THE renovations of Blackburn’s Central Library and railway station have been nominated for major North West construction awards.

Network Rail’s restoration of the iconic Chorley Tunnel and Flying Arches is also on the shortlist for the June event, organised by the University of Salford, at the Palace Hotel, Manchester, and could walk away with the top prize.

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All three projects are in for the Lancashire Project of the Year 2015 award category.

And the Chorley scheme is also up for the top prize of Project of the Year at North West Regional Construction Awards 2015 hosted on Thursday, June 4 by actor and comedian John Thomson.

This year’s award had a record number of entries with the County Council’s Heysham to M6 Link Road completing the shortlist for the Lancashire title.

In September last year Network Rail completed the return of one of the the Lancashire railways’ architectural wonders with the historic Flying Arches re-introduced after eight years.

As well as upgrading the 113-metre Chorley tunnel prior to electrification, the 16 historic, Grade II-listed Chorley flying arches were refurbished following close work and consultation with English Heritage.

In January the £635,000 renovation of Blackburn Railway Station gave travellers a modern entrance hall with new automatic doors and entrance glazing, anti-slip flooring, new wall cladding, CCTV cameras and handrails on the access ramp and stairs.

In December Blackburn Central Library’s new frontage was revealed after a £2 million renovation.

Blackburn with Darwen council culture boss Damian Talbot said: “These two award nominations are recognition that Blackburn is moving forward.”