Newsdesk
Sweco UK
M9 Winchburgh Junction wins Best Geotechnical Project at 2023 Scottish Civil Engineering Awards
We are extremely proud to announce that our M9 Winchburgh Junction project, in partnership with Winchburgh Developments Ltd, has been recognised as ‘Best Geotechnical Project’ at the Scottish Civil Engineering Awards.
Our Highways team, with support from the Intelligent Transport (ITS) team, provided design and construction support services for our valued client, Winchburgh Developments Limited.
The intersection we helped create is a vital component of the Winchburgh Master Plan – a massive undertaking that’s paving the way for significant growth in housing, employment, and entertainment opportunities throughout the region.
Sweco also provided a range of multi-disciplinary services including master-planning, preliminary design, detailed design, road safety audits, planning support, producing draft road orders, visualisations, public consultation material, tender competition material and site support. The intelligent transport systems (ITS) team in Teesside were responsible for the motorway design. The ITS team in Teesside were responsible for the motorway communications and technology design.
The main challenges were new slip roads, which were located in an area with extremely poor ground. However, Sweco developed an innovative solution, which uses lightweight fill material to limit the weight placed on the poor ground below.
This is an excellent result which recognises and rewards the team’s hard work in this key placemaking infrastructure project. I was proud to represent Winchburgh Developments Ltd at the #CECAScotland awards lunch. Thanks and congratulations to RJ McLeod (Contractors) Limited, Thomson Gray and Sweco – collaboration was paramount in this complex project which – incredibly – enabled construction completion of a new motorway junction within 12 months.
Paul Curran Commercial Manager at Winchburgh Developments Limited
The economic benefits that have been delivered to the town are enormous and the junction plays a critical role in this. It is exciting to see Winchburgh become a destination within central and east Scotland, and the town of Winchburgh providing access to the trunk road network.
The junction removes traffic from the local roads onto the motorway network which provides quick access to east and central Scotland. The residents of Winchburgh now have access to all of the major economic and recreational facilities in central Scotland and beyond.
Winchburgh’s M9 Junction was a critical project in our planning obligations from the award of our masterplan consent in 2012. We were delighted that the project was delivered comfortably ahead of our planning trigger for completion before 1,000 house occupations.
Sweco was instrumental in providing this step-change in access improvement to the emerging masterplan with 3,000 new homes and major employment use at the junction still to come.
John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments Ltd
The Winchburgh masterplan is one of the largest place making schemes in the UK with 3,700 houses, recreational and employment land set to be built over the coming years.
The junction plays a critical role in the overall masterplan and is considered the marquee piece of infrastructure by the client.
Ryan Lockhart, Project Manager in our Highways team comments:
“Winchburgh Developments Limited are a highly valued client for Sweco and it has been great to play our part in the delivery of this fantastic landmark project which will provide a lasting legacy for Winchburgh and deliver economic benefits to the surrounding area.
What I’m most proud of about this project is the motorway junction is that it was constructed within the client’s target of 12 months. This required substantial input from Sweco to achieve the construction programme in terms of supporting the PM, Client and Contractor.”