NI construction firm Farrans has been selected to deliver Phase 1 of the regeneration of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). LBA has announced an investment of over £100 million, and the construction firm has been appointed to build the terminal extension. Approved by Leeds City Council, the work is set to
A38 opened 12 hours earlier than scheduled Between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 July, Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading Main Contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, erected a new pedestrian bridge over the A38 as part of its Peddimore project, being
A new online tool to help the rail industry measure the social value of its investments, infrastructure projects and day-to-day operations has been launched today. The Rail Social Value Tool (RSVT), co-funded by Network Rail, is provided by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) and Loop (formerly Social Profit Calculator).
Contractor, GRAHAM, is targeting late January 2021 for the completion of the Congleton Link Road A536 scheme. Described as a “crucial piece of infrastructure”, the 5.7km bypass will join the A534 Sandbach Road (to the west of Congleton) with the A536 Macclesfield Road (to the north of the town). In
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at
Work to resurface a major link road in Sheffield has been started by construction firm Amey, part of the highway resurfacing programme which is being rolled out by Streets Ahead. Work to prepare and resurface Europa Drive and Europa Link has now started and will continue, during night-time hours, for
Two water-related contracts, which will see upgrades completed on a North Lincolnshire pumping station and West Sussex pipeline, have been won by Galliford Try. The firm will upgrade Keadby pumping station near Scunthorpe for the Environment Agency under a £20.5 million contract. This project will be carried out in a
The A6 Manchester Airport Relief Road, a £290 million dual carriageway that links the A6 at Hazel Grove to the M56, has officially opened. It aims to improve connections from the city to its airport, as well as provide better connections to the £1 billion Airport City business park and
A £4 million Highways England contract to upgrade the M271 Redbridge roundabout near Southampton Docks has been secured by Interserve, the international support services and construction group. “We are delighted to have secured another Highways England contract after our recent success on the A63 Princes Quay in Hull. Our works
Passengers have been urged by Network Rail to plan their journeys in advance as the rail company delivers more than 400 projects, part of a £84 million investment across the country. A 9,600-strong workforce will work around the clock over the bank holiday weekend to deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
NI construction firm Farrans has been selected to deliver Phase 1 of the regeneration of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). LBA has announced an investment of over £100 million, and the construction firm has been appointed to build the terminal extension. Approved by Leeds City Council, the work is set to commence in autumn 2023 and is expected to complete in 2026. The regeneration will see a 9,500 sq. mt., three storey extension to the existing terminal, alongside a significant refurbishment of the current terminal building. Passengers will benefit from the creation of additional aircraft stands, more seating, faster security, new shops and eateries, and a larger baggage reclaim area and immigration hall, as well as improved access for passengers with restricted mobility. By 2030, the regeneration has the potential to create 1,500 new direct jobs at LBA and 4,000 new indirect jobs, as well as contribute a total of £940 million to the local economy*. The regeneration will also help LBA to further decarbonise its operations, as outlined in the airport’s 2030 Net Zero Carbon Roadmap, with the installation of new heating, lighting and machinery, including new baggage belts. It is expected that airlines attracted by the regeneration will accelerate the deployment of their newest, quietest and most efficient aircraft at the airport. Cathal Montague, Regional Director at Farrans Construction, said: “Leeds Bradford Airport has played an integral role in the ambitious growth of the city of Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region, supporting connectivity to some of the world’s best destinations for business and tourism. We are looking forward to bringing the vision for its next stage to life through the extension and modernisation of the terminal. This project will be a major boost to the construction industry with jobs created through apprenticeships, direct labour and supply chain. “We have had a strong connection to Leeds for many years, having delivered a number of important transport and infrastructure projects in the area. Farrans opened a new office in the city centre last year and we are in the final stages of the delivery of a 20-storey student accommodation project on Belgrave Street, Live Oasis St Alban’s Place. We will continue to engage closely with community groups, charities and schools to create local employment, training and apprenticeship opportunities to deliver a positive lasting impact while delivering Leeds Bradford Airport.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A38 opened 12 hours earlier than scheduled Between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 July, Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading Main Contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, erected a new pedestrian bridge over the A38 as part of its Peddimore project, being delivered for IM Properties. IM Properties is Birmingham City Council’s development partner for the first phase of Peddimore, which comprises all infrastructure works and the development of 37-hectares of the 71-hectare site. The civils and infrastructure project at Minworth, close to Sutton Coldfield, is to enable a major employment park. The steel tied arch footbridge has a 60-metre span, is 6.5 metres wide and the arch peaks at 20 metres above the highway. It was manufactured off site and then transported to Minworth in three deck sections and three arch sections approximately four weeks ago. It was assembled in an off-line area adjacent to the new 75 metre diameter roundabout that Winvic has also been constructing as part of the scheme. The roundabout and bridge can be seen on the Peddimore Winvic Live feed and a video of the weekend installation can be found on Winvic’s YouTube. On the morning of Friday 22, the Winvic team tandem lifted the 90-tonne structure with two mobile cranes – one 330-tonne and one 220 tonne – on to six Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT). Traffic management was put in place from 6pm that evening and at 8pm when the road was closed to traffic the installation could begin. The SPMTs were controlled remotely, moving the structure into place on to the concrete abutments and temporary jacks by midnight, and through the night the structure’s bearings were secured and grouted. The temporary compressive struts and hangers were removed in sequence throughout the day on Saturday. Between 4pm and 4am on Sunday 24 July, 18 permanent, stainless-steel finish Total Macalloy Struts were individually torqued and tensioned to a predetermined load before being fine-tuned. The footbridge installation programme was planned meticulously by Winvic, not least because further works to the bridge could be undertaken until 10 August, due to a three-week embargo on road closures for the Commonwealth Games, being held in Birmingham. With completion of the Peddimore infrastructure project scheduled for summer, any postponement with the bridge would delay handover. The timescales also meant that no lead-time could be lost, but the UK’s record-temperatures also presented challenging conditions for operatives. Therefore, the site team made the decision to begin work at 5am each day so activities could still be carried to programme out before temperatures increased in the afternoons. The Winvic team completed the works ahead of schedule and the road was re-opened 12 hours earlier than expected, at 5.30pm on Sunday 24 July. This week, Winvic will begin the construction a permanent footpath, east of the bridge, to the Peddimore site as well as a temporary footpath on the west side of the bridge, which will meet with Walmley Ash Lane. The bridge and pathways will give residents pedestrian access over the A38 into Minworth and forms part of the green travel planning for the scheme. The other focus areas during the final five weeks of the scheme are installing access steps, handrailing, cabling and lighting, undertaking a secondary reinforced concrete cast to the bridge abutments, backfilling the abutments and approach ramps and completing the drainage and ducting connections. Rob Cook, Winvic’s Director of Civils and Infrastructure, commented: “Our scenario planning, programme management, health and safety preparations and liaison with Birmingham City Council have led to a very successful weekend at IM Properties Peddimore project. Every step of the footbridge installation – from lifting it on to the SPMTs to putting it in place over the highway to fitting the struts – went to plan; in fact, so well, we were able to open the A38 twelve hours earlier than scheduled. It was a true team effort and numerous specialist subcontractors proved themselves to be leaders in their fields. “There was no room in error with the timings, or our upcoming agreed handover date to IM Properties could not be met due to the embargo on road closures during the Commonwealth Games. The soaring temperatures certainly didn’t help in the run-up and I’d like to give special thanks to the whole Peddimore team who went above and beyond, starting work extra early so tasks could be completed before temperatures increased in the afternoon. With the bridge in place, we’re on track for handover towards the end of summer.” Andy Reynolds, Project Director for IM Properties added: “Winvic Construction Ltd, is a trusted partner in our supply chain and having worked with them across a number of our schemes, they have continually demonstrated their commitment to meeting deadlines and ensuring a partnership approach is taken when liaising with key stakeholders and the local community to work considerately and minimise disruption. “The success of the bridge works is testament to the professionalism and determination of the whole team to plan and execute a complex and time critical operation of this nature. Working in difficult conditions, they really excelled themselves and they have once again underlined why we selected them to deliver one of the UK’s largest manufacturing and logistics schemes.” Winvic praised a number of specialist subcontractors that worked as one team with Winvic to successfully deliver the bridge works, including Carver Engineering Services, Mammoet, USL Ekspan and Rubix. 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 Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
A new online tool to help the rail industry measure the social value of its investments, infrastructure projects and day-to-day operations has been launched today. The Rail Social Value Tool (RSVT), co-funded by Network Rail, is provided by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) and Loop (formerly Social Profit Calculator). The RSVT allows the rail industry to forecast, monitor and evaluate the social value of its activities. This is about measuring the impact on the welfare and wellbeing of both individuals and wider society, the net positive (or negative) social, economic and fiscal value that a project, organisation or specific initiative generates. With 500 indicators, organised across 12 social impacts, the RSVT can measure and monetise a wide range of benefits. These include: Improving safety Jobs created, apprentices employed and training provided Change to air quality Increasing biodiversity, by protecting and boosting plant and animal life, and planting trees Curriculum enrichment support for young people Design features that make rail travel more accessible and inclusive Employee and community volunteering Co-designing infrastructure and services with communities The RSVT has undergone extensive testing since November 2021 by early adopters, including Network Rail and companies in its supply chain. Liz Holford, Network Rail’s Sustainability Strategy manager (Social Performance) said: “The launch of the Rail Social Value Tool is an important milestone which enables our industry to make a step-change in how we understand and manage our impacts on people. “We’re already using the tool to forecast and maximise the social value of station redevelopments and infrastructure enhancements as well as current projects and some completed ones, and we’re looking forward to using it further to manage and improve the impact our railway has on society.” George Davies, RSSB’s Director for Sustainable Development said: “It’s fantastic to see the Rail Social Value Tool launched today. It’s a first for the rail industry, and I would like to thank everyone involved in its development. “Rail is one of the most sustainable forms of transport. However, until now, we haven’t been able to measure its social value in sufficient detail. “We can now assess, and importantly place a financial value on the effect the railway has in a number of areas including the natural environment, communities, people and their health, cultural heritage, housing, inclusivity, and distribution of opportunities. “As we transform the Railway and deliver the vision of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the Rail Social Value Tool will guide decisions on rail development across the country to ensure the best return on those investments for society.” Gerard Toplass, Group Chief Executive, Loop said: “We are proud to have worked with RSSB and the wider rail sector to help them deliver the Rail Social Value Tool. Together we have developed 449 measures (KPIs) across 12 social value impact areas that cover people, sustainability and economic activity. “It is a first for the industry, and our software team worked in true collaboration with RSSB to develop a simple and accessible tool that can be used throughout the supply-chain and is aligned to the sector’s needs and objectives.Over the next 5 years we look forward to further developing the tool and helping the rail sector continue to deliver measured social value.”
Contractor, GRAHAM, is targeting late January 2021 for the completion of the Congleton Link Road A536 scheme. Described as a “crucial piece of infrastructure”, the 5.7km bypass will join the A534 Sandbach Road (to the west of Congleton) with the A536 Macclesfield Road (to the north of the town). In the opening year, during rush hour, traffic journeys across Congleton are expected to take circa six minutes less than the current rate. Air quality assessments also indicate that there will be substantial improvements throughout the town centre. GRAHAM has implemented a five-phase, sequenced programme of works, split into five mainline zones in order to meet the agreed sectional completion dates. Despite recent challenges associated with COVID-19, and inclement weather conditions, “great progress” has been made in recent months as GRAHAM Contracts Manager, Alastair Lewis, explains. “We are delighted with the great progress of the Congleton Link Road A536 project so far despite a number of challenges, in particular those presented by COVID-19,” “I hope the aerial photographs give the local community a real sense of the scale and complexity of the project. Once complete, it will help deliver economic and social regeneration to the town. At this stage, I would like to thank the people of Congleton for their time and patience throughout the scheme.” Key milestones Among the recent milestones is the completion of the waterproofing works to the river Dane structure, which is the final phase of works before surfacing the bridge deck. When the surfacing has been completed, material earmarked for other areas of the scheme will be transported over the bridge, rather than vehicles travelling through the town. The riverbank erosion protection works are now complete Significantly, the Giantswood Lane Bridge is complete following the completion in August of the bridge joints, final surfacing and white lining of the realigned carriageway. The Giantswood Lane structure offers a great viewing point of the new mainline currently under construction. The Chelford road overbridge has been opened to traffic and the realignment of the Chelford Road carriageway will be undertaken before the final surfacing works are carried out. Permanent sheet piles are currently being installed as part of the works to construct the underground attenuation tank, which will collect excess surface water before been pumped away. Progress continues on the Loach Brook Bridge with the bridge deck recently been finished. The final concrete pours to the south side of the structure will be carried out during September. Further key achievements and updates include: The final surfacing and white lining to the new roundabout junction on Sandbach Road have been completed and the temporary traffic lights have been removed. The largest section of mainline has had subbase laid with further road foundation works to be undertaken ahead of the surfacing works in October. Road foundation and kerb installation works continue across the entire scheme. The planting of vegetation including trees, shrubs and seeding of grass has commenced across the scheme. Two new underpasses have successfully been installed on Manchester Road and works to back fill material over the structures are to take place during September. For more information on the Congleton Link Road project, or GRAHAM please visit: www.graham.co.uk/congleton-link-road If you would like to receive project updates, please register via: https://group.graham.co.uk/l/1F8/CongletonLinkRoad Alternatively, you can email the GRAHAM Project Team directly at congletonlink@graham.co.uk
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at the RICS national finals in London later this year. “The Lincoln Transport Hub involved complex stakeholder engagement as well as presenting numerous operational challenges from the outset. By working in collaboration with the council and other organisations involved, we were able to collectively deliver a real success story for Lincoln,” said Nick Heath, director of delivery for Willmott Dixon. “We are delighted to have been recognised by our peers for this project, which we are certain will continue to be the bedrock of growth in Lincoln city centre. We have previously worked with Lincoln University Technical College (UTC) to refurbish and extend its iconic building and we are continuing to deliver a number of exciting schemes across Lincolnshire, such as a next generation emergency services hub for Lincolnshire County Council.” Thornton Firkin and John Roberts Architects worked alongside Willmott Dixon to deliver the hub to meet the needs of City of Lincoln Council. It is a vital element of the council’s plans to transform Lincoln’s city centre with a better integrated and improved interchange into the city centre which will also encourage further inward investment in Lincoln. The scheme included a new bus station with 14 bus bays and a six-level multi-storey car park housing 1001 spaces. “The transport hub scheme helps the city council achieve our vision of delivering Lincoln’s ambitious future and our priority of driving economic growth in Greater Lincoln. The new bus station and wider transport hub project will help revitalise the key visitor arrival point into the city centre. Our commitment to the Transport Hub project demonstrates to people locally, regionally and nationally that Lincoln is a thriving city and we are confident enough in this belief to invest significantly in its future,” added Kate Ellis, director of major projects at City of Lincoln Council.
Work to resurface a major link road in Sheffield has been started by construction firm Amey, part of the highway resurfacing programme which is being rolled out by Streets Ahead. Work to prepare and resurface Europa Drive and Europa Link has now started and will continue, during night-time hours, for the next six weeks. As well as being home to several businesses, Europe Link is a busy connecting route stretching from the Sheffield Parkway, close to the AMRC site, over to Shepcote Lane, Darnall. In recent weeks, Amey have worked closely with affected businesses to communicate their plans in advance, in hope of minimising disruption and enabling local workers to be fully prepared. “It’s been really beneficial to work with affected businesses ahead of works starting on this busy route. A number of them have agreed to close early or even close for the day to allow us to complete the resurfacing with minimal disruption, and we are really thankful for their co-operation,” said Andrew Staniforth, Assembly Steward for Amey. “Our works will start on Europa Drive, and then proceed onto Europa Link, from Wood Lane roundabout towards Shepcote Lane, over the next six weeks. Due to the sheer volume of traffic and the different needs of the businesses based there, including two large-scale distribution companies, we will be working on Sundays and overnight to complete the work,” Andrew added. The 4km route will be prepared first and then surfaced between now and early May. Some road closures will be in place during that period, and there are already diversion signs in place where the work has started.
Two water-related contracts, which will see upgrades completed on a North Lincolnshire pumping station and West Sussex pipeline, have been won by Galliford Try. The firm will upgrade Keadby pumping station near Scunthorpe for the Environment Agency under a £20.5 million contract. This project will be carried out in a joint venture with Black & Veatch. The station is located at the end of a complex network of rivers and pumping stations within the lowlying Isle of Axholme which spans around 200 square miles across South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The pumps help transfer flood water from the Three Rivers into the River Trent during high tides. The station is nearly 80 years old and has reached the end of its working life. Work involves replacing the existing diesel driven pumps with six electric pumps, constructing electrical equipment buildings within the existing site and rebuilding the outfall headwall where the Three Rivers discharge to the Trent. Work starts this month and full completion is set for June 2021. The other project, worth £14.5 million, involves the laying of a 10km pipeline in Chichester, West Sussex, for Southern Water. The new waste water transfer main with three new pumping stations will run from the west of the city to the Tangmere treatment works in the east. The new infrastructure is necessary to connect three major housing developments of 3,800 homes in the catchment to the sewer network while complying with Environment Agency consents to limit storm discharges from the existing Chichester treatment works into the harbour. Both contracts will be undertaken by the Environment business unit of Galliford Try’s Infrastructure division.
The A6 Manchester Airport Relief Road, a £290 million dual carriageway that links the A6 at Hazel Grove to the M56, has officially opened. It aims to improve connections from the city to its airport, as well as provide better connections to the £1 billion Airport City business park and development sites in Handforth Dean and Woodford. “We are investing more in improving our roads than ever before – making it easier, safer and quicker for people to get where they want to go. This new road will not only make it easier for people to get to the airport and away on holiday, but it will help businesses in the North West improve their access to world trade through flights from Manchester,” said Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who opened the road. “It will also lead to the creation of thousands of jobs, boosting the economy and further demonstrating the strength of the North West’s role in the Northern Powerhouse,” he continued. The A6 Airport Relief Road is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs in Greater Manchester and deliver a £2.5 billion boost to the regional economy. “This new road connects Manchester Airport with the people and businesses of Stockport, Manchester and East Cheshire. It was only made possible by Department for Transport and Greater Manchester Combined Authority funds and it is a good example of central government working together with a city-region to deliver major infrastructure that improves people’s lives,” added Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. “The A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road will enable people to make quicker and easier journeys, and will cut congestion, especially on local roads. The supporting cycling and walking infrastructure will also make active travel more attractive and safer for more people and supports our ambition to make them the first and natural choice for short journeys. Greater Manchester is emerging as a world-class city-region and we want to work with government to deliver a transport system to support it,” Andy concluded.
A £4 million Highways England contract to upgrade the M271 Redbridge roundabout near Southampton Docks has been secured by Interserve, the international support services and construction group. “We are delighted to have secured another Highways England contract after our recent success on the A63 Princes Quay in Hull. Our works on the Redbridge roundabout will benefit residents, businesses and ease congestion around Southampton docks,” said Wayne Howell, Sector Director for Highways. The scheme will see Interserve create a new free-flow, left-turn lane from the M271 to the Port of Southampton. The infrastructure division will also complete road-widening works to create four lanes on the roundabout to increase its overall capacity. Other associated works will include an additional toucan crossing which enables pedestrians and cyclists to cross together, replacing a footbridge and refurbishing an existing subway to the north of the junction. A major problem in this area of Southampton is congestion, with the M271 southbound to the A33 exhibiting average speeds of below 40 mph during peak hours which also impacts road safety. This scheme aims to reduce traffic delays on this important route into Southampton and create more reliable journey times for local, regional and port transport. Interserve is one of the world’s foremost support services and construction companies. Their core values are at the heart of everything they do. As leaders in innovative and sustainable outcomes for their clients and a great place to work for, Interserve offers advice, design, construction, equipment, facilities management and frontline public services. Headquartered in the UK and FTSE listed, Interserve has gross revenues of £3.7 billion and a workforce of circa 75,000 people worldwide.
Passengers have been urged by Network Rail to plan their journeys in advance as the rail company delivers more than 400 projects, part of a £84 million investment across the country. A 9,600-strong workforce will work around the clock over the bank holiday weekend to deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved facilities and better services for passengers, all part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan. The major investment projects this August include: The replacement of a vital junction outside of London Euston station at North Wembley to improve reliability of services. This will see London Euston station closed not only over the bank holiday weekend (25 – 27 August), but also the 18 – 19 August and 01 – 02 September. The £200 million investment to transform the track and signalling through the Derby station area will continue over the bank holiday weekend. The 79 days of engineering began on Sunday 22 July and runs until Sunday 07 October. The investment is a key part of the biggest upgrade of the Midland Main Line, which will support better journeys between Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and London. The replacement of track near Coventry to improve the reliability of services through the area. Passengers travelling to Birmingham International Airport are advised to plan their journeys in advance as buses will replace trains between Birmingham International and Rugby. “This bank holiday weekend, thousands of rail workers across Britain will be delivering essential improvements that will lead to faster, better services and help relieve overcrowding to respond to the huge growth on Britain’s railways. While it will be business as usual on most of the network, we urge all passengers to check before they travel,” said Andy Thomas, Network Rail managing director of England and Wales. Some routes will see significant changes to normal services; therefore passengers should plan ahead of travelling this August bank holiday weekend.
