Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor specialising in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects, has begun work on the third project awarded to it under the Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) highways framework contract. Work has begun on major improvements as part of a planned five-month reconstruction exercise to fully-rebuild Dysart Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire, including the junctions of adjoining side roads. As part of the proposed works, Winvic will enhance multiple assets by excavating and rebuilding the entire road in sections and expects to utilise nearly 8,000 tonnes of material during the project. Construction will include resurfacing and redevelopment of the existing carriageway and pathways. Associated drainage, kerbing and channel repairs will be carried out, and carriageway markings will additionally be refreshed. The project will cover approximately two kilometres, ranging from the signalised pedestrian crossing at the west end of Dysart Road, to just beyond the east end of the A1 bridge. It will also include the supply and implementation of localised traffic management. While works are being carried out, a westbound one-way closure on Dysart Road will be in place to ensure public safety, while full night-time road closures will take place between 7pm to 6am towards the end of the project. The General Works Lot contract is designed to deliver new infrastructure assets and improvements across the County over a four-year period. Rob Cook, Winvic’s Managing Director for Civils and Infrastructure, adds: “We’re delighted to have been awarded our third highways scheme as part of the four-year Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) highways framework. “Our commitment to excellence extends beyond the construction process, and we will be actively engaging with the local community and businesses, promoting public safety, and planting trees to benefit the environment in nearby areas. “We are excited to be delivering these essential upgrades to the area and will persevere to ensure minimal disruption and maximum benefits to local communities and road users.” “The team has been exceeding expectations on the two schemes delivered so far – A16 Marsh Lane, Boston and Newland, Lincoln – and we look forward to building an even stronger relationship with LCC’s team while delivering these transformative infrastructure improvements.” Jared Taylor, Winvic’s Contracts Director, comments: “We are extremely proud that Winvic has been awarded its third Lincolnshire County Council Highways Framework project. “Our commitment to positively impacting the local community is being warmly received, and it’s a pleasure to continue supporting the county through our social value initiatives. “Winvic is dedicated to progressing works quickly and efficiently, minimising disruption while delivering long-lasting infrastructure improvements across Lincolnshire. This success is a testament to our diligent and highly dedicated workforce.” For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit X (Formally Twitter) @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Members of the Bee Network Committee have approved the release of more than £20m to progress with key transport infrastructure projects in Greater Manchester. The latest release of funds – including £10m from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and more than £10m from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund – will go towards a range of projects, each contributing towards the delivery of a high-quality, affordable and fully integrated public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling network. Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner, said: “We are moving quickly to bring about improvements that will make a real difference to how people get around Greater Manchester using public transport or when walking, wheeling or cycling.  “Over the next few years more than £1bn will be invested to make bus and active travel journeys better and to make paying more convenient through ‘tap and go’ ticketing. The scale of ambition is reflected in the drawdown of these funds that support continued delivery of the Bee Network across all ten districts of the city-region.” Integrated ticketing and travel information To ensure people can travel conveniently and seamlessly on Bee Network services, funding of £7.3m was approved to deliver contactless pay-as-you go across bus and Metrolink services. It means customers will be able to pay via a contactless card or device while using Bee Network bus and tram services throughout the day, with the best value fare automatically worked out and capped for them. The funds will also be used to help combat fare evasion, with new devices to check whether passengers have paid via contactless, along with a new feature that will enable passengers to see their journey history in the Bee Network app.     Middleton ‘Streets for All’ The ‘Streets for All’ scheme – that will ensure that high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling connections – is currently being developed for Middleton town centre by Rochdale Council. The scheme, which is still subject to further approvals, supporting the wider Masterplan and its ambition to unlock regeneration around the Market Place, creating new housing and establish of a new cultural quarter. A key feature of the scheme will involve reconfiguring the Market Place roundabout, to include a new public space, better segregated cycling provision around the roundabout and improvements to the underpass to allow sufficient width for shared use between pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists. The Bee Network Committee approved £0.7m to progress the scheme to a final business case and progress with awarding a contract for the Streets for All scheme. Improving journeys – Rochdale – Oldham – Ashton Improving bus routes around Greater Manchester is a Bee Network priority, and a long-term project is already underway to improve the reliability of bus services between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton, along with bettering connections to and from bus stops and the environment along key routes. The route between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton is currently the busiest on the franchised network. Funding for the project, known as Improving journeys – Rochdale – Oldham – Ashton is being released in phases, and the Bee Network Committee has now released £2.1m of CRSTS funding to develop the Rochdale element of the scheme to Full Business Case. Construction of the main scheme in Rochdale is anticipated to commence in Autumn 2025, subject to further approvals. Active travel schemes Walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure is a key component of the Bee Network, enabling people to opt for active modes of travel for shorter journeys through the provision of high-quality, safe and well-connected routes. Funding for four active travel schemes was approved by the Committee, with a total of £10.46m to be released from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund – a programme of work partly funded by CRSTS. The draw down will enable the delivery of almost 5km of Bee Network standard routes, crossings and junction improvements.    Almost £5m (£4.99m) was approved for cycling and walking infrastructure along Seymour Grove in Trafford, part of a wider programme of work that forms Trafford’s A56 North Active Travel Corridor between Stretford and Manchester city centre. The Seymour Grove scheme will provide a series of measures along a 0.5km section of Talbot Road, addressing a missing link in the existing active travel network. The wider scheme will link the cycle route to Trafford Bar Metrolink station, see the addition of Starling Bank Bike hire facilities and support the wider regeneration vision for Stretford. As well as a segregated cycle route, this scheme will provide two fully segregated protected junctions (Chester Road/Stretford Road/Talbot Road and Seymour Grove/Talbot Road) and will enable future development of an active travel route running south along Seymour Grove, connecting to the Chorlton Cycleway. The committee also approved £2.17m to build a new cycleway in Leigh, along on the A572 St Helens Road from the Bridgewater Canal to Bonnywell Road. This route will also improve the route from Leigh to Leigh Sports Village and Pennington Flash. In addition, £1.99m of MCF funding will be released to develop a traffic-free active travel route from Wigan town centre to Standish, bypassing the busy A49, and £1.31m to extend the Whelley Loop Line, and build an accessible ramp up to Hall Lane, improving access to Haigh Hall. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Average speeds at peak times drop by nearly a half in the morning rush hour between Hinckley and Tamworth, according to new research by transport body Midlands. Analysis shows the route drops 44% in average speeds in the AM peak, between 6 am and 10 am compared to off-peak journey times.  The average speed on the route is 48 miles per hour, dropping to around 32 MPH during peak periods. In some locations, it can dip down as low as 10 miles per hour. There were 180 road traffic incidents on this section of the A5 from 2017 to 2021, with 45 in 2019 and one in five of these (20%) resulting in ‘serious’ injuries to one or more people. The corridor is one of the Midlands’ most important east-west connections and is at the heart of the “Logistics golden triangle” bounded by the M1, M6 and M69. This is an area of the country from which drivers can reach 90% of the population within four hours, a very important location for logistics firms. Integrated Transport Programme Lead, Swati Mittal said: “The A5 corridor is home to a million people, sitting at the heart of the so-called Logistics Golden Triangle and supporting major employment sites such as Magna Park and MIRA. Anything we can do to upgrade the route is vital for residents, commuters and businesses in the area. “With improvements, Midlands Connect believes the route has the potential to provide an alternative route to our congested motorways and support significant housing and employment growth.” Sarah Edwards, Member of Parliament for Tamworth said: “Fixing our roads is a priority and plays a major part in our economic productivity and development. We must get our road networks fit for purpose. “The A5 plays a crucial role for commuters across the West Midlands, my constituents in Tamworth included, and it is important that appropriate funding and support is made available to ensure it can keep delivering for residents. I have written to the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure investment in road infrastructure supports our constituency and its prospects for growth.” Bill Cullen CEO of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and chair of the executive of the A5 Partnership said: “What these findings demonstrate is that the A5 continues to be a significant route through the Midlands, but we must unlock the blockages with key road investment in priority areas of the corridor to ensure it continues to support economic growth and remains fit for purpose.” Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways Mark Deaville said: “Improved connectivity is a priority to the county council and the A5 corridor is a key east/west route in the south. The M42 junction is particularly busy and congested at peak times which we hope can be addressed. As a centre for the logistics sector, especially with the development of the West Midlands Interchange, we need effective and efficient transport routes to help grow our economy. This route also supports our visitor economy, particularly with attractions like Drayton Manor Park and the National Memorial Arboretum. We wholeheartedly support any moves to upgrade the corridor and remove obstacles to growth.” Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “While the A5 is managed and maintained by National Highways, we fully support the work being done to secure improvements. “As the highway authority, we know problems such as bridge strikes, congestion and accidents are having a detrimental impact for our residents throughout Hinckley as well as the villages in the south of the county.  The A5 isn’t functioning, and we share the views of partners who are calling for improvements to be prioritised and additional funding made available. “Securing and delivering improvements on the A5 also resonates with the core themes of our draft new Local Transport Plan, which include supporting growth and boosting the local economy, improving people’s health and reducing the impacts of traffic on our communities. The urgent need is there to improve the road.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

HS2’s tunnelling team are celebrating completing half of the 8.4-mile twin bored Northolt Tunnel underneath London. Four tunnel boring machines (TBM) are being used the complete the tunnel that will carry high-speed trains between HS2’s super-hub station at Old Oak Common, west London, and the outskirts of the capital at West Ruislip. The machines will excavate 16.8 miles of tunnel overall – two bores over the 8.4-mile length – making it the second longest tunnel on the new railway after one recently excavated beneath the Chiltern Hills. The first machine, named Sushila after a local teacher, was launched eastwards from West Ruislip in October 2022. This was followed one month later by TBM Caroline, named after astrologer Caroline Herschel, which is used to excavate the adjacent tunnel. Both will complete 5 miles of the route, finishing their journeys at the Green Park Way vent shaft in Greenford – just over half way – where they will be lifted out.   In February this year, TBM Emily, which is named after Emily Sophia Taylor, began its journey west from HS2’s Victoria Road Crossover Box site near Old Oak Common towards Greenford. She was joined by the fourth machine, named Anne, after Lady Anne Byron, in May. They will both complete 3.4 miles of the tunnel. Combined, the four machines have now travelled over 8.4 miles – half of the total distance for the twin-bored tunnel. The completion of each tunnel drive will be staggered as they reach the final destination at Green Park Way, with the first TBM, Sushila, arriving later this year. Each machine operates like an underground factory, excavating the tunnels, lining them with pre-cast concrete tunnel segments, grouting them into place before moving forward at an average speed of 16 metres per day. Teams work around the clock below ground on the TBMs along with teams on the surface supporting them.   Marking the significance of the tunnelling milestone, Malcolm Codling, Client Director for HS2 Ltd, said: “Our London tunnels team are making significant progress taking HS2 from design to reality underneath the capital, building Britain’s new transformational low carbon railway. Completing half of the Northolt Tunnel has come after years of work from the team and we are now looking forwards to the TBMs reaching the end of their journeys, with the first arriving at Green Park Way in Greenford later this year. “ As the TBMs progress, other vital features of the tunnel are put in place such as cross passages, vent shafts and headhouses. Along the Northolt Tunnel there are five shafts and headhouses which will provide ventilation systems and emergency access to the tunnel when in operation.   Between them, the quartet of machines have excavated nearly 2 million tonnes of earth. The excavated material is being put to beneficial reuse. Around the West Ruislip portal, it is being used around the Copthall Green Tunnel, to remodel a nearby golf course that has been impacted by HS2’s tunnelling and is being used sustainably to create new green spaces in the Hillingdon area surrounding the new railway. London Clay removed from the Victoria Road Crossover Box side of the tunnel, is being taken to the London Logistics hub using a spoil conveyor. From there it is taken by rail to beneficial reuse sites across the UK in Rugby, Kent and Cambridgeshire. The logistics hub has now transported over 2 million tonnes of materials to these sites, which are being used to backfill quarries to support housing developments and build wildlife areas for birds. The Northolt Tunnel is being built by a joint venture formed of the companies Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS). The same JV will also construct the Euston Tunnel eastward from Old Oak Common to the centre of London. James Richardson, Managing Director of Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture, said: “Reaching the halfway point of our tunnelling programme for the Northolt Tunnel demonstrates the huge progress achieved to date on one of the most complex and ambitious programmes embarked upon in the UK. Alongside the tunnelling operations we are now moving into the fitout stage of the works in readiness for track and rail systems to be installed. “At Old Oak Common, we are gearing up to assemble and install our final two TBMs, ready to take the high-speed line into central London.” In May, HS2 revealed that across the route between London and the West Midlands, half of all the twin bored tunnel had been complete highlighting the significant progress HS2’s 31,000 strong workforce have made in constructing Britain’s new high speed rail line. Two of the tunnels are now complete – one stretching for 10 miles under the Chiltern Hills and another one-mile in length beneath Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire. Two others remain under construction – the Northolt Tunnel in London and the 3.5-mile Bromford Tunnel in the West Midlands taking the line into central Birmingham. Preparations to bore the final tunnel between Old Oak Common station and Euston are underway with two further TBMs due to arrive in the UK this summer ready to be assembled in the underground box at the station site. Timings and funding for the construction of the Euston Tunnel are being confirmed with government. When complete, HS2 will improve connections between London and the West Midlands, with trains running further north on existing lines. The new high speed railway will create quicker and more reliable journeys, driving economic growth while crucially freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested part of the existing West Coast Main Line. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Balfour Beatty, in partnership with National Highways, has reopened the M25 seven hours ahead of schedule, following the completion of the latest stage of improvement works for the Junction 10 improvement scheme.  The M25 between Junction 10 and 11 was closed at 9pm on Friday 12 July until around 11pm on Sunday 14 July, marking the third closure of the M25 since the beginning of this year. During the closure, Balfour Beatty successfully installed 72 concrete beams which will form the second of the new Junction 10 gyratory bridges and lifted two new gantries into place – one being a 45 metre superspan gantry, spanning the entire width of the M25 carriageway. Howard Williams, Balfour Beatty Project Director, said: “Another great achievement for Balfour Beatty and National Highways, as we reopen the M25 to the travelling public ahead of schedule following another complex weekend of works. “I would like to extend my thanks to my colleagues and our supply chain partners who have worked tirelessly to make this latest closure a roaring success, and to the public who listened to the advice and followed the diversion routes.” Balfour Beatty will now turn its attention to the construction of the next modular bridge, which will take place offsite. The bridge will then be wheeled into place on a self-propelled modular transporter later this year. The Junction 10 improvement scheme is due to complete in Summer 2025. For more information about the project and the latest updates including the closures, please visit: M25 junction 10 – National Highways Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals