This presentation will look at the challenges faced in taking the junction from concept through to construction during uncertain economic climates over the last 15 years. It will firstly discuss the background to the new junction outlining the need for this critical piece of transport infrastructure in terms of supporting the growth of the village of Winchburgh in West Lothian.
With Winchburgh’s population increasing from around 2,400 to 14,000 inhabitants over the next 10 years it is one of the UK’s biggest placemaking projects, and providing reliable, safe journeys is of critical importance. The new M9 Winchburgh junction will provide faster routes into Winchburgh Village and across to the Queensferry crossing to the north, Edinburgh to the east side and Glasgow, Stirling and Falkirk to the west.
The junction and supporting transport network form a key part of Winchburgh’s masterplan delivery including: the Beatlie Road and bridge upgrade, town centre core road and streets, canal overbridge, eastern distributor road to Kirkliston, and railway overbridge. This equates to over £50 million of investment over a three-year period. All provided by WDL.
The designer of the works, Sweco, will explain the key challenges faced in taking the junction from preliminary design through to detailed design. The presentation will discuss how poor ground conditions were overcome and solutions which were put in place to ensure sustainability was at the forefront of the design.
The Principal Contractor for the works RJ McLeod Contractors Ltd will then give an overview of the construction sequencing/ programme of the scheme with particular emphasis on temporary works solutions developed by the Contractor and their Temporary Works Designers for removal of poor ground below the proposed NB Diverge and SB Merge slip road embankments adjacent to the live M9 embankment.
Thomson Gray, as NEC4 Project Manager for the project, will provide a brief summary of the key elements of cooperation and team ethos that helped the project succeed.
