Project summary

As part of a package of measures to improve public transport provision in the Bristol North Fringe to Hengrove corridor, we successfully constructed a new bus only junction and southbound bus lane, including a 35m-span bridge over the existing M32 motorway.

The £13m design and build project featured a 55% reduction in the closure duration of the M32 to facilitate the installation of the new bridge deck. Handed back nine hours ahead of schedule, this key arterial route into Bristol city centre accommodates approximately 80,000 vehicles per day.

The details

With no programme delays, disputes or health and safety issues, this highways sector project has delivered dedicated bus priority for Metrobus services, improved bus journey times and increased their reliability.

A key component of the wider £200m Metrobus investment strategy, our works programme centred on the construction of a new M32 bus only junction and slip roads (a city centre on-slip road and country bound off-slip roads). The completion of a new composite bridge over the M32, engineered with structural steel beams and a reinforced deck, plus 900m of new bus lane works were also incorporated into the scheme.

We developed a suite of added-value initiatives during construction of the M32 bridge, including a design change to eliminate wall construction, which resulted in circa £300k of savings to the Council. We also implemented a live deck pour, negating the need for road/lane closures.