A LANCASHIRE building company has been honoured with an award for engineering a bridge over the River Eamont in Cumbria.

The new Pooley Bridge is the UK's first stainless steel road bridge and was built by Preston-based Eric Wright Civil Engineering, replacing the original bridge that had been build in 1764

The bridge, which has now named Best Civil Engineering Project by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, was constructed during the height of lockdown before being opened in October 2020.

Eric Wright Civil Engineering managing director Diane Bourne said: “We are so proud that Pooley Bridge has been recognised by the judges to win this award from our peers in the Civil Engineering Contractors Association.

"Replacing a much-loved historic structure is never without its challenges and we consulted closely with the local community every step of the way to ensure what we delivered would be a fitting replacement for generations to come.

"The village embraced the project and we are so grateful for all of their support.

"The new bridge connects people once again and is future-proofed for flood resilience which will bring peace of mind to the local community.”

Cumbria County Council cabinet member for highways and transport Keith Little said he was glad to see the company's efforts rewarded.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the new bridge has been recognised with this prestigious award for our contractors Eric Wright.

He added: “I’d like to thank all our contractors and in-house staff teams of engineers and officers working behind the scenes to create such a fantastic new structure.

"I’d also like to thank the local community in Pooley Bridge who have worked with us through the design stages and throughout the construction.

"I know they’ve had a lot to put up with, but we now have an iconic new bridge to be very proud of and which will attract many visitors in the years to come.

“My congratulations to Eric Wright on the award – it’s testament to their skill, passion and dedication to the project, and a great example of working successfully in partnership with the council.”