The road replaced the Markle Level Crossing near East Linton. Within the built environment in Scotland, the awards are widely seen as the highest honour for excellence in engineering.

The council served the role of project managers for the works, which were carried out by Balfour Beatty.

Peter Forsyth spearheaded its delivery for the council, and Glen Henderson, project manager for Balfour Beatty, was presented with the award by BBC Scotland’s Laura Miller at a ceremony in September which took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Having been fully funded by Transport Scotland, the works saw the delivery of a single-span bridge to replace the level crossing as well as the delivery of a one-kilometre diversionary road at Markle Steading.

In Scotland’s East Coast Main Line, Markle Level Crossing had been one of only two remaining level crossings. 

Its closure took away the risk to road users and the national rail network.

The new bridge supports pedestrians and road traffic by eliminating delays caused by lowered level crossing barriers when trains are approaching.

The project used 70,000 tonnes of locally sourced materials and provided a shared-use path providing safe access for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrian users.

A sustainable drainage system was delivered to manage stormwater and decrease flood risk, as well as landscaping that boosted biodiversity.

Peter Forsyth, the council’s project manager in Growth and Sustainability, said: “This was an excellent example of a ‘Team Scotland’ delivery model, with the council working closely in partnership with Transport Scotland, Network Rail and Balfour Beatty.

“Within the council, this complex construction project was supported across our services, including Procurement, Legal, Planning, Roads and Estates.”

Keith Macdonald, project director, Balfour Beatty’s Regional Scotland business, said: “Together with our partners, we’ve delivered [a] safer, more reliable crossing that will benefit the local community for years to come.”