A47 GUYHIRN ROUNDABOUT HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT
Over 2600m3 of LECA Lightweight Fill (LWA) was specified for the A47 highway development. The A47 is a trunk road in near Norwich, linking Birmingham to Lowestoft, Suffolk. The £17m scheme marks the beginning of six significant schemes and almost half a billion pounds of investment to improve the 115-mile route between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth.
The main works for the £17m year-long project has seen the junction widened with additional approach lanes. The purpose of which was to ease the flow of traffic by incorporating a third lane towards the existing roundabout on the A47 Guyhirn junction.
LECA Lightweight fill was specified by SWECO to widen the approach lanes to the roundabout, as a solution fill material due to poor groundwork conditions during the assessment of developing a road widening development
FACTS
Amount of material: 2,600m3 of LECA®LWA (10-20mm)
Agent: Galliford Try
Sub Contractor: CR Civil Engineering
Designer: Sweco
Interesting Fact: According to National Highways, there is now 18 percent more capacity at the A47 Guyhirn junction, with journey times expected to shrink by four minutes.
Feedback from Contractor
The robust and yet lightweight nature of LECA LWA ensured that the development could progress for the widening of the new highway, through the reduced compaction rates typical when specifying LECA LWA for groundwork reparations.
Furthermore, due to the nearby River, the immediate surrounding area would be subject to rising water levels, a material was required which would not create any adverse effect in the long term and minimise the potential high risk of flooding, whilst preventing the risk of deformation in the future for this busy road.
Danny Hind, a Contractor from CR Civil Engineering provided some quote and feedback on the use of LECA LWA within this project. “The speed to which it was delivered & and how easy it was to deliver and compact, reduced the need for any operatives to monitor. We successfully sourced and received the total quantity, which was required to keep the program going and the LECA lightweight fill material was successful as a solution for the poor groundwork conditions in the area”
The A47 Guyhirn junction was officially opened by Baroness Vere, Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Downing Street chief of Staff Stephen Barclay.
Baroness Vere, a junior transport minister, said: "The opening of this vital new road scheme is a significant improvement to the road network in Cambridgeshire."
Stephen Barclay, MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said: "The completion of the A47 Guyhirn junction is great news for motorists, both in facilitating faster journey times and by increasing road safety for drivers and pedestrians.
"More than 20,000 vehicles use this junction and the short-term pain of roadworks during the last year will be offset by the reduced congestion and faster journeys that these improvements bring."
According to National Highways, there is now 18 percent more capacity at the A47 Guyhirn junction, with journey times expected to shrink by four minutes.
