BOLTON has been put firmly on the tourist route thanks to the engineering triumph that is the Reebok Stadium.

The home of the Wanderers has joined the premier league of tourist attractions in the region after being recognised for its civil engineering excellence by the North-west Tourist Board.

The NWTB has joined forces with organisations across the North-west, including Bolton Institute's Civil and Environmental Engineering Group, to produce a leaflet highlighting the many examples of engineering excellence that exist in the region.

The leaflet, 'Discover Civil Engineering Excellence in the North-west', is free and available from Tourist Information Centres.

The NWTB say the North-west has captured the imagination of civil engineers ever since the Industrial Revolution.

The Reebok joins some esteemed company in the guide which includes everything from Blackpool Tower, the historic Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire and the Widnes-Runcorn bridge, right up to modern day marvels like Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and Salford's Lowry Centre.

NWTB describe the Reebok as a unique elliptical footprint consisting of 2,000 tonnes of tubular steel in the roof and 3,000 tonnes of conventional steel in the terracing.

The stadium, designed by neighbouring Watson's Steel, has been put together to ensure that no spectator is ever 90 metres from the centre spot.

Nick Brook-Sykes, NWTB head of marketing, said: "Often people don't realise how civil engineering excellence has contributed to the modern look of the region's towns and cities."

John Parkin, head of civil and environmental engineering at Bolton Institute, said: "It is all too easy to take for granted the significant feats of engineering around us.

"We hope that people will enjoy visiting the sites in this leaflet and will learn more about the region and civil engineering."