The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme has received national recognition at the Flood & Coast Excellence Awards 2026, with design partner AtkinsRéalis winning the Digital Excellence category for its innovative work during the scheme’s detailed design phase.
The award was announced during the Flood & Coast Awards Dinner, held at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool on Wednesday 10 June as part of the Flood & Coast Conference 2026, the UK’s leading event for flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM).
The Digital Excellence Award celebrates projects that demonstrate outstanding use of digital innovation to improve delivery, collaboration, sustainability and resilience outcomes across the flood and coastal sector.
The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme is a major project led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Somerset Council. It is designed to better protect more than 11,300 homes and 1,500 businesses in Bridgwater and surrounding areas from tidal flooding for the next 100 years.
AtkinsRéalis was recognised for its pioneering use of advanced digital tools and integrated design approaches to support the scheme’s development, helping improve coordination across more than 35 technical disciplines while reducing carbon, programme risk and construction costs.
The project team developed innovative digital solutions including
-
A fully integrated 3D federated design model to coordinate the detailed design and reduce construction clashes
-
A bespoke Building Information Modelling (BIM) Analytics Carbon tool enabling real-time carbon analysis during design development
-
WebGIS platforms providing live geospatial and environmental data across the project team
-
Drone-generated digital terrain modelling to support efficient earthworks and material management and
-
Data-driven asset management systems that dramatically improve long-term operational efficiency.
Interactive visualisation tools and immersive modelling environments have enabled local authorities, operational teams, landowners and communities to better understand the scheme and engage more meaningfully with the design process.
Rachel Burden, Environment Agency Project Sponsor for the scheme said,
This award is thoroughly deserved and recognises the innovation, expertise and collaborative approach AtkinsRéalis has brought to the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme.
The use of digital tools and innovative design techniques has helped improve efficiency, reduce complexity and support the delivery of a resilient flood risk management scheme that provides long-term benefits for local communities.
The lessons learned will help inform future infrastructure projects across the sector.
Alison McKerrow, Climate Resilience Team Lead at AtkinsRealis, said
This award reflects both the strength of our partnership with the Environment Agency and the role digital is now playing in how we deliver major infrastructure in the flood and coastal sector.
Digital capabilities were key in enabling a more joined-up approach on the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, using data to make better decisions earlier. As the challenges facing the water sector grow, this kind of outcome-focused, data-led approach will be critical to delivering resilient infrastructure at pace and at scale.
Flood & Coast brings together government, industry, consultants, academia and communities from across the UK and internationally to share best practice and innovation in flood and coastal resilience.
The 2026 conference focused on accelerating resilience through system-wide and place-based approaches that help turn climate adaptation ambition into practical delivery across rivers, catchments and coasts.
The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme continues to demonstrate how innovation, collaboration and digital transformation can support the delivery of major infrastructure projects that are more resilient, sustainable and benefit communities for the future.
