Bypass benefits the whole community

Community is at the heart of everything we do. So we were thrilled when Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council called on us for the £90 million Church Village Bypass.

The 6.5 kilometre single carriageway scheme significantly reduced traffic on the congested A473. Improving road safety, noise and vibration, and air quality for residents and businesses.

A £3 million pedestrian and cycle route ran the length of the scheme, linking communities and providing a safe, sustainable transport option.

The scheme also involved protecting local dormice, great-crested newts, badgers, marsh fritillary butterflies, otters, reptiles and bats.

The project created 37 entry-level jobs, raised over £50,000 for charity, and awarded over 75% of subcontracts and material orders to local businesses.

The team took the project through acquiring the land, a successful Public Inquiry, planning applications and solutions for a range of environmental issues.

Opened in September 2010 and funded through a Welsh Assembly Transport Grant, the project saved more than £37 million. We achieved this with:

• Highway realignments (vertical and horizontal)
• Pre-cast bridge structures, cutting costs and time
• Earthworks balance on all site won material
• Reusing 300,000 tyres as earthwork retaining features
• Simplifying access road alignments
• Redesigning utility diversions

More than 99% of the construction waste was diverted from landfill. Site offices were also fitted with heat and light insulation, motion-sensing lighting, low-energy equipment, and a rainwater system for the toilets.

The site team achieved the significant safety goal of 1,000,000 man-hours without a reportable accident.

The team won three gold ROSPA and had an AFR of 0.07, significantly less than the industry average of 0.5.