Project Overview

Junction 47 of the A1(M) may lie in a rural setting between Harrogate to the west and York to the east, but it suffers from peak hour congestion when queuing occurs along both the northbound and southbound slip roads. As these queues can extend onto the A1(M) itself, the situation represented a real safety concern.

Farrans Construction was awarded the multi-million-pound project to widen three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout increasing the capacity and is complemented by the installation of traffic signals.

The additional carriageway lanes required a cost-effective but quality combined kerb and drainage system, with design expertise thrown in.

Solution

We have delivered 1,500m 321mm and 502mm deep Mono Beany, complemented by 500m of the two-piece Mini Beany, both of which matched the requirements and proved most effective to the client, in terms of cost, product quality and availability.

Mono Beany is constructed from high-strength M-Tech concrete cast around a 100% recycled polyethylene core which provided all the benefits of hydraulic flow at low capacities. Manufactured as a single piece, it offers a streamlined aesthetic suitable for a wide range of applications and features a D400 loading classification suitable for all road-going vehicles.

Mini Beany’s innovative two-piece E600 design, comprising a top unit and a base channel, reduces the risk of damage during the installation process, achieving excellent flow rates for low to medium-capacity road drainage requirements and areas with heavy or abnormally heavy wheel loads.

Farrans’ senior engineer, Ryan Meehan said: “Our procurement team sent out the package to different suppliers. Marshalls Civils & Drainage offered the most value for money, the best quality product and helped with the design of the drainage system. They also offered advice and engaged with us and the client throughout to offer the best solution for the project.”

“Various meetings were held throughout to help with the design. And they were able to meet our programme constraints and provide an efficient delivery service.” Ryan was also impressed with Marshalls’ voluntary value-engineering as the E600 Mini Beany system, which is more expensive because of its two-piece design, could have been suggested throughout. “This was a great help as it saved money for ourselves and the client on the project but the supplied product still met the needs of ourselves and the client,” he said.

The project is now completed having been delayed due to the discovery of great crested newts that needed to be relocated and poor ground condition on the southbound slip road.