TfL鈥檚 East London line 鈥� by a TfL London Rail, Balfour Beatty and Carillion joint venture 鈥� leads a field of superb projects that have improved the speed, convenience and safety of journeys across the UK

Infrastaructure project of the year

Sponsored by WSP

East London Line, TfL
This infrastructure project has revolutionised the way we travel around the capital. Opening up a new quick and easy route to get from the south to the north-east of London, the East London line is a perfect of example of how good infrastructure schemes can dramatically improve the way we live our lives. A journey that would once have taken hours now takes just 47 minutes and the new line attracts more than half a million users every day, proof that there was a crucial need for its creation and development. The line will also help the communities it cuts through, bringing better transport links and increased business, and will lead to huge regeneration benefits to the surrounding areas, some of which are very deprived. Despite a tight deadline, the 拢1bn project was delivered two months early. The judges said: 鈥淭he team didn鈥檛 just talk about the design and construction, it focused on the community benefits. It鈥檚 a fantastic project that has transformed the area and will open up London to its users.鈥�

Runners-up

Birmingham Box: Phase 1
This scheme to improve and extend the use of the M25 hard shoulder has saved lives and energy, with accidents decreasing from 5.1 to 1.8 a month and fuel consumption reduced by 4%.

Forth Road cable dehumidification project
This pioneering project brought an innovative cable dehumidification solution to combat corrosion on a busy bridge. The success of Aecom鈥檚 idea is proved by its uptake in Japan, Sweden and Denmark.

London Cycle Hire scheme
This 拢140m project brought free cycling to London, by negotiating with nine different authorities. Londoners and visitors now make up to 27,500 journeys a day on the distinctive blue bikes.

M25 Bell Common tunnel refurbishment
This exceptional piece of structural engineering replaced all mechanical, electrical, operational and communication systems on a tunnel first constructed in 1985.