The A9 Dualling: Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project, part of Transport Scotland’s £3 billion infrastructure programme to dual the A9 from Perth to Inverness, has received two awards.
The project won Infrastructure Project of the Year at the recent Go Awards Scotland 2020, and secured a prestigious industry accolade as main contractor, Balfor Beatty was awarded a Silver Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) 2020 National Site Award.
The Go Excellence in Public Procurement Awards recognise the achievement and success of the project from its procurement through to the delivery of social value and community benefits during the construction phase.
Gemma Montrose, Project Sponsor for Transport Scotland, said: “The innovative approach taken during the procurement of this project has resulted in greater emphasis on delivering real benefits to the communities which surround our construction site.
“We are extremely proud of our schools engagement programme, the 59 new jobs created and the 38 work placements we have achieved to date, to name just a few. However, none of that could have been achieved without the dedication and support of our contractor Balfour Beatty, our third sector employability partners and the communities of Perthshire, who have been so supportive of our onsite team.”
Similarly, the CCS national site awards recognise the highest level of consideration towards the public, its workforce and the environment through adhering to the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice. The code covers five key areas including: Appearance; Respect the community; Protect the environment; Secure everyone’s safety and Value the workforce.
Alan Brisbane, Contact Manager for Balfour Beatty, said: “Being part of CCS means making a commitment to this code of practice and this silver award is testament to the ongoing commitment by every member of our staff and sub-contractors to maintain exceptional operational standards, especially at such a challenging time for the construction industry.”
The auditor’s report stated the A9 Dualling: Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project was ‘one of the best sites visited, with consideration for the public and workforce being at the forefront of everything’ carried out on site.
Particular mention was given to the ‘exceptional support to the local community’ which has taken place since the start of the project, and ‘outstanding’ programme of work experience and placements, as well as engagement with some 4,000 pupils to encourage careers in the construction and engineering sectors.
In addition, the project was praised for its exceptional staff welfare facilities on site, as well as numerous ‘outstanding safety campaigns’ to promote a safe environment aligned to the ‘new normal’ way of working.
Ms Montrose, added:“These awards are a fantastic achievement and highlight the exceptional effort and commitment that our award-winning project team has demonstrated in raising standards of procurement and considerate construction.
“The project continues to set a high benchmark for the construction industry and I would like to congratulate the site team on their achievements and for delivering such impressive standards of performance.”
