In the UK, a few miles away from Birmingham, teams from Colas Ltd are working on the A46 dual carriageway, between Coventry and Stoneleigh. The project involves building a new bridge and realigning the slip roads to create a large diamond interchange.
On this extremely busy road, traffic jams are common and accidents, frequent. The goal of the project is to reduce slowdowns and congestion, while improving safety. The section will also be better sized for the area's future traffic, which is booming.
Systems to protect flora and fauna, electric machines: minimising the environmental impact of construction work has become routine. Various actions were taken to protect the surrounding biodiversity: fences were installed to protect otters spotted by ecologists during the study, and protected trees were clearly identified. A plan was also devised with specialists to prevent the Himalayan Balsam, an invasive plant included in the European Union's list of species of concern, from spreading.
We are building structures that will be here for years to come and it is important that they fit harmoniously into their environment without damaging it.
Andy Bond
Project Manager at Colas Ltd.
