It was a night of celebration at the Builder & Engineer Awards 2010 as the prestigious Builder & Engineer Civil/Highway Project of the Year was awarded to Cheshire East Council and Birse Civils for the A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass.
The A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass, which was delivered 30 weeks ahead of schedule, was described as a challenging highways project which showcased "engineering innovation, partnership working and excellence in community engagement."
Works on the £52m scheme comprised of a 5.4km single carriageway bypass with 3 road bridges, a rail bridge, two roundabouts, a footbridge and 20km of drainage with a pumping station.
To reduce environmental impact, the new road has been constructed in a cutting. However this had the potential to cause flooding and the collapse of the adjacent railway line due to the area's high water table. To overcome this, the team designed a slurry cut-off wall as an impermeable barrier to prevent the road from flooding and protect the structural integrity of the railway line. In addition, 40,000 tonnes of rock have been used to stabilise wet areas and make the ground suitable.
Doug Mackie, Project Manager, Cheshire East Council, commented "Congratulations on the award. This reflects the very professional way in which Birse Civils has carried out the project on behalf of Cheshire East Council. Delivery of the scheme ahead of schedule, within budget, as well as national recognition with this award, is a great testament to and evidence of the partnership approach."
The bypass was also named North West Transportation Project of the Year 2010 at the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation Awards and earlier this year, the site team won Gold in the Considerate Constructors Scheme Awards – one of just 63 out of 7,700 sites to achieve this status.
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