Environmental project
The A487 Porthmadog, Minff ordd and Tremadog Bypass aimed to improve quality of life in this area of north-west Wales, as well as enhancing tourism and stimulating the local economy. The £39.5 million project
WINNER BALFOUR BEATTY/JONES BROS JV FOR A487 BYPASS JUDGES’ COMMENT
included planning, approval, design, construction and aftercare of a 5.3 km single carriageway featuring major new earthworks and structures. Located within the Aberglaslyn
Landscape of Historical Interest close to the boundary of Snowdonia National Park, the site was environmentally sensitive. Although not a legal
requirement in Wales, a site waste management plan was developed
“The team tackled this scheme with intelligence and respect for the environment and the stakeholders, adopting a combination of solutions unusual in the UK”
by the JV as part of its environmental commitment. The establishment of a self-
operated UKAS ISO 17025:2000 materials testing laboratory enabled the onsite processing, reclassifi cation and reuse of all site-won uncontaminated excavated materials. Japanese knotweed was buried
on site in a special cell while demolition waste and other materials were segregated and removed for recycling by a local waste management company. To off er maximum benefi t to
the local economy and protect the environment, more than 95 per cent of the plant on the project was sourced from Jones Bros’ Ruthin fl eet. Residents of north Wales
made up 57 per cent of the site management team, 87 per cent of the direct labour force and 73 per cent of subcontractors. Jones Bros’ CITB-accredited
training centre in Wales tailored courses in construction and plant operation to fi t in with the project. These were made available to
the supply chain as well as to direct employees. Minff ordd Quarry, which lay on
the proposed route, supplied aggregates concrete and bound surfacing materials. Local masonry specialist G H James Cyf used recycled slate quarry waste from nearby Blaenau Ffestiniog as cladding for the 1.5 km of boundary and retaining walls. The project was completed and
handed over fi ve months ahead of the client’s original programme and six weeks ahead of the contract programme. This was despite archaeological fi nds that extended investigations. Elfyn Llwyd, MP for Dwyfor
Meirionydd, said after seeing the scheme: “Before my visit, I didn’t appreciate how much work had gone into protecting the environment and watercourses.”
Judges Richard Hulland, David Shiers, Richard Terry
www.cnplus.co.uk FOCUS
PAUL ROBINSON CHIEF ENGINEER, BALFOUR/JONES JV
It is rare to come across a project that includes such complexity within a relatively small footprint. The location
included a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a flood plain. There were high levels of activity
of protected species including lesser horseshoe bats, otters, water voles and badgers. We also encountered an extensive infestation with invasive species including Japanese knotweed and Nuttall’s waterweed. All these constraints had to be
carefully balanced against a complex sequence of civil engineering activities, which included crossing three fully operational heritage railways and a major local river, skirting a working quarry and realigning 800 m of the Cambrian Coast Mainline Railway. Despite these challenges, we
have delivered a project on budget and ahead of schedule that has, according to the Institution of Civil Engineers, “set new standards for the delivery of highway projects”.
Supported by
FINALISTS
HIGHLY COMMENDED ● UNITED HOUSE AND THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING AND DAGENHAM
● HALCROW ● SPELLER METCALFE ● VOLKERFITZPATRICK ● WARINGS CONTRACTORS ● YORKSHIRE HOUSING
12 July 2012 | 35
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