Project Outline:

Walters were contracted by Taylor Wimpey to construct a new road to facilitate their new housing development in Cowbridge. Taylor Wimpey were constructing 475 houses split across 3 phases on the outskirts of the market town of Cowbridge. The development also included a school, multiple outdoor play areas and large public open spaces to keep the rural feel of the location.

            The Walters project was split across 3 distinct areas which sat under different agreements with the local authority.

• Llantwit Major Road (Section 278)
• New Link Road (section 38)
• A48 roundabout (section 278)

Llantwit Major Road works required the alteration to the existing road network along Llantwit Major Road, a pivotal link from Cowbridge, Llantwit Major and the surrounding farms and villages. The alignment was altered to allow access into the development and across the new link road which would alter the designated traffic route to the coast and the A48 a main artery of the Welsh road network. The works introduced a new footpath along side of the carriage way improving access to local villages, the installation of multiple new services feeding the development, improvements to existing networks and drainage connections to the existing infrastructure.

The Link Road was the construction of a new road connecting Llantwit Major Road and the A48. The new road consisted of 1km of full construction including an earthworks embankment across disused farmland. The earthworks consisted of site won material to reduce the carbon footprint of the scheme and was wide enough to accommodate the new road and footway/cycleway construction on both sides of the carriage way offering great improvements for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from Cowbridge to the A48 and on to the rest of Wales. The new link road also included the installation of services to feed the development, a signalised pedestrian crossing, bus stops and street furniture as well as an extensive drainage system feeding into multiple attenuation ponds, a natural solution to reduce the risk of flooding to the development and Cowbridge beyond.

The link road joined the existing A48 with a new roundabout to be constructed whilst maintaining traffic flow throughout. The roundabout enables improved traffic flow in and out of the new development and was constructed including a footway/cycleway. The roundabout was designed to enable the future development to the north of the A48 and incorporated new services infrastructure constructed in and around the existing network apparatus.

Project Delivery:

We worked closely with the client and their appointed geotechnical consultant to find suitable fill material within the site boundary utilising borrow pits to construct the earthworks embankment. The utilisation of the site won material greatly reducing the carbon footprint for the scheme. Walters aided with the design of the embankment to increase efficiency of construction and created 3D models to aid with accurate and efficient installation of the fill materials all undertaken within the optimum summer period to reduce weather impact on the programme enabling the works to be signed off ready for the following phases.

The works were proactively managed with multiple gangs and sections all working at the same time with careful and precise planning to ensure each element was completed in the required sequence to facilitate the finished design across each of the 3 sections enabling the road to be opened with all 3 sections completed.

We managed the statutory undertakers required by the design with multiple meetings and design discussions enabling the works to continue unabated and on programme including works on the A48 around the trans-Atlantic cable directly connecting Washington and London.

The works to construct the new roundabout on the existing live carriageway required multiple complex traffic management designs. Walters, using their in-depth knowledge of the relevant legislation and local authority requirements ensured the temporary arrangements were safe and suitable prior to implementation with constant monitoring of traffic and ensuring the installed traffic management was suitable for use throughout the many phases of work. 

Added Value and Client Partnerships:

The installation of the services on Llantwit Major Road were hindered by rock shallower and stronger than indicated by the ground investigation. With Walters experience in construction, we arranged and implemented the use of a specialist to cut the required trenches with a rock wheel enabling construction to continue and still achieve the programmed dates working closely with our traffic management provider to ensure continued flow of traffic safely through the road works.

We worked extensively with Taylor Wimpey’s designers to overcome several design flaws in the roundabout works preventing construction as intended. Our proactive approach and extensive knowledge of carriageway construction enabled them to redesign sections and raise levels to ensure the works could be undertaken in line with the local authorities’ requirements, maintaining traffic each way on the A48, with minimal impact on programme and comply with the relevant highways standards.