The Ipswich Tidal Flood Barrier, which protects over 1,600 homes and 400 business from the risk of flooding, has won an Exceptional Merit Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Costing almost £70 million, the Ipswich Flood Defence Management Strategy comprises a mix of new and refurbished flood walls and flood gates along 1,100m of the River Orwell.

The barrier’s centrepiece is a 200-tonne rotating radial sector gate, which can be raised in minutes in the event of a tidal surge. The gate has a design similar to those used for the Thames Barrier, and it is so large that it is coated with six tonnes of protective paint.

The gate rotates upwards out of the sea floor into the closed position to hold back tidal surges that could flood the town. The flood defence scheme has the added advantage of helping to boost the local economy by freeing up hectares of land for regeneration.

Andrew Usborne, the lead officer on the scheme, said: “This award is fantastic news for everyone involved, including all the Environment Agency staff, our contractors VBA and sub-contractors.

"It has been a hugely successful construction project — one that is being used as an example to other Environment Agency schemes across the country of safe and effective partnership working.”