Katikati company Bridge It NZ's unique farm bridge project is among the winners of the 2014 Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards.

The specialist company, formed six years ago, won category one for projects with a value of less than $0.5m for the clear-span bridge over the River Motu at Gisborne.

Bridge It NZ operations manager Clark Mazey, Bill English, Hirepool's Brian Stephen, and Bridge It NZ owner Pat Seuren.

Built for farmers Mark and Jane Johnson, the bridge is the biggest clear-span bridge to date for the company. It replaced an ageing swing bridge originally built by Mark's grandfather to enable sheep to travel back and forth across the river.

Judges praised the design and construction of the 34m-long steel and concrete bridge, the way the company worked to minimise environmental impact and the relationships it forged with local community.

The day the bridge was lifted into place, the company hosted and managed over 100 onlookers including children from three local schools, some of whom did school assignments on the project.

Mark Johnson says he thought they were just getting a bridge that allowed access but in fact this has transformed the farms whole operation.

The Judge's comments are: 'Well done to Bridge It NZ for the successful delivery of a challenging job, ensuring a really happy client and the promotion of the industry to local schoolchildren.”

The bridge structure, both structural steel and precast decking, was made in Hamilton and Tauranga. The design allowed for it to be transported to and reassembled on site before a 300 tonne crane was used to lift it on to constructed abutments.

McConnell Dowell Constructors was also highly commended, in category four of the awards - for projects greater than $30m, for construction of the Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station in Taupo.

This year, for the first time, the Hirepool Construction Excellence awards were organised by the New Zealand Contractors' Federation and Roading New Zealand. The joint awards attracted a record number of entries with 24 finalists going forward to the six awards categories.

Winners were announced at the Hirepool Construction Excellence awards dinner held during the tripartite New Zealand Contractors' Federation, Association of Consulting Engineers and Roading New Zealand Conference in Rotorua.