Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is pleased to announce the completion of a £7million, 54,000 sq ft hangar and associated 15,500 sq ft workshop at Norwich International Airport for Rigby Group plc, owners of Regional City Airports. Ian Yallop, Chairman of SGP says: “Despite these being incredibly difficult times for
A new stainless steel and concrete bridge, the first of its kind in the UK, has opened to pedestrians and vehicles in Pooley Bridge, Cumbria. It replaces its 250-year-old stone predecessor, which was destroyed during severe flooding as a result of Storm Desmond in 2015. The new single-span bridge has
HS2 invites contractors to bid for first major civils work north of the West Midlands £50m early works package signals new progress on delivering the benefits of high speed rail further north Separate ground investigation contract awarded to Balfour Beatty Today HS2 invited companies to tender for the first major
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16%
GRAHAM has reached a milestone on its Crossrail Ealing Broadway project, completing Phase One of the structural steelwork installation. The work involved the installation of approximately 120 tonnes of structural steel over consecutive weekend closures of the road. The contractor completed the installation using a 500-tonne crane that was configured
HS2 today issued an invitation to tender to five bidders in the running to design, deliver and maintain almost 300 state-of-the-art lifts and escalators for HS2’s four major new stations. The following bidders have been invited to tender for two separate packages covering lifts and escalators: Fujitec UK Ltd Kone
Global building materials solutions supplier CEMEX has invested over £600,000 into its UK rail network this year, to increase safety standards and reliability while providing opportunities to grow and enhance service levels. Improvements have been made to six of CEMEX’s railheads, including Dove Holes, Salford, Sheffield, Selby, Crawley and Cambridge.
A video showing the robot at work and interviews with the people behind the innovation is available here: https://youtu.be/xruGsFPV4Gw HS2 today unveiled the use of an innovative onboard robot that will improve safety and efficiency on the high speed rail project’s first two giant tunnelling machines, set to launch early
Major engineering milestone completed this weekend (24-25 October), as a 45 metre, 914 tonne modular bridge was driven into place over the A446 in Solihull. Designed in a virtual world, the bridge took only 45 minutes to be driven into place. The A446 has been reopened 24 hours earlier than
Work has now begun on the long-awaited £53m Poynton Relief Road. Local residents have welcomed the news, which following decades of campaigning to ease the burden of high traffic volumes and congestion in Poynton. Cheshire East Council’s contractor, Graham, is undertaking enabling works to clear parts of the site and
Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is pleased to announce the completion of a £7million, 54,000 sq ft hangar and associated 15,500 sq ft workshop at Norwich International Airport for Rigby Group plc, owners of Regional City Airports. Ian Yallop, Chairman of SGP says: “Despite these being incredibly difficult times for aviation, project completions such as this showcase the strength and diversity of regional airports. These flexible spaces will meet current and future engineering needs as well as supporting Norwich Airport’s masterplan to maintain its position as a leader in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.” The buildings will accommodate the expansion of KLM UK engineering group, with the double bay hangar designed to service two Airbus A320 aircraft. The workshop is 7.5m to its haunch and the hangar 13.1m haunch, constructed using a Twin-Therm wall system and Euroclad cladding in standard goosewing grey, profiled to break up any interference with the ground radar system. Ian states: “This is an important milestone for SGP. Although we have worked on several masterplans and designs for other regional and national airports, this is the first building to reach completion. In these tough times, we remain committed to using our technical knowledge and expertise in this sector to support the sustained recovery of the aviation industry in the months and years to come.”
A new stainless steel and concrete bridge, the first of its kind in the UK, has opened to pedestrians and vehicles in Pooley Bridge, Cumbria. It replaces its 250-year-old stone predecessor, which was destroyed during severe flooding as a result of Storm Desmond in 2015. The new single-span bridge has been designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and is in keeping with its location in Ullswater on the edge of the Lake District National Park. Hanson UK worked with contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering Ltd to create a bespoke concrete mix for the lower arch of the steel bridge, designed and constructed to provide structural strength, and also supplied and laid the asphalt to complete the project. The steelwork for the new bridge was manufactured off-site in two sections, fabricated and welded on an adjacent piece of land, where the concrete lower arch was installed to allow the whole structure to be lifted into place over the River Eamont. The high early strength concrete mix included Hanson Regen GGBS (ground granulated blastfurnace slag), a cement replacement product which enhances the durability of the concrete while adding to its sustainability credentials. It is a by-product and using it to replace one tonne of Portland cement reduces the embodied CO2 of the concrete by around 780kg. Its use in large pours also helps minimise the production of heat, reducing the risk of thermal cracking. In total 1,200 cubic metres of concrete containing Regen have been supplied by Hanson’s nearby Penrith concrete plant to create the lower arch, bridge deck, bridge abutment and walls, highway approach retaining walls and several temporary works. “Concrete supply to this project was always going to be a challenge due to the location, unique characteristics of the bridge and the tight deadline,” said Nick Graham, technical sales officer at Hanson Concrete. Technical services manager Terry Balmer added: “Our technical team was involved early in the design stage due to the complex concrete requirements, especially for the high-quality visual concrete that makes up the deck composite, and this partnership working was fundamental to the success of the project.” To complete the project, Hanson supplied 275 tonnes of asphalt from its nearby plant at Shap, which was laid by the company’s specialist contracting team. This included 130 tonnes of Tufflex, chosen for its durability and high resistance to cracking, for the surface course. In addition to the complex nature of the bridge, the final abutment work, concrete arch and composite deck – as well as the asphalt – were all supplied under the added pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated issues entailed with furloughed staff and social distancing protocols.
HS2 invites contractors to bid for first major civils work north of the West Midlands £50m early works package signals new progress on delivering the benefits of high speed rail further north Separate ground investigation contract awarded to Balfour Beatty Today HS2 invited companies to tender for the first major works contracts to be awarded on Phase 2a of the project and confirmed the latest ground investigation work package award. Linking Birmingham to Crewe, Phase 2a will carry trains bound for destinations such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the north west, speeding up overall journey times and freeing up space on the existing network. Known as ‘Early Civils Work – Package 2’ (ECW2), the new £50m programme includes a range of enabling works designed to reduce disruption during the main build stage of the project. This includes major highways works and associated utility diversions as well as a range of environmental and other surveys along the 58km route. The works will be the first major preparatory activity to be carried out for Britain’s new high speed rail line beyond its first phase, which is now being built between the West Midlands and London. HS2 has already begun a detailed programme of ground investigation along the 2a route and today also confirmed that the latest package – worth £25-30m – has been awarded to Balfour Beatty. Data from this, and previous geological investigations, will inform ongoing design development. Once complete, HS2’s Phase One and 2a will significantly reduce journey times between the capital, north west England and Scotland with services joining the existing west coast mainline at Crewe. This will allow shortened high speed train journeys, including: Glasgow – Euston will be 3hr 45min, saving 44mins Liverpool – Euston will be 1hr 34min, saving 39mins Manchester – Euston will be 1hr 29min, saving 36mins Crewe – Euston will be 53min, saving 34mins Alongside speeding up journey times, the new infrastructure will also free up capacity on the existing network for more local trains and freight by rail. This could see services rise from hourly to half-hourly or better between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent to Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield and Rugeley, as well as more services from Crewe and Runcorn into Liverpool, as well as via Crewe between North Wales, Chester and London. The ECW2 package will awarded via the government’s existing Construction Works and Associated Services framework, streamlining the procurement process, benefitting HS2 and potential bidders with contracts expected to be awarded in early 2021. HS2 Ltd’s Procurement and Commercial Director, David Poole said: “The winner of this contract will play a vital role in delivering the next stage of Britain’s new high speed railway, taking the route north from Birmingham to Crewe and by using the government’s existing framework we hope to streamline the procurement process.” “HS2’s Phase 2a represents a massive opportunity for businesses in the north of England and across the UK in the short term, and in the longer term it will speed up journeys for trains bound for places like Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West, and release much-needed extra capacity on the existing mainline.” Draft legislation to seeking powers to build operate and maintain HS2 phase 2a are currently proceeding through Parliament. Royal Assent is anticipated during the winter.
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16% of the rail workforce is female and nearly one in four women (24%) would consider a career in rail New research by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) paints a stark picture for the future of the rail workforce, with skills shortages set to escalate significantly in the sector over the next five years. With major rail infrastructure projects due to be announced next week as part of the long anticipated National Infrastructure Strategy, the Back on Track report – which includes findings from research undertaken by YouGov[1] and data from NSAR on 242,000 workers in the rail industry – reveals that there is potential for these to create a new lease of life for the UK economy through new jobs and economic growth. However, serious systemic issues in the industry’s talent and skills pipeline, have created a shortage of trained and talented employees, just when the industry needs them most. While the industry has made progress in addressing these issues – which include a short-term approach to skills development, an ageing workforce and a reliance on overseas and ‘third-tier’ workers – greater industry collaboration is needed to fix them in time to meet this additional demand. The research finds that the rail sector is set to lose huge numbers of skilled workers over the next few years. With 28% of workers in the industry aged over 50, this means some 15,000 workers could be due to retire by 2025. Meanwhile, Brexit is set to exacerbate this issue, potentially reducing access to overseas workers. From 2016 to 2018, the proportion of EU workers in the rail sector dropped from 17% to 15% – and this declining trend is expected to continue. As a result of this talent and skills shortfall coinciding with new rail projects that will heighten the demand for skills, between 7,000 and 12,000 additional people will be required every year by the industry over the next five to ten years – up to 120,000 people in total. And with modelling showing peak demand around 2025, people must be recruited now to equip them with the relevant skills and experience to meet future demand. But, as highlighted by in the new report, a lack of upskilling opportunities and perceived reputational problems mean that the industry continues to struggle to attract and train candidates, with just a third (32%) of respondents saying they would consider a career in the rail sector. This is particularly acute amongst women, young adults and people from BAME backgrounds: Just 16% of the current rail workforce is female and only 24% of women would consider a career in rail, compared to 41% of men 26% of 18-24-year olds say they would consider a career in rail, compared to 39% of 35-44-year olds 27% of BAME people would consider working in rail, compared to 32% of white people. Martin Hottass, Managing Director – Technical Training at City & Guilds Group, commented: “The UK rail industry is on the cusp of leading a once-in-a-generation infrastructure revolution, with the potential to create thousands of high quality jobs across the country at a time when they are needed most. However, the dual blow of Brexit and a retirement cliff edge, in addition to systemic issues around growing and retaining skills, means unless Government, employers and industries work together to urgently addresses these issues, they risk scuppering this golden opportunity. It’s clear that greater collaboration will be key to increasing awareness of opportunities in the sector, and ensuring that rail projects are committed to creating lifelong learning opportunities.“ Neil Robertson, CEO at the National Skills Academy for Rail, commented: “The rail industry’s lack of diversity and perception by younger people, are well known, but less well understood – and while many people in the industry are already working to recruit and upskill a more diverse workforce, it’s by shedding a light on these issues that we can understand the solutions that will truly make an impact. Now, as we look to invest in new talent in to fill future skills gaps in the rail industry, it’s also clear that we can use this opportunity improve social mobility across the UK. By hiring people from different backgrounds and regions and providing them with quality skills and career progression, we can ensure that these infrastructure projects not only create jobs, but also promote positive socioeconomic change.” The report found that this disinterest in careers in rail could be largely fuelled by misperception and a lack of awareness and understanding about the wide range of career opportunities and roles in the sector – pointing to a basic need to educate a wider pool of people about the potential jobs available to them. Of those who said that they wouldn’t consider working in the rail industry, 42% said they don’t know enough or anything about careers in the sector, whilst 35% said they don’t have the skills needed to get in the sector. City & Guilds and NSAR are calling on the rail sector and Government to collaborate and take a joined-up approach to urgently gear up the industry’s skills and talent pipelines, before it’s too late. The seven key recommendations outlined in the report are: Build lifelong learning commitments into project specifications for national rail projects – starting with apprenticeships Transform the rail industry into a career destination, especially for young people Develop strong career paths to attract and retain talent and maximise productivity Make mid-career entry to the industry and skills-transfer more frictionless Build greater participation at a local / regional level Government and relevant partners should consider a perception and awareness raising campaign Utilise the Green agenda to attract a new generation of people to the industry The full report is available here.
GRAHAM has reached a milestone on its Crossrail Ealing Broadway project, completing Phase One of the structural steelwork installation. The work involved the installation of approximately 120 tonnes of structural steel over consecutive weekend closures of the road. The contractor completed the installation using a 500-tonne crane that was configured to sit directly over the site’s bridge piers over the existing rail network. The first phase of the canopy steelwork at Ealing Broadway is now complete and roofing is now underway. Discussing the latest works, John Deery, project manager for GRAHAM, said: “We’re making good progress at the Ealing Broadway site. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation, construction work is permitted to continue and we are working while following the Government’s guidelines carefully, to protect both our staff and the public. “The canopy steelwork is now complete following our installation last weekend. Inside the station, the internal walls are now 80% complete and Stannah lift installation have begun. The curtain walling to the link bridge is now complete between Platforms 1 and 2, whilst work on the mechanical and electrical infrastructure is ongoing. “Last weekend’s installation was a significant milestone in the first phase of works and I’d like to thank the public for their patience while we completed these works, and congratulate the team for its hard work on a successful delivery.” As part of the work on the Crossrail project, GRAHAM is significantly remodelling Ealing Broadway station, extending the platforms at the station to accommodate the new Elizabeth line trains. This is one of three stations the company is constructing on the project, with works also at an advanced state at Acton Mainline and West Ealing. With passenger numbers expected to increase when the Elizabeth line fully opens, the upgraded Ealing Broadway station will benefit from improved passenger flow and enhanced accessibility with lifts and footbridges that will bring step free access to all its platforms serving the Elizabeth line.
HS2 today issued an invitation to tender to five bidders in the running to design, deliver and maintain almost 300 state-of-the-art lifts and escalators for HS2’s four major new stations. The following bidders have been invited to tender for two separate packages covering lifts and escalators: Fujitec UK Ltd Kone Plc Otis Ltd Schindler Ltd Thyssenkrupp Elevator UK Ltd Around 160 lifts and 130 escalators will be installed across the project, helping hundreds of thousands of people access HS2 trains every day. All the new stations in London and Birmingham will be zero carbon in terms of day-to-day operation, and fully accessible, with step-free access from street to train. Placed end to end, the escalators would stretch more than 3km – longer than the Forth Rail Bridge. The longest escalators will be at Old Oak Common, in west London, which will take passengers 13.5m up from the subsurface platforms to concourse level. In total, the new station – where HS2 meets Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London – will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators. Three of HS2’s new stations will be built to the highest industry standard – ‘BREEAM Excellent’ – in terms of sustainable lifetime performance, with Birmingham Interchange set to achieve the higher level of ‘BREEAM Outstanding’. Energy efficient lifts and escalators are a key part of achieving these ambitious environmental standards. Once complete, HS2 will more than double capacity along Britain’s main north-south rail routes and halve many journey times between London, Birmingham and the major cities of the north. This new dedicated high speed route will free up more space for local and freight services on the current mainline out of Euston and offer an environmentally friendly form of transport for long distance passengers. HS2 Ltd’s Procurement and Commercial Director, David Poole, said: “This invitation to tender is a key step forward in the delivery of HS2’s four iconic new railway stations. The lifts and escalators our partners go on to deliver will be at the heart of the operation, moving hundreds of thousands of people every day and helping us to ensure seamless journeys for everyone.” The contract is divided into two separate packages for lifts worth up to £267m and escalators worth up to £198m, with the winners appointed to frameworks. This flexible approach allows for potential changes in the number of lifts and escalators ordered as station designs are finalised. Contracts are expected to be awarded next year and the value includes maintenance for 20 years.
Global building materials solutions supplier CEMEX has invested over £600,000 into its UK rail network this year, to increase safety standards and reliability while providing opportunities to grow and enhance service levels. Improvements have been made to six of CEMEX’s railheads, including Dove Holes, Salford, Sheffield, Selby, Crawley and Cambridge. In particular, nearly £400,000 was spent at the Dove Holes railhead, located in Buxton, Derbyshire. As part of the enhancements to this site, an extension was made to the rail loading wall to increase the shovel loading and storage capacity, alongside track working improvements which will provide more flexibility to the operation at this site. “As a result of the investment into our rail network this year we have been able to grow volumes and make our service more reliable, which in turn has halved our unplanned outage costs and incidents,” said David Hart, CEMEX’s Supply Chain Director for UK & France. “These developments will also ensure our railheads lead the industry for safety standards and are more robust. Rail is an integral part of CEMEX UK’s supply chain network and we are committed to increasing our service further, capitalising on the time, capacity and efficiency benefits this form of transport offers.” This investment is part of a rolling four-year development programme, with plans in place to spend similar amounts each year. In particular, in 2021 the Supply Chain team expects to make further improvements at CEMEX’s Selby and Sheffield railheads.
A video showing the robot at work and interviews with the people behind the innovation is available here: https://youtu.be/xruGsFPV4Gw HS2 today unveiled the use of an innovative onboard robot that will improve safety and efficiency on the high speed rail project’s first two giant tunnelling machines, set to launch early next year. Pioneered by HS2’s main works contractor, Align, the Krokodyl robot is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and will be installed in the two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will be used to bore the 10 mile (16km) long Chiltern tunnels. The Krokodyl robot, working in a similar manner to the robotic arms used in a car factory production line, will carry out simple repetitive tasks – removing wooden spacers between tunnel segments and inserting connection dowels – that people would normally do. Each of the segments weighs up to eight tonnes and are delivered to the TBM with wooden spacers between them which are generally removed by hand. By fully automating this process, the Krokodyl removes the need for people to work in this potentially hazardous area and helps with the installation of the 112,000 tunnel segments. The tunnel segments are erected – as the TBM moves forward – in order to form a structural water tight ring designed to support the ground loads. A second feature of the robot, known as the Dobydo, then places the dowels into position ready for the segment to be slotted into place. Again, by automating this process, the robot reduces risk to people and improve safety and efficiency. The Align joint venture – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick – built on their experience of delivering major tunnelling project across the world to develop the Krokodyl. Eddie Woods, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Tunnelling said: “Safety is a key priority for HS2 and the introduction of these innovations that essentially remove personnel from harm’s way, is an excellent example of the sort of initiatives we are pleased to see implemented on the project. It is one of the ways that ‘safe at heart’ can be achieved by minimising exposure in high risk locations.” Didier Jacques, Align’s Underground Construction Director said: “Safety is a key value that is shared by everyone working on HS2, including the client, Align itself and our supply chain partners. A lot of work has been undertaken by all concerned that has enabled us to develop and introduce this robot, thereby reducing the risk to our personnel, operating in our state of the art TBMs. We are very proud of these innovations which we would be happy to share with tunnelling teams working on other projects across the world, to help reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries.” The two 2,000 tonne TBMs – named ‘Florence’ and ‘Cecilia’ – are due to be launched early next year from a site close to the M25. Both 170m long machines are specifically designed for the mix of chalk and flint they will encounter under the Chilterns. Operating a pioneering ‘continuous boring’ technique, they are expected to take around 3 years to excavate the 9.1m metre diameter tunnels which will be lined with a concrete ring made of seven separate segments as they go. The TBMs will convert the spoil into slurry which will be pumped back to the Align main site where it will be treated before being used for landscaping on-site, removing the need for additional HGVs on local roads.
Major engineering milestone completed this weekend (24-25 October), as a 45 metre, 914 tonne modular bridge was driven into place over the A446 in Solihull. Designed in a virtual world, the bridge took only 45 minutes to be driven into place. The A446 has been reopened 24 hours earlier than planned. Durham-based Cleveland Bridge manufactured and supplied 220 tonnes of steel girders for the bridge, while Expanded’s off-site manufacturing factory in Nottinghamshire provided 80 precast concrete modular abutment blocks. Video, time lapse and photos available here: The second of four bridges to be completed on the site of HS2’s new Interchange Station at the heart of the new high-speed network, this new bridge will carry the A452 and form part of a major remodelling of the local road network. This will improve the circulation of traffic around the UK’s new high-speed railway, integrating the existing network with the new Interchange Station. Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Midlands site in September to mark the official start of construction for the HS2 project, and a further two bridges are nearing completion. Over 200 people are involved in this construction site, contributing to supporting jobs in the region. The bridge move was led by specialist engineering contractor Expanded and HS2 enabling works contractor, LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons Joint Venture). Also supporting the hi-tech process, a design joint venture involving WSP and Ramboll provided engineering and environmental services. By applying advanced digital capabilities to design all elements of the structure in a virtual world, they determined that the A446 road bridge would be built using a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) strategy. After building the bridge in modular sections, the final part of this process was the 128-wheel hydraulic platform taking just 45 minutes to move the bridge span 150 metres, where it was lowered onto the DfMA abutment shells to complete the overall bridge structure. Traditional construction methods would have required several weeks of lane closures on both carriageways, followed by additional weekend and overnight closures. HS2’s Delivery Director David Bennett said: “As work ramps up at one of HS2’s largest construction sites, it was fantastic to see this next milestone achieved so quickly. It was finished 24 hours ahead of schedule and follows hot on the heels of the installation of the bridge over the M42 in August, which was also completed early. We’re pleased to see innovations like this on the project dramatically reducing environmental impacts and disruption for road users. “With construction of the railway now well underway, 22,000 jobs being created and an estimated 400,000 supply chain contracts available, HS2 is playing a pivotal role in helping Britain’s economic recovery.” Jon England, DJV Project Director said: “Our successful partnership approach has led to the design and construction of HS2’s first permanent bridges including one over the M42, the A452 bridge over the A446, as well as two other bridges over what will be the main HS2 railway line adjacent to the new HS2 Interchange Station. “We are proud that through collaboration with LM JV, Highways England and local authorities, the application of 3D modelling techniques to align highways, earthworks, structures and utilities with the existing infrastructure and the innovative use of offsite manufacturing and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly techniques, we were able to safely deliver on this ground-breaking project.” LM Senior Project Manager Richard Fairhurst said: “Digital design, offsite manufacturing and modular components are the enablers of innovative construction methodology – they bring greater efficiency and safety to major infrastructure projects like this, and importantly, can save months on delivery schedules. That’s great news for clients, stakeholders and local communities alike. This is the future of bridge design and delivery.”
Work has now begun on the long-awaited £53m Poynton Relief Road. Local residents have welcomed the news, which following decades of campaigning to ease the burden of high traffic volumes and congestion in Poynton. Cheshire East Council’s contractor, Graham, is undertaking enabling works to clear parts of the site and prepare the ground for construction. The design and build contract was awarded in autumn 2019 to Graham, who have been undertaking detailed design and site surveys, including ecological surveys and the creation of new ecological habitat. The 3km road is expected to open to traffic in Autumn 2022. Funding for the £53m scheme was agreed by government earlier this year, following a successful bid by the council for local growth funding administered by the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. Poynton Relief Road will be a modern single carriageway. The relief road will also include two overbridge crossings for use by walkers, cyclists and farm vehicles. A 3.5-metre-wide combined cycle and footway will run beside the length of the route on the western side of the main carriageway. Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council said, “I am delighted that work has now begun on the long-awaited Poynton Relief Road. The council sees this scheme as a key priority in our major infrastructure plans to improve connections across the whole borough. “The Poynton Relief Road is a critical part of delivering our vision for sustainable economic growth and is another great example of how this council delivers high-quality infrastructure projects. It will create jobs, address the longstanding problems of congestion in and around Poynton and improve access to Macclesfield and other key strategic employment and visitor sites.” Transport Secretary, with cabinet responsibility for the Northern Powerhouse, Grant Shapps said: “It’s great to see work begin on yet another vital road upgrade in the North, delivering for the Northern Powerhouse and on our levelling-up commitment. This new road will cut congestion and pollution in Poynton, improve access to job opportunities and education and unlock plans for thousands of homes – benefiting residents, businesses and the wider region.” Leo Martin, managing director of civil engineering for Graham, said: “We are looking forward to beginning works on the new Poynton Relief Road and working with Cheshire East Council to develop this vital infrastructure for the village and wider region. “As well as reducing congestion in Poynton we will be providing a 3.5m-wide footpath and cycleway that will support cyclists and pedestrians as a greener option for travel. “I’ve no doubt this project will provide vast benefits to the Poynton and Macclesfield areas and will be the latest in a number of important transport infrastructure schemes we have been proud to deliver in recent years.” Cheshire East Council contributed £21m towards the cost of the scheme with Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership providing £5.6m from the government’s Growth Deal and the Department for Transport providing £16.4m. A total of £7.7m is expected to come from developer contributions. For more information on the Poynton Relief Road and to read the latest updates, visit our website.
