SEVERAL Cumbrian engineering landmarks are in the running for prestigious regional industry awards.

Cumbria hosted the North West Civil Engineering Awards last year and The Institution of Civil Engineers has announced that some of the county's latest projects are in the running for this year's awards.

The biggest project from Cumbria has been entered for the Large Project of the Year award and is the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s £90 million, five-year project completed last year at Sellafield

The project prepared the site for the retrieval of historic nuclear waste, to ultimately remove the nuclear and environmental risk posed by an ageing silo.

Cumbria also features strongly amongst nominations for the North West Civil Engineering Heritage Award, with four entries out of 13 from all over North West and the Isle of Man.

These include the famous Settle and Carlisle Railway, Hodbarrow Sea Defences at Duddon Sands, the Nent Force Level at Alston and the Thirlmere Water Supply opened in 1894 which was designed to provide the growing city of Manchester with clean water.

Darrell Matthews, North West Regional director of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said the awards were held to showcase 'the fantastic work' being done by civil engineers and construction companies around the region.

"This year’s Cumbrian nominations reflect the vital contribution Cumbria’s engineering and industry make to our economy, our environment and our lives, from transportation and water supplies to the safe handling of nuclear waste," he said. "Last year we introduced the North West Civil Engineering Heritage Award to celebrate the contribution of civil engineers and construction workers of long ago who have helped shaped our lives today, and again Cumbria is in the forefront with some of the most inspiring feats of engineering of past centuries, much of it still benefitting us today – like the Settle and Carlisle Railway and the Thirlmere Aqueduct."

The winners will be announced at the Institution of Civil Engineers North West Annual Awards dinner at the Blackpool Hilton on March 10.