A MULTI-million pound project to upgrade Taunton’s M5 Junction 25 has won two awards at a top industry event.

Somerset County Council highways and partners picked up the Project of the Year and Collaboration Awards at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transport South West Awards 2021 for the £19.2m scheme.

The team also scooped the Innovation Award for its work on traffic modelling for the Taunton Toneway scheme, making it a trio of awards.

Somerset County Gazette:

The council’s highways team was honoured alongside partners AECOM, Alun Griffiths, Highways England, City Science and WSP during a virtual ceremony.

Junction 25 of the M5 is a vitally important project for Somerset’s economic future which aims to ease congestion and improve access to Taunton and the motorway, as well as providing safer cycling and walking routes into the town.

The scheme is part of a major infrastructure plan to support growth in employment and housing development in Taunton.

Earlier this year the project reached a major milestone with the opening of the new A358 Nexus Link road, a key part of the scheme.

Somerset County Gazette:

The CIHT Transportation Project of the Year recognises the “best policies, plans, schemes or initiatives in the region”, while the Collaboration Award recognises exemplary collaboration with other teams or organisations “to deliver real solutions”.

The Innovation Award recognised Somerset County Council’s use of ground-breaking traffic modelling techniques and new technology to assess the best traffic management options to minimise disruption while the Toneway works - due to start later in the year - are undertaken.

“It’s hugely gratifying to win these awards and get recognition for our fantastic team, contractor and partners, who have collaborated brilliantly and worked incredibly hard throughout an extraordinary year to ensure this important project remains on schedule and on budget," said Alyn Jones, operational director for economic and community infrastructure at Somerset County Council.

He added: “Despite the many challenges of the last 12 months work has continued apace thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of all involved – my sincere congratulations to everyone.”

Griffiths pre-construction director Simon Dunn said: “The CIHT South West Awards are great recognition for the hard work and effort of the whole project team and one that Griffiths are proud to be a part of.

“A key factor in the project success has been the approach to collaboration, in particular with key stakeholders such as Highways England, and to also have this recognised by the industry as exemplar is fantastic.”