A45 Rushden Lakes – Enabling and access works
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Location: Northamptonshire
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Sector: Highways
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Service: Infrastructure
Working with our client Highways England we delivered enabling and access works on the A45 for the Rushden Lakes retail and leisure development. This new development regenerated a derelict brownfield site in the Nene Valley alongside the A45, on the edge of Rushden in Northamptonshire.
The works included a new, steel 48m cable ‘stayed’ ‘A frame’ footbridge over the A45. This provided pedestrians and cyclists with access to the Rushden Lakes leisure and retail development. We also built a new pedestrian crossing facility on the A5001 Northampton Road.
We also replaced the initial section of Old Northampton Road, with a four lane section of carriageway and a terminal roundabout, forming the public access to the Rushden Lakes Retail Development.
At a glance...
£12m
Project value
March 2018
Completion date
Highways England
Client
Bridge construction
The new 48m span cable pedestrian overbridge foundations were constructed with a circular hollow section piled foundation and reinforced concrete base, with holding down bolts cast in situ to secure the bridge superstructure.
A 200 tonne mobile crane was used to install the bridge during a series of full night time road closure on the A45. The north and south towers, stairs and approach ramps were fabricated off site and lifted directly into position either side of the carriageway. The bridge deck and supporting cable were then installed in sequence with the cables being tensioned in sequence.
All lifting operations were completed on time and the A45 was reopened on schedule after each shift.
Collaboration is key
Maintaining good communications with our client Highways England and the local authority was a key priority especially as the enabling works were vital to the new development.
To facilitate the works, Interserve Traffic Management installed concrete barriers and Traffic Management schemes allowing us to work directly adjacent to the carriageway, whilst keeping all road users and our operatives safe. We agreed all Traffic Management Plans with Highways England, Northamptonshire County Council and all other key stakeholders.
Working with the National Grid we also undertook excavated trial holes to determine the location of existing utilities and oversaw the design and installation of a protection slab over a high pressure gas main.
Culvert extension works
The culvert extensions required an outline Approval in Principle (AIP) from Highways England. We undertook the design, produced the design certificate and issued the construction compliance certificate following installation. Both Certificates followed the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges BD 2/12, which gave HE confidence to approve the opening of the new carriageway over the culvert extension.
During construction of the culvert we established an over pumping arrangement to divert the River Skew, (main river and tributary to the River Nene). The site was upstream of a Site and Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI). We applied for, and managed, all Environment Agency consents and required permits allowing us to install a porta-dam and set up an over pumping arrangement, with back-up equipment to ensure resilience. This established a dry and safe working area to construct the precast concrete culvert extensions.