All-electric bridge repair in Cheshire East wins environmental awards
Green Apple Environment Award, Highways Award and ADEPT President’s Award for ultra-low carbon reconstruction project following a road traffic collision.
‘A testament to the commitment to innovation, collaboration and environmental responsibility.’ So says the citation accompanying the Highways Award granted to work on Marthall Lane Bridge in Ollerton, near Knutsford, carried out earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of ADEPT/Cheshire East Highways
The bridge suffered extensive damage in a road traffic collision, but the repair work was carried out in innovative ways specifically designed to minimise carbon emissions. In fact, the only CO2 produced throughout the work came from the delivery of plant and materials.
A focus on reducing carbon emissions led to the employment of an all-electric fleet comprising zero-emission battery-powered EVs, a battery-powered plant and a hydrogen and solar-powered welfare unit for operatives. Materials were also recycled from previous schemes, such as reusing scaffolding encapsulation, FSC certified timber and 550 matching bricks. Vehicle sharing also cut emissions. Deliveries were synchronised to reduce road use. As a result, the project saved an estimated equivalent of 2.3 tonnes of CO2, and £2,800 in plant and vehicle fuel.
What’s more, by fostering a culture of sustainability and encouraging greener practices, it serves as an example for projects undertaken in future.
This effort has been recognised in a Green Apple Environment Award and the Steve Berry Highways Authority Innovation Award, and was highly commended at ADEPT’s President’s Awards in the Delivering Clean Growth category.
Ringway Jacobs oversaw the project, working with Cheshire East Highways, Amberon Traffic Management Ltd, GAP Plant Hire and Solutions Ltd, CDM Scaffolding and Enviroskip. In September, our sister site Environment Journal spoke to Ian McLauchlan, Bridge Manager at Ringway Jacobs, in further depth about the project.
Cllr Craig Browne, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cheshire East Council, says: ‘This may be seen as a very small step, but as our highways teams switch to using more electric power, we are making a serious contribution towards our goal of becoming a carbon neutral council by 2025.
‘Moving away from noisy and polluting machinery to more eco-friendly methods and technology has helped us to achieve the environmental best practice criterium, which has resulted in this award.’
Ian McLauchlan, Highways, Bridges and Structures Manager at the council, adds: ‘It was pleasing that the low-carbon ethos was shared by all those involved in the work. From Cheshire East Council to our highways teams, stakeholders and supply chain partners, there was tremendous collaboration, which allowed us to share ideas and good practice, which I am sure will be used in future projects.’
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