Bridges, flood defences and arches are some of the major civil engineering projects vying for a prestigious award.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has nominated The Kings Road Arches Renovation, the Seven Dials Improvement Scheme, The Adur Ferry Bridge at Shoreham, flood protection at Selsey and the new Hastings Academy for their annual awards.

The Seven Dials Improvement Scheme cost £950,000 and was completed by Brighton and Hove City Council, Peter Brett Associates and Ed Burton Contractors.

The busy Brighton junction was notoriously dangerous, with the new oval roundabout creating calmer slower one-lane traffic.

The Kings Road Arches Renovation cost £2.1 million and involved CJ Thorne and Co, Brighton and Hove Council, Amey Consulting and Solar Architecture.

The 26 arches were built in 1880 but lay unoccupied since 1991, with the new arches divided into 13 double units – 10 for new artists and creative businesses, two for public toilets and one for storage.

The Adur Ferry Bridge cost £9 million and was finished in November 2013 by Osborne, West Sussex County Council, Cass Hayward, Bachy Soletanche, Mabey Bridge and Universal Sealants.

The modern swing bridge for cyclists and pedestrians is designed to cope with 800,000 crossings a year and last 120 years. The Medmerry managed realignment at Selsey cost £28 million and involved Team Van Oord, Environment Agency, RSPB, Jacobs and EC Harris.

It was the first major realignment scheme and has been recognised internationally to significantly reduce the risk of flooding to 348 properties.

Hastings Academy cost £12.4 million and was completed in March 2013 by East Sussex County Council, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Kier Construction, WSP, Arup and Edco Design.

The flagship two-storey academy school for 900 pupils was built on a hilltop three miles east of Hastings.

ICE regional director John Laverty said: “We’ve been delighted with the quality and range of this year’s entries, which demonstrate how civil engineering has a huge impact on our lives. Whenever we turn on a tap, get on a train, drive down the road, or walk along a canal, civil engineers have made that possible.

“We hope these awards go some way to reflect that.”

The winners will be announced at two awards dinners held at Henley and Southampton next month.