourke's project leader, said: "This is a great achievement, not only for the Highways Agency and Laing O'Rourke, but also for the local stakeholders that we worked with during the development and construction phases."

(JM)