NEW MEDWAY BRIDGE NEARS COMPLETION

16 Jul 2002 01:10 PM

Transport Minister, David Jamieson personally sealed the completion of the £20 million new M2 Bridge over the River Medway in true Hollywood style today, by leaving his handprint behind in the final pour of concrete. The new bridge forms a major milestone as part of the Highways Agency's £124 million M2/A2 Widening Works, which will, boost jobs and industry. The opening of the bridge marks the final stage of the scheme.

The construction of a second M2 bridge over the River Medway, near Rochester is one of the major civil engineering works on the scheme and plays a critical part in the project's overall delivery and aims, which include:

providing relief provide relief from the existing congestion improving safety
improving communication along this strategic route, important for regeneration which is vital to north and east Kent.

At today's topping out ceremony, Mr Jamieson said:

"Everyone on the project has to be congratulated for their commitment and determination to make the building of this new Medway Bridge a success, particularly with the challenges of having to squeeze the new M2 Medway Bridge between the existing Medway Bridge and the Channel Tunnel Railway Link Bridge.

"This scheme will benefit industry, job creation, commerce and the travelling public and improve the environment for local communities through its the noise reduction measures that have been incorporated into its design."

"The project has been effectively delivered through partnering. All the key partners, Costain-Skanska-Mowlem Joint Venture, the Highways Agency, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project and Medway Ports have all worked together to help deliver this part of the scheme. The importance of this scheme has been acknowledged by local authorities and Kent County Council; I welcome their support for this important transport project. Only 20 metres separates each structure proving that close co-operation between the M2 and CTRL project teams was the best and only way forward and has enabled both projects to succeed. Everyone should be rightly proud of such an achievement and I congratulate everyone involved in the scheme.

"The success of this scheme is also due to good liaison and proactive consultation. Throughout the works the Highways Agency has ensured open lines of communication between the project team and the local community, keeping everyone up-to-date with working hours, construction progress, and the impact of the project on local roads. This approach has led to very few complaints about the works. I know that with a project of this scale this is no mean achievement.

"The designers have created a bridge that uses the latest technology and features suited to the 21st Century. The more graceful lines, longer spans and lighter supporting columns of the new bridge reflect the real technical advances that have been made in the 40 years since the M2 was originally constructed.

"The Royal Fine Arts Commission endorsed the design of the M2 bridge as part of a joint Highways Agency/Channel Tunnel Rail Link proposal for the two new bridges over the River Medway. The new M2 and CTRL bridges have been designed to have a similar profile to the existing bridge meeting the Commission's key objective of minimising the visual impact of three bridges next to each other."

Highways Agency Chief Highway Engineer, Ginny Clarke said:

"This scheme has presented significant engineering and logistical challenges requiring complex solutions. There is the additional impact of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to consider as the link and the M2 pass through the same corridor, at places, like here at the River Medway, within 20 metres of each other.

"The Agency's modernised approach to contract procurement, which embraces innovation and encourages proactive partnering is a key part of meeting these challenges while delivering high quality schemes with best value for the taxpayer."

The scheme, a Design and Build contract, awarded in November 1999 to the Anglo-Swedish joint venture of Costain-Skanska-Mowlem, aims to widen 17km of the existing A2/M2 of dual two-lane carriageway to dual four-lane, from Cobham to M2 Junction 4, near Gillingham, in Kent. Following a period of detailed design for the new Medway Bridge, the main construction work began in earnest in March 2001; completion of the scheme is due in June 2003.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State. It works closely with other transport operators and with local authorities to integrate the trunk road network with the rest of England's roads and other forms of transport. More information is available at www.highways.gov.uk

2. The environmental projects that are being delivered as part of the M2 scheme, underline the Highways Agency's commitment to the environment. In February 2000 Lord Macdonald and Michael Meacher highlighted the Agency's work and endorsed the planting of 60,000 trees - in a much-praised pioneering environmental scheme, which won for the Highways Agency an award in the Engineering Council's Engineer in the Environment Award 2000 competition.

3. The Royal Fine Arts Commission (RFAC) were consulted and advised about the combined visual impact of the existing M2 Medway Bridge, the new M2 bridge and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link bridge.

On advice from the commission the new M2 and CTRL bridges were designed to complement the form of the existing M2 structure to minimise the impact of the three bridges on the existing landscape.

Issued on behalf of the Highways Agency by South East Press and PR Team. Media enquiries to Cosima Duggal 01737 735569/01306 878442, David Sanders on 01737 735568/01306 878160 email:
cosima.duggal@highways.gsi.gov.uk
or
david.sanders@highways.gsi.gov.uk