Amey has won an industry accolade for its work to reopen the Forth Road Bridge during winter last year.

The project team scooped the Greatest Contribution to Scotland accolade at the 2016 Saltire Civil Engineering Awards.

Following the discovery of a fracture in the truss end link, the Forth Road Bridge was shut in December 2015 in what was described by the Scottish Parliament as 'an event of national significance'.

The structure remained closed for three weeks while engineers worked to repair the bridge.

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The closure caused a severe economical and environmental impact on the region, with around 70,000 vehicles being diverted 33 miles each day.

However, judges commended the Forth Road Bridge team for working to address the issues under "intense public and political scrutiny".

In addition, the judges added work to repair the truss end links "demonstrated exemplar innovation and creativity in engineering, management and communication".

Ewan Angus, Amey's Bridges Director said: "This award represents the pinnacle of Scottish engineering accolades and to be awarded the Greatest Contribution for Scotland Award is a real honour, and an achievement that the whole team should be proud of."

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf added: "It is fitting that the unsung heroes responsible for developing such an innovative and effective solution against a challenging deadline and under the watchful eye of a nation have been recognised for their efforts."

(LM/MH)