A company has won a national industry award for the major construction work it carried out along the storm-wrecked Keswick to Threlkeld former railway line.
Shrewsbury-based firm Beaver Bridges was called in after Storm Desmond destroyed a large section of the old railway line in December 2015.
As part of a multi-million-pound restoration programme, its workforce designed, fabricated and erected two steel truss bridges over the Greta River at Brundholme and Low Pearson.
Now the firm has been honoured in the 2021 Bridge Design and Engineering Awards for the project when it was singled out as a winner.
Richard Hinckley, Beaver Bridges sales director, said: “We were extremely pleased to have supported your community with the design and installation of the bridges to reconnect your tourist trail.
“I hope that the tourists are now returning and the economy is flourishing in Keswick and the Lake District once again.”
The company was named as the outright winner of the awards’ category for Bridge Construction Projects up to £5 million.
The bridges were part of the reconstruction of the multi-user trail for walkers, runners and cyclists connecting Keswick to Threlkeld, undertaken by the Lake District National Park Authority.
Mr Hinckley added: “The original build sequence presented several risks to the environment, programme, safety and cost as it required significant in-channel works in an area subject to flooding.
“We developed a unique build sequence, which successfully eliminated the need for disruptive in-channel works, as well as reducing the programme time and associated costs by 30 per cent.
“Beaver Bridges are extremely proud to have been involved in getting this major tourist trail back up and running in this wonderful part of the country following the devastation caused by Storm Desmond.”
On December 5, 2015, Storm Desmond destroyed the Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail, washing away both the Low Pearson and Brundholme bridges.
Rawsome Bridge also had to be closed due to risk of collapse, while the old wooden board walk at Greta viaduct was undermined.
More than 200 metres of the path was also washed away at Brundholme Bottoms.
Many of the remaining bridges and path drainage system were weakened by the flood waters too.
But the trail reopened last December – five years after the storm struck – and it has since become even more popular than ever.
