The Renfrew Bridge has been named the 2026 Road Bridge Project of the Year by New Civil Engineer, an award recognizing the innovation, collaboration and engineering excellence behind this landmark crossing of the River Clyde in Scotland.

“Selecting the winners proved to be a significant challenge for our judges, with each entry demonstrating a remarkable contribution to advancing bridge engineering. Their dedication and fresh perspectives offer great confidence that the next generation of engineers will continue to deliver the resilient, sustainable and transformative infrastructure the world needs,” said NCE Features Editor Gavin Pearson.

H&H served as the lead movable bridge and slewing machinery systems designer as part of the design team led by Roughan & O’Donovan, working with GRAHAM Civil Engineering. The broader project team also included the Hollandia Infra-Smulders Iemants joint venture, with the initial architectural concept developed by Kettle Collective.

Owned by Renfrewshire Council, Renfrew Bridge is the centrepiece of the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project. The 184-metre, double-leaf cable-stayed swing bridge is the first opening road bridge across the River Clyde. Its distinctive asymmetric, or “bobtail,” configuration features 65-metre forward spans and 27-metre back spans. Each leaf is supported on a slewing bearing and operated by four slewing drives.

“This award is a tremendous recognition of the innovation, technical expertise and collaboration behind Renfrew Bridge,” said Paul Skelton, H&H Principal in Charge. “H&H is proud to have worked alongside an exceptional team to deliver a landmark crossing that connects communities and will serve the region for generations. Congratulations to Renfrewshire Council and everyone who contributed to the project’s success.”

Skelton joined H&H’s Paul van Hagen and Giacomo Mauriello at the New Civil Engineer Awards celebration, alongside representatives from Roughan & O’Donovan and GRAHAM Civil Engineering.

This prestigious recognition reflects the technical expertise, close coordination and shared commitment of the entire project team in delivering an innovative movable bridge that strengthens connections and creates a lasting legacy for the Clyde region.

Judges’ comments: “The UK’s first double-leaf cable-stayed swing bridge, this landmark structure spans the Clyde and delivers a major new multimodal connection supporting regional connectivity and regeneration. Designed using full LOD 400 modelling and incorporating innovative slew bearings and balanced kinematics, it achieves 35% carbon savings alongside robust durability detailing, representing a highly replicable template for future infrastructure of this kind.”

Link to project