A £59 million contract to strengthen and renovate the A38(M) Tame Valley Viaduct has been awarded. Birmingham City Council awarded the contract to VolkerFitzpatrick. The latter is a multi-disciplinary contractor that is active in the civil engineering, building, rail, waste and energy infrastructure sectors.
This award comes as a result of the deteriorated state of the the 620m long composite viaduct. The viaduct forms the northern end of the A38(M) Aston Expressway near ‘Spaghetti Junction’. It was originally constructed in the early 1970s.
Implementation of the contract
Works on strengthening the Tame Valley viaduct’s superstructure will begin this month. Steel plates will be secured in place with a combination of welding and bolting. Anti-corrosion paint will be applied to the viaduct structure. Other refurbishment work will be carried out as well. All together, these works will help extend the life of the viaduct in addition to reduce the need for future maintenance.
To minimize disruption, the viaduct will remain open during construction. VolkerFitzpatrick will use high level access platforms that span from pier to pier to accomplish this. Furthermore, the company will take steps to maximize safety on site. It will engage with the local community, and minimize any environmental impact from the works. This is because the structure spans significant infrastructure, including live electrified rail lines, the River Tame, main roads, and local businesses.
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Remarks on the Tame Valley Viaduct renovation project
Speaking on the project, Deon Scholtz, operations director for VolkerFitzpatrick‘s Infrastructure division said that “this is a critical part of Birmingham’s road network. We look forward to continuing working with the council. Together we will provide an integrated solution that attains high levels of technical capability and service. This will as a result lead to a safe, successful scheme completion.”
“Tame Valley Viaduct is a substantial investment into a key piece of our city’s highways infrastructure,” said Cllr Liz Clements, Cabinet Member for Transport at Birmingham City Council. “It is critical that we carry out projects like this if we are to ensure that people can move around the city as easily as possible, and that businesses can thrive.”
