The winners of the 2026 DfT Special Recognition Awards were announced at Strictly Highways on Wednesday 7 October, recognising people, partnerships and projects contributing to the highways and transportation sector.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Highways News Managing Editor Paul Hutton. Now in their seventh year, the awards were established by the late Steve Berry OBE, the Department for Transport’s former Head of Highways Maintenance, Innovation and Resilience. LCRIG continues to host the awards on behalf of the Department for Transport, carrying forward his legacy.
LCRIG said this year’s nominations were of a high standard across the eight categories, with an exceptionally high standard of submissions. With a strong field of nominees in each category, the judging panel faced the challenging task of carefully considering every entry before selecting this year’s finalists.
LCRIG said being shortlisted from such a competitive field is an achievement in itself, and they would like to congratulate every individual, organisation and partnership recognised this year.
A new category, the Outstanding Contribution, Private Sector Award, was introduced for 2026 to recognise individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the highways sector.
2026 award winners
Best Use of Technology in the Highways and Transportation Sector – sponsored by Nu-Phalt Contracting
This award recognises an organisation or partnership that has successfully used technology to improve efficiency, enhance decision-making or deliver better outcomes for highway authorities and road users.
Winner – AtkinsRéalis: National Highways Structures Moonshot, using advanced technology to transform bridge inspections.
Highly commended – Telent: RTIG Bus Priority Project.
The National Highways Structures Moonshot programme is a technology-led programme transforming to how ageing highway structures are inspected, understood and managed.
Judges said “This submission stood out technically. It combines advanced NDT, guided waves, AI processing and muon tomography with unusually rigorous physical validation. For an award specifically called Best Use of Technology, this reaches 10: the technology addresses conventional methods struggle to do, is validated rather than merely demonstrated, and is changing real asset-management practice.”
Collaborative Partnership (between councils and supply chain) – sponsored by Heidelberg Materials
The Collaborative Partnership Award recognises partnerships and joint initiatives contributing to improvements in the highways and transportation sector.
Winner – Derby City Council, in collaboration with Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, Coventry City Council, Hull City Council and Cheshire East Council.
Highly commended – Balfour Beatty Living Places, in collaboration with Lincolnshire County Council, WSP and SWARCO.
Rethinking the School Run, Derby City Council’s School Streets and School Safe Haven partnership, addresses conditions outside school gates by putting children’s safety, cleaner air and active travel at the centre of local streets.
Judges said: “This collaborative and innovative approach to rethinking the school run, puts children’s safety, cleaner air and active travel at the heart of the programme while also tackling congestion and improving the experience around school gates.”
Net Zero Project of the Year – sponsored by Galliford Try
The Net Zero Project of the Year Award recognises an innovation project that has advanced decarbonisation in the sector through measurable contributions.
Winner – Heidelberg Materials, in partnership with National Highways and WSP.
Highly commended – ADEPT: Live Labs 2: Decarbonising local roads.
Heidelberg Materials UK, National Highways and WSP delivered a low-carbon reinstatement of the A47 Acle Straight near Great Yarmouth.
For the 10-mile pavement renewal, the team developed and secured approval for a 150mm evoBuild foamed asphalt solution instead of the original 100mm SMA20 polymer-modified bitumen binder specification. This maximised reuse of the existing road material and eliminated the need for virgin aggregate in the binder course.
Judges said: “This collaborative project, delivered an impressive14,500 tonnes of foamed asphalt with 93% recycled content, including 13,485 tonnes of recycled material and approximately 2,400 tonnes of tar-bound planings diverted from specialist landfill.”
Transport Technology Innovation – sponsored by Winvic
The Transport Technology Innovation award recognises innovations addressing the evolving demands and future challenges of the highways and transportation sector.
Winner – AtkinsRéalis: National Highways Structures Moonshot, using advanced technology to transform bridge inspections.
Highly commended – WJ Group: Instacure, introducing instant-curing UV road marking technology to the UK network.
The Structures Moonshot programme responds to risks associated with ageing post-tensioned and half-joint structures, where tendons, ducts, reinforcement and other hidden elements can deteriorate with little external warning.
Judges said: “This is a highly innovative application of advanced inspection technologies such as muon tomography, backed by rigorous validation and live-structure deployment.”
Employer Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Triopsis
This award recognises an initiative contributing to employee retention or encouraging new employees to join the sector, while potentially delivering wider social value.
Winner – Colchester Council: Beyond the Uniform: Transforming Employee Wellbeing, Retention and Recruitment Through Behaviour Change.
Highly commended – CORMAC: Academy Programme.
Beyond the Uniform was developed by Colchester City Council and the North Essex Parking Partnership to improve wellbeing, retention and recruitment by tackling abuse towards Civil Enforcement Officers.
Created in response to employee feedback and delivered with Brighton & Hove City Council, the campaign sought to humanise frontline officers, challenge misconceptions and encourage more respectful public behaviour.
Judges said: “This entry measured the thing it set out to change. Abuse towards Civil Enforcement Officers fell 73% against the previous year, with a published evaluation report behind the figure, 375 residents engaged directly and reach of 246,000 people.”
Highways Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by RMS
The Highways Apprentice of the Year Award recognises apprentices who have made significant contributions to their course, workplace or the wider highways sector.
Winner – Chris Maude: CORMAC.
Highly commended – Brandon Jones: Rochdale Borough Council.
During Storm Goretti, Chris Maude operated as Duty Area Coordinator for South East Cornwall under red-level wind warnings and gusts of up to 99mph.
Mr Maude managed extreme call volumes, coordinated emergency responses to widespread tree falls and flooding, and helped safeguard the public and critical transport links.
Judges said: “This entry measured the thing it set out to change. Abuse towards Civil Enforcement Officers fell 73% against the previous year, with a published evaluation report behind the figure, 375 residents engaged directly and reach of 246,000 people.”
Outstanding Contribution, Private Sector Award – sponsored by Multevo
Introduced for 2026, this award recognises an individual in the private sector who has made a lasting contribution to the highways sector through collaboration, innovation and work beyond their role.
Winner – Seema Flower.
Through her work with Blind Ambition, Seema Flower has provided knowledge, insight and practical guidance to HAUC (UK), Street Works UK, the Joint Authorities Group, contractors and professionals across the street works sector.
Judges described her as “an inspirational advocate and passionate disability rights champion” and recognised her work in supporting positive change across the sector.
Best of Britain – sponsored by Kiely Group
This award, named in honour of LCRIG founder Will Britain, this award recognises a local authority officer or manager who has gone beyond their role to engage with communities, improve services, change perceptions or contribute to the sector.
Winner – Perry Hazell.
Perry Hazell was recognised for creating opportunities for young people and communities beyond his engineering role at the London Borough of Southwark.
Through Project Light Ville and Pathways into Lighting, he has developed a growing national STEM and work-experience programme connecting councils, schools, University Technical Colleges, professional institutions and employers.
Judges said: “This entry measured the thing it set out to change. Abuse towards Civil Enforcement Officers fell 73% against the previous year, with a published evaluation report behind the figure, 375 residents engaged directly and reach of 246,000 people.”
Special award
A separate special award was presented to Sandra Sewell, Head of Strategic Account Management at the Government Commercial Agency.
She has worked closely with LCRIG over several years and was instrumental in establishing its Innovation Procurement System.
As she prepares to leave the agency, LCRIG thanked her for her contribution and wished her well for the future.
Recognition for winners and nominees
LCRIG extend their congratulations to all of this year’s winners, highly commended entries and shortlisted nominees, and thanked the Department for Transport, the judging panel, sponsors, partners and those attending Strictly Highways to celebrate the achievements of the highways sector.
(Picture – LCRIG)
