PRESENTATION ON THE WORCESTER SOUTHERN LINK ROAD

Join us on 27 May for presentations from the client, designer and main contractor on this vitally important and technically challenging project being delivered across a floodplain and during the Covid-19 pandemic, and learn how the team have met and overcome these challenges and are delivering this important infrastructure project.

The Worcester Southern Link Road Phase 4 is a Design and Build scheme for Worcestershire County Council, with Burroughs & COWI as joint designers for the civil engineering and construction company, Alun Griffiths Contractors Limited.

Some key points to note about the scheme include:

• The works include the dualling of the A4440 to the south of Worcester for the ~2km section between Powick and Ketch roundabouts, as part of larger overall scheme by WCC for the Worcester Southern Link Road.

• The existing highway and the works to widen it, are over the flood plain of the rivers Severn and Teme and include two highways bridges and a pedestrian/cyclist bridge, as well as flood mitigation and flood resilience scheme. The works are adjacent to the registered battlefield from the English Civil War and as such, included an extensive archaeological survey prior to commencement, with some interesting finds.

• With Alun Griffiths Contractors and working closely with WCC, our team have taken the scheme through the planning and design stages, and it’s now partway through the construction phase.

• Works have progressed well, despite challenges from COVID and repeated flooding from the Severn and Teme. The Hams Way pedestrian bridge opened before Christmas, and the two highways bridges at Carrington and Powick Common were recently completed; as was the widening of the highway embankment along the south of the scheme. The switch over of traffic onto the new embankment and new highways bridges will be taking place shortly.

• The crossover of traffic allows works to take place safely on the existing bridges, which were built in the 1980’s, and to resurface the existing carriageway and widen the footway and cycleway for improved active travel.

Client Presentation by: Andy Maginnis Programme and Commissioning Manager and WCC lead for the delivery of major transport infrastructure projects.

Andy will be presenting a brief overview on the strategic need for the scheme and some key objectives in how it was to be delivered (in terms of minimal impact on travelling public, residents and other stakeholders/liaison with the above). If time allows at the end of the presentations, Andy will also provide a glimpse into other road/rail projects that are in the pipeline.

Design Presentation by: Mark Gorry BEng (Hons) CEng MICE MCIHT is the Design Manager for the Burroughs & COWI Design JV. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Mark will be presenting on the design considerations for the scheme, and how they overcame the challenges for such a complex local project.

Contractor Presentation by: Richard Bruten BEng(Hons) MBA CEng MICE who is the Major Projects Director for Alun Griffiths Contractors Ltd

Richard will be telling us about the challenges of the scheme from the contractors perspective, having to manage many complex issues including the need to respond to floods and of course, COVID-19