A “cow flyover” bridge, designed to tackle human traffic jams at the Royal Highland Show (RHS) in Scotland, has been shortlisted for an RICS award.
Perthshire-based architect Bell Ingram Design built the structure that comprises a concrete overpass capable of supporting cows weighing almost a tonne for the RHS last year near Edinburgh.
In the past visitors to the show had to wait while pedestrian walkways were closed to let cattle into the main show, however the innovative structure overcame this problem.
Livestock were able to travel via the new flyover, while the crowd was free to move through an underpass below without delay.
The unique construction is now in the running in the Infrastructure category at the RICS Awards.
Iain Cram, director of a team of architects at Bell Ingram Design, spoke of the intricate geometry required to complete the one-of-a-kind project while taking up as little space as possible.
He said: “This was an unusual and significant win for Bell Ingram, so we’re very excited that it has now been nominated for an RICS Award – it’s fantastic to have all our efforts recognised in this way.”
“This commission was all about creating a better visitor experience for the thousands of people who attend the Royal Highland Show.”
“The feedback from the 2016 show is that the flyover was a tremendous success, achieving its aim of allowing better movement of people without impacting on the well-being of the livestock.”
Mark Currie, head of operations for The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said: “This was undoubtedly a challenging project and the solution was exactly what we were looking for as it succeeded in improving the flow of livestock and people through the showground – greatly improving everyone’s experience.”
