Engineers who "worked around the clock" to repair the Forth Road Bridge and enable it to reopen to traffic early have been given a national award.

The crossing was closed to all traffic at the beginning of December last year after faults were found in the steelwork.

A large-scale operation was launched to repair the faulty truss end links and reopen the bridge to all traffic except HGVs by December 23 rather than the estimated date on January 4.

The works were crowned the overall winner of the 2016 Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards at a ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Engineers received the Greatest Contribution to Scotland Award, with judges describing the project as "a remarkable engineering achievement carried out during a period of adverse weather conditions".

They said the team worked hard to "ensure public safety and the structural integrity of the bridge".

The infrastructure award went to the A82 Pulpit Rock realignment on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Other commended projects included the Lamington Viaduct on the River Clyde, the Gourock Pier Redevelopment and the Elgin flood alleviation scheme.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: "The Saltire Society Awards are widely regarded as the most respected of the civil engineering industry and this is a prestigious and well-deserved accolade.

"It is fitting that the unsung heroes responsible for developing such an innovative and effective solution against a challenging deadline and under the watchful eye of a nation have been recognised for their efforts."

Amey's major bridges director Ewan Angus said: "We are incredibly proud of our team's achievement in reopening the bridge early in the most challenging of circumstances and of the benefit this brought to the people of Scotland.

"This project offered a unique opportunity to showcase civil engineering to the nation."